Seller getting fed up/pushy?

OpeningY · 2021-12-12T12:48:05+00:00

Hi, so had my offer accepted end October, valuation for mortgage done end of November, mortgage offer due to arrive any day now. The seller is downsizing, buying cash from sale of house to me. The chain ends with her seller. According to the estate agent she's starting to get fed up, pushy, asked if we can exchange by new year. Agent has said no, earliest exchange likely to be end of Jan as solicitors still working on enquiries and covid/Christmas delaying most transactions now apparently. There's no 'essential' timing on this for seller, she just wants to get moving (understandable). Does all this sound reasonable? I'm a bit worried she could pull out, but that would put her right back to viewings, so hoping she won't! Anyone have experience of this?

Flowers500 · 12/12/2021 12:53

It’s been around 6 weeks already, is that right? Why does it need to be another 6 weeks? Your mortgage offer so very slow and how much are you chasing solicitors? Unless you’re in an area where searches take months you should be quite far along by now. Was the mortgage, searches, survey all booked in as soon as offer made? 3 months total is fairly normal but you definitely can go faster—are you pushing your solicitors at all?

TakeYourFinalPosition · 12/12/2021 12:53

Eek; why has it all taken so long? Did she know?

We had to change buyer at the end of September, his mortgage offer took nearly three weeks which everyone in the chain was majorly stressed about, and we’ve been moved in for just over a month now.

To be honest, I was antsy with our first buyer when it took them over a month to sort their mortgage; and we’d have remarketed if the second one had taken more than three weeks or so. It’s not just wanting to move faster, but the fear that you’ve invested so much time and the buyer might not get the mortgage/complete the purchase.

If you haven’t already, I’d reassure her about why it’s taking so long and that you still really want the house; and make sure she knows when your mortgage offer is due and that you’re chasing often.

You’ll get some people who are happier with a much slower sale, but in my experience, they are in the minority.

Original poster

OpeningY · 12/12/2021 14:21

Tbh I didn't realise this was a slow timescale...the agent doesn't seem surprised tbh that it's taken this much time already. I haven't been chasing the solicitors, guessing they'll be closing for Xmas end of next week.

The agent said he would reconfirm my buying intention. I guess the seller is hoping to complete within about 3 months. Hopefully they'll wait a couple of weeks extra if they can see progress. The bank took a month to get a surveyor round...

OP posts:

Viviennemary · 12/12/2021 14:30

It does seem slow. A whole month from your offer before even the mortgage approved. Over a month. I'd be a bit annoyed too.

Flowers500 · 12/12/2021 14:32

I don't think anyone is really at fault here, best practice is to discuss and iron out timelines when the offer is made so everyone is on the same page

TakeYourFinalPosition · 12/12/2021 14:33

The agent won’t see a problem - their job now is to just keep everything ticking and spend as little time as possible talking to you or the seller, so the sale is as profitable for them as possible.

A month for a valuation in November is insane. Two weeks was considered delayed during the stamp duty holiday; when there was a big shortage of surveyors! You’d definitely have been able to get a sooner date.

If you haven’t chased solicitors at all; you’re going to be at the bottom of the pile, and things likely won’t have progressed. You probably won’t have much luck getting a lot done before Christmas now; though…

12 weeks/3 months is your average moving time, so being able to move in January should be fine - I’d imagine your seller is just really antsy that you don’t seem at all invested in the purchase. The reassurance (and some chasing people so progress is made quickly) should help with that!

Best of luck getting it over the line, house buying/selling is insanely stressful.

thekaratekid · 12/12/2021 15:02

House buying and selling takes a lot longer than everyone always expects. I have never known anyone to move in the fabled 12 weeks, especially in recent years and with mortgage involvement. Our sale and onward purchase took 10 months in total due to buyers and sellers pulling out. Once the chain was stable in its final iteration it took 5 months due to searches, mortgages, enquiries, negotiating move dates...

Just keep everyone updated on what is happening and get agent to chase solicitors and the rest of the chain. People calm down a bit if they see movement.

Flowers500 · 12/12/2021 15:43

@thekaratekid

House buying and selling takes a lot longer than everyone always expects. I have never known anyone to move in the fabled 12 weeks, especially in recent years and with mortgage involvement. Our sale and onward purchase took 10 months in total due to buyers and sellers pulling out. Once the chain was stable in its final iteration it took 5 months due to searches, mortgages, enquiries, negotiating move dates...

Just keep everyone updated on what is happening and get agent to chase solicitors and the rest of the chain. People calm down a bit if they see movement.

I bought in 12 weeks in a small chain at the end of stamp duty cut. We could have gone faster but for a new build in the chain. I know many people who have done so. Not everybody has the luxury to wait the best part of a year when it's not necessary.

Original poster

OpeningY · 12/12/2021 19:40

Thanks. I'll chat to the agent tomorrow and make sure the seller is reassured. I haven't chased solicitors as assume they want to get paid, which comes at the end! It sounds like realistically Christmas is going to add a couple of weeks too.

The agent didn't seem overly fussed, he said many '3 month standard' transactions are taking 5 months atm. I'm keen to move though, so will chase a bit. Hoping that once progress is seen then the seller will get reassurance and no need to pull out.

OP posts:

Flowers500 · 12/12/2021 20:18

@OpeningY

Thanks. I'll chat to the agent tomorrow and make sure the seller is reassured. I haven't chased solicitors as assume they want to get paid, which comes at the end! It sounds like realistically Christmas is going to add a couple of weeks too.

The agent didn't seem overly fussed, he said many '3 month standard' transactions are taking 5 months atm. I'm keen to move though, so will chase a bit. Hoping that once progress is seen then the seller will get reassurance and no need to pull out.

You NEED to chase solicitors, that is standard with convayencing. Have you told them when you plan to complete, are they working to that timeline?

Starseeking · 12/12/2021 22:13

I wish my seller would get pushy; I've been waiting for 5 months and counting since the offer was accepted for my purchase to complete. Already sold my house (from accepting offer to completion of sale was 10 weeks exactly, earlier this year), and my vendor is buying a leasehold older persons flat.

Manage expectations by telling them when you expect to move everything on; the worst thing about house buying is the uncertainty of not knowing certain things at certain stages, and it's probably that which is spooking your seller.

HundredMilesAnHour · 12/12/2021 23:21

Are you a first time buyer? I'm surprised that you've just been sitting back and letting things bumble slowly along. You need to be chasing regularly to keep things moving. And stop taking everything the agents say as gospel.

If you continue to move so slowly, your seller could quite easily decide to go with another buyer who seems more committed, especially in a rising market when a new buyer probably means more money for her.

HidingFromDD · 13/12/2021 07:52

your solicitor will do everything that needs to be done, yes. But probably 75% of the other people they're working for will be contacting them minimum weekly and confirming moving dates, activities and anything outstanding. This means that your work will be at the bottom of the pile and it's going to take much much longer than 12 weeks if you don't start chasing...

Daisydoesnt · 13/12/2021 08:33

OP it's all very well having a chat with the EA, but the EA isn't going to get you exchanged. Honestly at this stage they are largely irrelevant. It's your solicitor you need to speak to. You need to understand what exactly they are waiting for (you say enquiries, but which ones? Has anything come up yet that you need to know about?) You can at least then have an informed discussion with the EA if you want to ("we're waiting for x to come back but solicitor has promised they'll chase that today. Everything else is in place etc etc.")

And if you don't impress on your solicitor some urgency, you are going to be at the bottom of their work pile!

I have to say if I were your vendor I'd be concerned that your laid back attitude indicated that you were not 100% committed....or possibly taking things slowly in case something better comes onto the market.

vickyc90 · 13/12/2021 22:01

I am chasing our solicitors every three to four days and will be happy to exchange with the bare minimum of searches to keep the chain moving. Not really concerned about the FENSA rubbish etc

Andithoughtiwasspecial · 13/12/2021 22:09

Why have searches if you do not care? As a cash buyer you can do as you please given you know so much more. If you have a lender well its not up to you entirely what does snx doesn't matter

Andithoughtiwasspecial · 13/12/2021 22:10

Fensa certs however = bullcrap

vickyc90 · 13/12/2021 23:51

@Andithoughtiwasspecial

Why have searches if you do not care? As a cash buyer you can do as you please given you know so much more. If you have a lender well its not up to you entirely what does snx doesn't matter

It's was all or nothing so we couldn't do say the bankruptcy search, and environmental without also doing the bullcrap like FENSA, local planning, building regs for the conservatory (it's coming down anyway) or even tree preservation (hint it has no trees near it at all).

Hebeee · 14/12/2021 00:14

You definitely should be chasing your conveyancing solicitor regularly....the squeakiest wheel and all that! In fact once - back in 2014 - our solicitor threw his toys out of the pram because he maintained we were hassling him too much. That sale and purchase went through in six weeks.

We've bought and sold lots of times and been in fairly long chains, but it's never taken longer than 12 weeks (and have done it in as little as 4 weeks as cash buyers)....