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!

I have no idea what I’m taking about. But could you potentially get someone in to sign off a new certificate explaining the situation? I think it highly unprofessional of your solicitor to let you exchange without the full document, if it was so important to the buyers.

Even more unprofessional of the buyer's solicitor to exchange on their client's behalf without a document so important to them.

The solicitors have massively cocked up. If a document is that important they should never have exchanged before seeing it; ridiculous they just went on your say so!

Surely the buyers can't pull out now without forfeiting their deposit?

we can get a regularisation document potentially but the lady at the council said that could take months and she can't understand why would need it given it was permitted development - she said it's not a simple process, particularly for the loft as there's a lot they need to check, it might require opening bits of the loft up etc. And it doesn't always give the comfort that people need as generally it's used when something was done with no permission. Ours is already signed off as permitted development - it actually was done legally and with building control sign off I just can't bleeding find it! She was totally mystified as to why anyone cares so much given it was more than 10 years old and they don't take action after that time anyway. I said to her it's not the point sadly, they do and this is the situation we are in.

not sure where it leaves us tbh - problem is we have also exchanged on the forward property so it's going to be a giant legal fuck up if I can't find this stupid thing

the 3 letter mysterious firm didn't call back - she gets the urgency but said it might be tomorrow

ex husband can't check yet as him and his new fiancee only have one computer and she's been on it all day

I’m sure you will get something sorted. Nothing else you can do tonight try and get some rest and work through it tomorrow. At the end of the day they will be the ones loosing out on a lot of money and think your solicitor should be helping you not blaming you at this point!

They've exchanged contracts. If they've done so without waiting for the actual documents they are so desperate for then tough shit, that's was their choice to exchange without them- they took a risk.

Stand firm @StrongArm. Don't kill yourself with stress, and certainly don't withdraw from the transaction yourself.

strongarm

Whether it’s permitted development or not has no impact on needing building regs sign off. They are 2 separate things.

Anyway, in my view (IANAL) it doesn’t matter, you’ve exchanged, I cannot see how the buyers can no walk without huge penalties because you can’t produce the building regs completions certificate. Unless it was a conditional exchange. Which is phenomenally rare.

well the good news is those 3 letters corresponded to a firm that has been taken over by another but the amazing woman there confirmed it was indeed them that did it 11 years ago and she's written an email confirming that to send on. It may take a week to get it out of physical storage (as it's not online as it's so long ago) but it exists!

she also said the council have been super unhelpful because the reference I have means it was logged with them and they could have helped us (our council is absolutely woeful - they have merged their services with another borough and it's gone massively downhill)

she didn't even charge us to find it - once it's been located, I will send her a hamper/bottle of wine!

the solicitors are even more relieved than me grrrr

anyway onwards and upwards now! argh!

Great news @StrongArm! What a relief!

I haven’t been on this thread for a while but I’m still sat here waiting to exchange. Our solicitor is terrible, she just never communicates.
We are supposed to be exchanging today with a view to completing next Friday. Our mortgage offer expires on the Saturday and we’re away part of next week so I can’t pack or sort anything. The solicitor knows all this yet I’ve heard nothing at all from her since Wednesday. Who knows what’s going on.

I have put an offer in on a house. I am a nervous wreck waiting to see if they accept.

We are meant to be exchanging today and apart from a brief email from our solicitors this morning saying g they can't get hold of vendors solicitor we've heard nothing.

We tried calling about an hour ago and it went to voice mail. DP tried again just now and was told that our solicitor was unavailable but they didn't think it had gone through yet and she will phone us in 20 minutes or so.

This is not good is it?

Nothing... this is going to be an horrendous weekend isn't it? Imagining everything now.. are they about to gazump us, pull out, been stringing two buyers along... or what?

Solicitor going to answer phone again. I just want to know what's happening. Will try calling estate agents think they're about in the morning.

@listsandbudgets

Nothing... this is going to be an horrendous weekend isn't it? Imagining everything now.. are they about to gazump us, pull out, been stringing two buyers along... or what?

Solicitor going to answer phone again. I just want to know what's happening. Will try calling estate agents think they're about in the morning.

I so hope you get hold of them in the morning. I’m only a few weeks into the buying process and already not enjoying it!

@Pumpkinwitch

I have put an offer in on a house. I am a nervous wreck waiting to see if they accept.

Fingers crossed! It’s so nail biting, isn’t it?

My offer was accepted two weeks ago but sellers haven’t found anywhere to buy yet - and now they’re saying don’t go ahead with searches right now but I’ve heard from estate agents that searches are taking 10 weeks in our area! So I’m panicking that they won’t find their perfect house and therefore won’t sell. I’m not selling myself so I am able to wait… not feeling positive about it all this pm.

@listsandbudgets it's infuriating isn't it. Hope you hear news soon!

@BlueCherryBlossom thanks! I honestly feel like I can breathe again! It's like I was holding my breath till this point!

We have still not exchanged. We've been told for the last 2 weeks that our buyers are waiting for funds to be transferred from an ISA, we've since found out all their money is coming from America so has to go through anti money laundering checks!. I'm so angry that we've only now been told this. Their solicitors are not communicating with us & our estate agent has been awful at responding to our calls. They encouraged us to pick this buyer as they'd dealt with them before & told us they were cash buyers so it would be quick. We are only in a small chain, just 3 parties!

Labourlost that's appalling. We are cash buyers (or at least we're trying to be!!) and the first thing our solictor insisted on when we instructed them was anti money laundering information. It should be a basic early requirement for any cash buyer. Hopefully they'll resolve it quickly. I'd be furious in your shoes.

Thank you, hope everything goes well for you.

We still can't get hold of our solicitors. Estate agent not sure... solicitors colleague won't confirm as would need to speak to her.

We were meant to complete tomorrow ( short time I know but we could and vendors needed to move fast or so they claimed!!)

What the hell is going on. I'm a bundle of nerves. Thankfully we weren't planning to move in properly for a week but I'm set to travel 150 miles today to collect keys tomorrow, make some basic preparations and come back after a few days to finish here.

FFS. This is clearly not good now but no idea whats hallw

Hello all. I had a stupidly low offer at the weekend and I'm starting to wonder if I'll ever actually sell so I can move.

checking back in.

Just chased our seller to see if they have found anywhere yet. If they havent i might ask how they feel about moving into rented as we want to move early Sept (for new school year)

Our buyers have their mortgage offer, searches back and have sent enquiries apparently - i say apparently because its been radio silence from my solicitor. Just emailed them to ask about enquiries and how its going.

Our mortgage offer is taking ages. Affordability etc passed but they need to do a valuation on the house and thats booked for friday - its been weeks already. We are only porting it was so much more easy last time and that time we borrowed more, this time we are borrowing the same and taking a big chunk of equity out of our current house. LTV is better than it was last time we ported, i cant understand it. Can only think its just sheer volume of work thats slowing them down.

Does anyone think its possible at all to move by Sept of have i got my head in the clouds?

Well it’s been a year now since we sold our house, how the market has changed in that time, we feel like our timing has been all wrong but you just have to not let these things bug you.
At least things are progressing slowly with our current purchase, we expect to get our formal mortgage offer this week, (I’ve been told it’s been approved) but it’s taken ages. We are still waiting on some replies from sellers, but hope we can exchange by end of August.
Downside is we’ve now been told we have to pay an extra 2% stamp duty as DH has been working/living outside of UK for a year, so an extra £15,000 😩 that’s my new kitchen gone!

Searches are back.
Enquiries are sent.
1 mortgage offer is in!
Enquiry responses, a few more financial setups and building survey left to go.
Looks like we are half way there and this could really happen!