Anyone else waiting on exchange?

[Waitingwaiting3]

Ours is three weeks later than our original planned date and I’m going bananas!

I feel your pain!! I went through this twice! The weekends are slightly better tho aren't they, because at least you know nothing can happen.

True!

I think it’s the powerlessness of it that’s driving me bonkers. There’s nothing I can do, except nudge other people (solicitor) who don’t really care one way or another!

We’re moving area, so I’m not making plans on future weekend because I keep thinking we’ll be gone - and we’re still here!

Me!! Divorcing and having to sell the house. Accepted offer 2 months ago, chain free buyers. Whyyyyy does it take so bloody long??? Hoping to exchange by month-end but I have no bloody clue why we can't already just do it!! All searches done, survey done. What's the hold up? Argh!!
Sorry too early for wine so I'm ranting. Hate the system here.
Also I've had one purchase fall through already. Had second offer accepted 2 weeks ago but the bloody vendor hasn't even instructed a solicitor. I'm going to end up on a bloody park bench at this rate.

Yes we have been in this process since September hopefully we exchange on the 24th and complete on the 1st April fingers 🤞

It blows my mind that it takes so long! The solicitor seem in absolutely no hurry to bother to anything!

Your best bet is to just let it take long. You know it will take however long it takes. You know its not over the line until exchange. Mostly it does go over the line. There is nothing at all tou can do except submit to the conveyor belt and wait. I hated it. But in the end I thought, there are times in life where you dont know for sure what's going to happen and this is one, how hard are you going to make it? All this of course from the vantage point of being in that new life, sold, bought, in and settled.

Yes as of Friday my search is still arent back I’m moving into an empty house, buying it off a landlord. I was desperately hoping that I might be able to get the keys the week leading up to Easter so that I can clean and paint ….. anybody think that sounds realistic ?

No. Wait. You're ages away. There is no way to hurry it. Three months start to finish earliest, could be four or five. Sit on your plans till you have keys in hand.

Not me, my son buying his first place. Its shared ownership. Total nightmare.

We sold in London last summer- exchange was delayed several times but eventually we exchanged and completed within an hour (chain free both sides). Moved to rental in a new area, made offer in December and just exchanged a few days ago. It’s been delayed several times (firstly waiting on our formal approval to come through, then waiting on the vendors to provide info etc). Chain free here too (they are moving to rented) and it it’s still taken 3 months.

Yes, and also going bananas! Everyone ready apart from bottom of the chain, and top of the chain is threatening to pull out as it's taking so long! Arghhh!

Yep! Agreed sale beginning of Oct, easy as no chain.
We got everything sorted, ready to go... but their solicitors took aaaaaaages. Then beginning of Feb, paperwork through, contracts ready to exchange...
Only then did their solicitors say that the couple, who were divorcing (one in rental already for months, other desperate to move out into rental) had neglected to agree how the proceeds of sale would be split.

Quite how two professional people, with ample legal advice, could get 5 months post-putting the house on the market without sorting out this teensy detail, I have no idea

So we wait, and wait, with 5 weeks left on the mortgage offer.

Like you OP, life is in limbo...

When we were exchanging last year we got to the expected exchange date when our buyer (sold, monies arranged, moved into temp accommodation etc etc according to the lying EA) suddenly announced that their property was NOT actually sold and in fact it took several more weeks.
When they finally exchanged on their sale we were then held up because their solicitor was unable to deal with their mortgage application and a different solicitor had to be engaged.
All this was very stressful as we were waiting to exchange on our purchase but despite the additional 6-week delay it all came together ok.

Our searches and all the enquires are back for both our sale and purchase! We hope to exchange next week, bit hard to relax or think about moving logistics until exchange has happened.

@alwayswrighty could we DM? Hoping to buy a s/o house and looking for some advice :)

Yes! Offer accepted in sept - multiple issues on the way but hoped to be in by Jan/Feb at latest and now looking like late March/early April 😭😭😭 really just want to move or at least get a move date agreed. The ongoing uncertainty is absolutely unacceptable!!

@Waitingwaiting3

It blows my mind that it takes so long! The solicitor seem in absolutely no hurry to bother to anything!

But why would they? They're fixed fee so every week that goes by means they actually get paid less per hour.

I will never know why people complain about the time an expert should take when confirming that the biggest purchase you'll ever make - and at the same time pay £500 - £1000 to a non-qualified agent recommended 'expert'...

[quote Dreamer1989]@alwayswrighty could we DM? Hoping to buy a s/o house and looking for some advice :)[/quote]
Yes of course.

@SphincterSaysWhat but surely they're incentivised to hurry in that case? The longer it takes the less they get paid per hour, who wants to be paid less? If I were paid a fixed fee per job I would take on as many as possible and do them fast!!

@Waitingwaiting3

A lot of the time it takes for the legal process of purchasing a property is waiting on people/information. Three weeks for searches to come back, raise enquiries with vendors solicitor, vendors solicitors needs x or y to answer, goes to client, client needs x or y from z place to answer. Requests it. Takes 3 weeks for answer, back up the chain it goes ad infinitum. Add on the fact that our systems are antiquated and require paperwork. = too long and frustrating!

@Eloise666

Yes! Offer accepted in sept - multiple issues on the way but hoped to be in by Jan/Feb at latest and now looking like late March/early April 😭😭😭 really just want to move or at least get a move date agreed. The ongoing uncertainty is absolutely unacceptable!!

Yep this is us, not Sept but close enough. Very frustrating and praying it all gets to a successful conclusion. Everything is crossed and am praying hard. Time is dragging tho.

Son got his mortgage offer today 😁😁😁😁😁😁

Searches should be back next week.

I am seriously ready to lose my 5h1t!! Vendors onward our base tenanted was given a date to vacate, just got told vacate date has moved a further 3 weeks! Tenants have k own they need to move for 4 months now!!! Should we threaten to walk away?

@coolmum123 blame the landlord, not the tenants. It takes months to evict a tenant, they should have done the process sooner and been without rent for a little while. I would ask how far along the process they are- is the tenant moving out voluntarily, have they issued a section 21, is there an eviction notice? If they're relying on the goodwill of the tenant, you could be in for a long wait if there new home falls through.

Oh I agree, it is the landlord, he gave them official 2 month's notice in Feb. Only just found out it's now 3 weeks further down the line. The estate agent is useless. No-one knows what is going on! I'm so frustrated.