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Original poster

Please can someone help me understand if this is usual!!

20 replies

Rubyrecka · 07/09/2021 11:15

Vendor advertised house 2/3 weeks back and we put an offer in which was accepted. Happy days - however I don’t think they’ve found a house yet let alone put any offers in…Why do people advertise their house when they literally haven't even started properly looking? I really don’t understand it. I’ve asked the EA for the memo of sale and they don’t have the vendors solicitors details so it feels like they’re not serious in selling. I wouldn’t usually mind waiting however I’m 9months pregnant and I guess need some reassurance that they are actually going to find somewhere. Just seems bizarre to market your house when you haven’t even found a house to move too!!

Is this usual practice? Feels like they’re gonna take ages or it will fall through cos they can’t find anywhere.

OP posts:
Bluntness100 · 07/09/2021 11:22

But that’s normal, you’re supposed to market your property before you start to view houses. In fact most agents won’t even let you view of your house isn’t on thr market.

Are you a first time buyer and don’t understand the process?

BridgetInHerBravery · 07/09/2021 11:23

Yes, normal. They're not proceedable until they have an offer, now they do they can start looking properly.

BridgetInHerBravery · 07/09/2021 11:24

And, yes, it could take ages and they might not find somewhere.

Motherofcats007 · 07/09/2021 11:26

It’s completely normal. It’s called a chain..

ShaunaTheSheep · 07/09/2021 11:27

It's normal, especially in the current market. We sold ours on day 1, and it took a few weeks to find our new house, which also sold on day 1. Our vendors then started looking, and so it goes on. We're going into storage for a month to break the chain.

Original poster
Rubyrecka · 07/09/2021 11:28

Never bought a house before so unsure what the process is and if it’s normal. We started viewing houses whilst ours was on the market not when we had accepted an offer. The fact the EA doesn’t have their solicitor details concerned me as i would have thought they’d have their ducks in a row!

OP posts:
idontlikealdi · 07/09/2021 11:28

This is standard process, I assume you are FTB at bottom of the chain?

SundayTwizzle · 07/09/2021 11:28

This is the normal way to do things. When we were selling we told the EA not to allow viewings to people who weren't proceedable (ie hadn't sold their house). Equally we couldn't offer on the house we want until we were under offer. It's just how it works.

FiveShelties · 07/09/2021 11:29

Do you have a house to sell, or have you sold and exchanged?

Eastie77Returns · 07/09/2021 11:29

I don't think it's usual to not have received the Memo of Sale after 3 weeks. This is normally issued within days of offer acceptance. I'd also be concerned that the EA cannot contact the vendors solicitor.

Everything else (the vendor not having found a house yet etc) is normal.

Original poster
Rubyrecka · 07/09/2021 11:33

@FiveShelties we’ve accepted an offer on our house, memo of sale has been issued, we’ve also got the mortgage sorted. Our buyer has a large deposit and no chain (apart from getting the mortgage)

Ok so sounds like this is all normal and I’m worrying for no reason at this point. I do think the lack of paperwork thus far is concerning, we don’t actually have anything in writing to say our offer has been accepted. Just seems slow and uncertain already and we at the very start.

OP posts:
maofteens · 07/09/2021 11:34

While it is normal now, it is also normal to have solicitor details etc in place. When you viewed did you ask about time scales? Ask now. You can keep looking too.
I waited three months before I gave up on the first house I was trying to buy - did survey etc because the agent had told me seller would go in to rental, which wasn't true. The final straw was when the same agent started sending me new house details - I asked for some reassurance the seller was still actively looking and planning to sell, got a wishy washy reply so I pulled out. Wasted £2500 and three months.
Now I'll only look at chain free or sellers who are willing to move out to family or rented if they can't find a place.

FiveShelties · 07/09/2021 11:38

To be honest I would find it annoying that they did not have everything ready to proceed, but the whole buying/selling process in the UK drives me insane anyway. I sold an apartment in March to a cash buyer and we have still not exchanged. Patience is not my strong suitSmile

Original poster
Rubyrecka · 07/09/2021 11:39

@maofteens yes asked when viewing what their position was and was informed that they had found a house and were actively going for viewings.

The EA also said when we put the offer in they were viewing properties and posting letters through peoples letter boxes?! I assume these houses were actually for sale!

It’s confusing as we viewed the property on the Friday and then got a call Sunday to say they were going best and final by midday the next day which I took as they potentially had found somewhere and needed to have an offer on their house…

OP posts:
ReeseWitherfork · 07/09/2021 11:41

Agree it's odd not to have a memo of sale, you'd should have had that by now. I'd question their committment with reference to not having solicitors in place.

RussianSpy101 · 07/09/2021 11:57

Normal. We’ve recently bought and sold and EAs round here wouldn’t let you view unless you were on the market and you wouldn’t have a chance having an offer accepted unless you’re sold.

FreeBritnee · 07/09/2021 12:05

Unfortunately the market right now is lending itself to this being very common. We’re about to go on the market and we haven’t found a property to buy. We will be making it clear to any potential purchaser that we can’t go ahead with the sale until we do. So obviously anyone hoping for a quick sale won’t be wanting to buy our house.

If we wait until we find a house before we market our house that house will disappear in a week. So it’s a catch22 I’m afraid.

RatherBeRiding · 07/09/2021 12:11

Normal! Mine was on the market for 18 months before I found a buyer. It would have been totally pointless to have been viewing before that time. The most I did was keep an eye on what was available online, ready to leap into viewing if/when I finally got an acceptable offer.

In the event I got lucky and found my dream house the week after I got my offer - but it was just luck. Could have taken me a while, which my buyer understood.

stripedbananas · 07/09/2021 12:23

Yup that's completely correct and normal as sellers often won't accept an offer until you've had an offer on your own property

Original poster
Rubyrecka · 07/09/2021 15:44

Just received the sale of memo so at least that’s something!! Thanks for advising all I’m new to this so unsure what’s normal etc ☺️

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