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Original poster

Offer accepted - everyone ignoring us..

44 replies

EleMar · 23/01/2023 17:06

Good evening everyone.

Our offer was accepted on Tuesday last week. We engaged the solicitors and mortgage broker recommended by the EA. Since our offer has been accepted, we received a call the morning after (Wednesday) from the EA to briefly explain the process, and since then everyone (solicitors, mortgage brokers and EA) have been ignoring us.

By way of example last week we asked the EA for availability to book a survey - no response. We called a couple of times (last week and today) but couldn't get hold of the person. Said they would call us - have not been called back. No reply to the emails either (not even an acknowledgement - i.e., I'll get back to you).

Now I don't want to be annoying and I appreciate people are busy (however EA told the seller wants to move as quickly as possible and we agreed given we don't are not in a chain...). And I am always perfectly polite.

However, I have this feeling someone might have turned up, saw the house on the weekend and they are now waiting to see if they put an offer in?!

Also the reason I say everybody has been ignoring us - as soon as we said to the EA that we were interested in making an offer - literally within 5 minutes of saying so, solicitors and mortgage brokers had already called me. Same after we had put the offer in - so clearly there is quite a bit of communication between EA / solicitors / mortgage broker....

Has anyone experienced anything similar?

OP posts:
TokyoSushi · 23/01/2023 17:09

Get used to it, the whole process is utterly hideous and largely like this from start to finish!

Just be persistent and keep politely pushing, good luck!

Original poster
EleMar · 23/01/2023 17:15

TokyoSushi · 23/01/2023 17:09

Get used to it, the whole process is utterly hideous and largely like this from start to finish!

Just be persistent and keep politely pushing, good luck!

thank you!

I now understand the stress of buying a house in England. We have bought twice before, but it was a new built from the developer in both scenarios, so more straightforward in some ways.

I'll definitely not turn off my Zoopla notifications and keep an eye out!

OP posts:
downwiththissorterthing · 23/01/2023 18:25

Moving quickly means something else in house buying terms. It's not at all unusual for them to take days to get back to you. Apart from booking in the survey, what else do you need to know at this early stage?

FigandHoney · 23/01/2023 18:45

Everything is possible when you are buying / selling a house. But I wouldn't jup to any conclusions just yet.
A week is Nothing in the context of the process. And I don't think most people book the survey at this early stage.
Seller might still be choosing/ contacting a solicitor.
Usually the general searches are done by your solicitors first. The buyer will need to fill in the property form, the furnishings form and find all the paperwork, related to those forms. So all this can take a while.
Whilst not the greatest you might not be top priority anymore with the estate agent now that they have hooked the deal. And they might have fires burning elsewhere that therefore take priority.
I would just keep politely pushing.
Good luck. I hope it all works out

Twiglets1 · 23/01/2023 18:47

You're being paranoid - what you decribe is perfectly normal unfortunately

Original poster
EleMar · 23/01/2023 18:49

downwiththissorterthing · 23/01/2023 18:25

Moving quickly means something else in house buying terms. It's not at all unusual for them to take days to get back to you. Apart from booking in the survey, what else do you need to know at this early stage?

The last time I spoke to the EA they asked whether we were fine with aiming for end of February to complete (which is highly unlikely, but hey ho, if we are ready / everything has been done we don't mind). In light of what they've said, I find the current situation a bit suspicious. As currently everyone is ignoring us: AML / ID checks have not been completed (so searches / due diligence / legal workstream has not started); mortgage broker is also ignoring us (so mortgage workstream has not commenced either) and survey cannot be booked yet. In order words, nothing has started yet.

Interestingly, we looked at this property in December and put an offer in. They told us someone else was interested / thinking of making an offer, but turned out this other person's offer had already been accepted at asking price, and they asked us to make a "materially higher offer" so that the seller would accept our offer (they basically asked us to gazump the other buyer). We refused. Buyer pulled out and they called us. Hence why I think there is the possibility they are doing the same.

OP posts:
PrincessofWellies · 23/01/2023 18:52

You really would be better off with your own chosen solicitor rather than use a recommended one from the EA.

Original poster
EleMar · 23/01/2023 18:57

PrincessofWellies · 23/01/2023 18:52

You really would be better off with your own chosen solicitor rather than use a recommended one from the EA.

The same solicitor was also recommended by a friend so we thought why not. EA also were really keen to "speed up" the process as solicitors 'already know the property' (as a result of previous buyer). As they were recommended by a friend we didn't push back.

OP posts:
MakeItADouble2 · 23/01/2023 19:01

I would turn up at the EA and find out what's going on. If they say Sarah is out of the office, get them to call her or they can call the solicitor there and then. Explain you've been calling etc. Be polite as lots of EAs are arses

Amadeaa · 23/01/2023 19:06

Hang in there and be prepared that your patience will be tested in the next few months. My offer on a chain free, vacant property got accepted and the vendors wanted to move quickly, I was a cash buyer, it was the most straight forward process and still it took a gruelling 7 months until exchange of contracts. I went through all stages of paranoia and was close to pulling out several times.

TiredandLate · 23/01/2023 19:11

Just reading this gave me horrible flashbacks to my purchase. Be prepared to chase the EA, mortgage broker and both sets of solicitors at every step of the process for the next who knows how many months. I've never known a process where all the professionals involved are almost aggressively reluctant to do any work at all.

Rowthe · 23/01/2023 19:14

With the survey youndont have to go via the estate agent.

We got our own.
Do some research get it done.

Re the mortgage

Have you already given them everything they need?
I'd
3 month bank statements etc?

Rowthe · 23/01/2023 19:14

Id

PeachDelany · 23/01/2023 19:19

The only way to make it quick and easy OP is to do what I did and get a 'lock out' agreement signed as a condition of agreeing terms. House comes off the market immediately and they don't show to anyone else and we complete quickly by a given date. It can be fast if all parties want it to be.

Original poster
EleMar · 23/01/2023 19:25

Amadeaa · 23/01/2023 19:06

Hang in there and be prepared that your patience will be tested in the next few months. My offer on a chain free, vacant property got accepted and the vendors wanted to move quickly, I was a cash buyer, it was the most straight forward process and still it took a gruelling 7 months until exchange of contracts. I went through all stages of paranoia and was close to pulling out several times.

7 months chain free! Oh wow. It must have been so stressful!

OP posts:
Original poster
EleMar · 23/01/2023 19:26

MakeItADouble2 · 23/01/2023 19:01

I would turn up at the EA and find out what's going on. If they say Sarah is out of the office, get them to call her or they can call the solicitor there and then. Explain you've been calling etc. Be polite as lots of EAs are arses

You are right, I should do that! Thank you

OP posts:
Original poster
EleMar · 23/01/2023 19:27

TiredandLate · 23/01/2023 19:11

Just reading this gave me horrible flashbacks to my purchase. Be prepared to chase the EA, mortgage broker and both sets of solicitors at every step of the process for the next who knows how many months. I've never known a process where all the professionals involved are almost aggressively reluctant to do any work at all.

Sounds like I need to start practicing meditation!

OP posts:
Original poster
EleMar · 23/01/2023 19:29

Rowthe · 23/01/2023 19:14

With the survey youndont have to go via the estate agent.

We got our own.
Do some research get it done.

Re the mortgage

Have you already given them everything they need?
I'd
3 month bank statements etc?

I was asking for availability for the surveyor to access the property - the house is empty so EA will need to give them access.

No re statements, nothing is moving.

OP posts:
ArcticSkewer · 23/01/2023 19:29

End of February ... absolutely no way and they are total liars.

12 weeks is good. 16 weeks average. Where we are, anyway.
And based on your progress in the first 1/6 of their timeframe ....

Original poster
EleMar · 23/01/2023 19:29

PeachDelany · 23/01/2023 19:19

The only way to make it quick and easy OP is to do what I did and get a 'lock out' agreement signed as a condition of agreeing terms. House comes off the market immediately and they don't show to anyone else and we complete quickly by a given date. It can be fast if all parties want it to be.

Thanks that sounds like a great idea!

OP posts:
YukoandHiro · 23/01/2023 19:31

Strap in. It takes about six months to buy a house. Two of the three properties I've bought took over either months.

YukoandHiro · 23/01/2023 19:32

*eight

FigandHoney · 23/01/2023 20:35

If both are chain free and it stays that way, I would usually expect 3 months at best. That's the position we were in and how long it took for us both times.
But mortgages are taking a while to get through at the moment.
I really think end of February is very unlikely.
I would start by pushing the estate agent to Complete the checks on your ID. That's the first step.
Once that is done you can book a survey and get the surveyor to arrange a day to see the property with the estate agent. That's what we did.
Although we did wait for the searches to come back before spending money on a survey.
Have your solicitors completed their ID and mo ey check yet? They won't do anything until that is done either

lookslikeitsgoingtosnow · 24/01/2023 12:22

We're about to complete our sale with a cash buyer (no chain as we are selling an empty property we renovated) and we've just hit the 9 week mark (2 weeks of that is down to the Christmas break). Have you received the memorandum of sale? That normally indicates that the EA has completed all checks & both parties have instructed a solicitor. In regards to the survey the firm you are using will normally just contact the EA direct to arrange access, you don't need to get involved with that side of things. The seller will be informed of when the appt is booked for but as property is empty that's no issue (our situation was the same, EA had the key and just told us when it was taking place).

Original poster
EleMar · 24/01/2023 17:12

Well, they have just confirmed with have been gazumped by a cash buyer - their offer is not particular higher than ours but given they are cash buyers the seller wants to proceed with them.

OP posts:
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