Buyers Sellers Roll Call 16

[Househunting21]

Because the last thread is nearly full and I for one very much appreciate the space to vent

Good luck to everyone hoping to exchange and/or complete this week!

Ah that's exciting, @ForThePurposesOfTheDIR! I hope all goes well!

We finally heard back from our buyer yesterday - it seems he hadn't done anything in the four weeks since the chain completed. I've no idea why! He's now arranging a valuation on a house that he's remortgaging for next week, so he can find out how much he needs to borrow on the new mortgage, and then he'll instruct the solicitor. His solicitor already has the draft contracts and management pack etc from us, but won't read anything until they've been officially instructed.

No update from our solicitor, other than to say that they hadn't got the searches back from the sellers estate agent on Thursday, and that our solicitor would review our paperwork over the weekend.

It seems the rest of the chain want an August exchange date, so I'm hoping our estate agent will push our buyer into doing a few things consecutively. I'm worried about his lack of commitment so far! He runs a business buying local properties and letting them, and the estate agent say they've worked with him a few times so they're confident all is fine.

It's so stressful. Nobody seems to communicate 🙈

The old saying no news is good news doesn’t seem to apply with buying and selling. I am such a control freak and hate not having any control over the eventual outcome. Been de cluttering today as it feels productive as less to pack and helps if it all falls through and we have to put back on the market. I just need to feel something is moving forward!!!

How long has everybody’s searches tended to take on average? Our buyers have sold to a first time buyer and the searches on our property are near completion and are well advanced. The property we’re buying is vacant possession but the owner could not find the mortgage deed 🤦🏼‍♀️so delayed our searches. Our solicitor started the ball rolling Monday trying her best to catch up. What is the next step is is signing. We are both so stressed praying all goes well. Thanks

It depends on where you are some councils are doing it reasonably quick some take ages. You can look up online to find out what your councils average time is, someone put a link up a while ago, I’ll see if I can find it.

Thank you. I’ve already checked it’s saying 12 days so not to bad we are 5 working days in so fingers-crossed 😊

Had a bit of a wobble over the weekend. Saw friend who said I didn't seem all that excited about moving and to a degree it's true. I definitely don't love the house I'm buying, but it's a means to an end.

I'm moving long distance and this was one of the areas I really liked, didn't have any competition to buy it, and it's much cheaper than my max budget. I'm only looking at it as somewhere to be a few years before buying upwards once I'm more settled and know the wider area better. But the house itself I'm just .... totally meh about. Nothing bad about it, survey picked up all usual stuff for a house of its age, nice new kitchen. But still... just meh.

But the area is nice, very popular, so I'm not worried even if a year down the line I really hate it and sell up. Well I keep telling myself... Part of me is almost wishing something goes wrong up the chain so I have to pull out but then I'd struggle to find anything else !

I knew everything was going too smoothly..... Our buyer has just pulled out!!! It took sooo long to get the buyer for our flat and now we're at risk of loosing our house and all the money we've already put in for surveys etc

How do people do this?! Just walk away knowing you're screwing so many people over!?

@DanisEndo Oh no - I'm really sorry! I'm living in fear of our buyer doing the same... they've been so slow.

Was there any other interest that your EA could go back to?

@TakeYourFinalPosition I'll keep my fingers crossed for you they dont!

He was also so slow, hadnt started anything yet so nothing out of his pocket. He's the last one in the chain so thrown everything in the air for everyone. I wouldnt blame our sellers if they wanted to re-list...
No there were no counter offers to go back to or even anyone else massively interested. We shouldve known really. He messed us around for weeks booking in about 7 viewings and cancelling 4 all within the hour before he was due to be there. brought potential tenants round without telling us.

Just want a big cry now :(

@DanisEndo I'm so sorry for you. We think ours will go the same way shortly. It took so long to find a buyer for our flat/maisonette & he still hasn't got his money cleared in his account so we can't exchange. The people we're buying from are getting fed up & I wouldn't blame them if they relisted.

Oh @DanisEndo.. That's so rubbish.

Ours is a flat too. It's such a rough market. We did have another offer, and I'm kicking myself for not pushing DH to go for that one, but the EA recommended this man...

I'm not surprised you feel like crying. I hope that the rest of the chain can wait a bit for you - and that you find someone else to buy soon

I am pulling my hair out. Our vendor (B&B) has now said she can't complete on the day she suggested in mid September which the whole chain has accommodated and she now doesn't know when she can complete. Our buyer is about to pull out because their buyer won't wait any longer. They were going to complete next week and move in with family until mid September when we would all complete. They don't want to risk completing on theirs in case our vendor changes her mind and I can't say I blame them.

So do we walk away or do we try and find another buyer? EA said we'd have no trouble finding someone else and probably get more for it but have we got the energy to deal with this woman any longer??? There's been 2 houses she was going to buy, then a rental and now out of the blue a business they want to buy. We really want the property but I'm sick of living with this lurching feeling all the time that somethings going to go wrong.

It's not for the faint hearted this house buying is it?

@newhouseangst

I am pulling my hair out. Our vendor (B&B) has now said she can't complete on the day she suggested in mid September which the whole chain has accommodated and she now doesn't know when she can complete. Our buyer is about to pull out because their buyer won't wait any longer. They were going to complete next week and move in with family until mid September when we would all complete. They don't want to risk completing on theirs in case our vendor changes her mind and I can't say I blame them.

So do we walk away or do we try and find another buyer? EA said we'd have no trouble finding someone else and probably get more for it but have we got the energy to deal with this woman any longer??? There's been 2 houses she was going to buy, then a rental and now out of the blue a business they want to buy. We really want the property but I'm sick of living with this lurching feeling all the time that somethings going to go wrong.

It's not for the faint hearted this house buying is it?

It's sounds like she's not going to go anywhere to be honest!

Thank you @labourlost and @TakeYourFinalPosition

Have collected myself today and we're going to talk to the EA about a duel listing because they had so little foot fall when they were managing it themselves. We were actually about to take the property off the market just when we got the offer.

Even more frustratingly we're off on holiday today so have a mad dash to try and get everything in place with the EA's. Get the place viewing ready. Drop off a key to the new EA(?) so we can just chill for a few days.

Its mad for (everything) flats/maisonettes right now isnt it! Hoping the interest will be there.

@TakeYourFinalPosition don't kick yourself - hindsight is a B!tch! :') It's actually almost funny how similar our cases are! The buyer was a local investor who buys to let out flats, we werent sold on him but the EA assured us they'd worked with him loads and once he commited he'd 'be a man of his word'

Oh god that’s scary, @DanisEndo, it’s almost exactly the same. I’m now wondering if you live near me 🙈

I’m tempted to call our EA today and make a bit of a fuss… DH wants to leave it but I’m so frustrated by how slow it all is.

Our sellers EA has messaged today that the old buyers are annoyed that they’ve made their searches available for us to buy as requested early last week and then haven’t heard anything else, which our solicitor said she was dealing with last Thursday, before taking our pack home for the weekend to review…

So I’m guessing none of that actually happened. Gah!

I hope you’ve managed to get the flat sorted, and you can enjoy a few days break!

@TakeYourFinalPosition we're just outside of St Albans? Hope its not the same man!

Ohhh its all so frustrating isnt it... so much worse when everyone is blaming everyone else. Why cant people just be honest and upfront. Would save so much time if someone just said 'I havent done that yet' rather than pretending they have and letting you go all around the houses to find out who's lying! I would side with you and make a bit of a fuss but who knows whats right to do in these things.

Thank you! Just a few more hours of manic stress before we hit the road

So no completion this week as we have to wait for something with the land registry to come back - another thing that could have been done months ago.

Early September now - right when our son does his 11+ and I’ve got immovable events.

Finally! I am moving Friday (trying desperately to overlook the fact that it is Friday 13th...). Only a few more days left to put up living with ExH!!

What do I need to do now? ExH always dealt with this stuff! I've organised removals & sorted wifi (2 teenagers, school holidays & no wifi was not an option!). How do I go about contacting utility suppliers for new house?

Brain is fried but at least I'm in touching distance...

Oh no @DanisEndo I am so sorry. This process really seems to bring out the worst in some people - continually astonished.

@LODReturn well done! Maybe ask your sellers who they use now? Any last bits to take to the skip etc. before moving? Packing up what you need urgently to make it easier to find?

Having finally gotten all our paperwork lined up, we're trying to set dates for exchange and completion over the next 3 weeks and our bloody buyers have decided they want to do some extra surveys! Electric, plumbing etc. They' had their survey back for over 2 weeks now and are only just talking about this. We've sweated blood meeting the end Aug deadline - which was what they specified when we accepted their offer. This is definitely the most stressful thing I have ever done. They are our second set of buyers and can't help feeling paranoid this is going south.

I spoke too soon! Top of the chain have now said 6th September. I'm sitting in the office trying not to cry. Can't face the thought of going home.

Oh no LOD. I web searches moving checklist and found some useful ones. Then got one off the removal firm

@LODReturn I’m assuming that the utilities are in his name?

Have a look at Uswitch or just get them switched to your name when you move in.

I have a referral for Octopus Energy worth £50 (for both of us) if you go with them - DM me if you want it

I called the EA for an update and apparently the searches are back for my sellers' purchase. I just need them to get a move on and deal with enquiries and hopefully we can start talking exchange and completion dates.

It's amazing how many times I've called and crucial bits of information have 'just' arrived though, I think I may have second sight

I have emailed my solicitor to exchange on my house and complete on Friday - I can't stay living with exH any longer after his rant at me last night (as if it is my fault someone at the top of the chain has changed their mind on moving date).

I've sorted out somewhere to stay for the next few weeks and the removal people are sorting storage for my belongings.

I have also emailed my solicitor to say that if the top of the chain are not prepared to agree and date and exchange today then I am pulling out and will go into rental for a year.

I'm hoping that this will focus their minds and they will agree a date (even if it's not one that I like). If at this stage they still can't commit to a date I'm concerned as to whether they even will...

Fingers crossed and a handhold please!

Sorry to hear about everyone's issues. It's so stressful isn't it.

That's positive news @Simplelifecoming!

Our seller has now offered on a property so fingers crossed she gets it and it's chain free or we will be moving in with my parents for a few weeks / months because our buyer is getting impatient. Can't say I blame him its dragged right on.