Buyers/Sellers Exchange waiting room new thread

[thoughtsofmoog3]

I noticed the last one was full, so here we go!

Hello to the newcomers and welcome back to those who are still working their way through the joys of house buying/selling.

My grandparents probate property has gone live today so feeling very sad actually, their home was a wonderful place whilst we were growing up. They’d been there since it was built 50 years ago. It’s firmly stuck in the 70’s but will make a fabulous family home for someone with a bit of vision. Hoping it all goes smoothly! Haven’t sold a house myself for 30 years and back then it used to take about 6 weeks for a sale to go through. I have a feeling this will be a bit longer! Wish me luck!

Our surveys were due back yesterday but the surveyors have rung and said there are severe delays in our area and we’re looking at at least about 4/6 weeks 😭

After weeks and weeks of trying to find out anything, we were finally told that probate was applied for in April and still hasn't been granted!! To make it worse, it was a paper application so can't be tracked.

I don't think I can go on for much longer. This whole process is soul destroying.

Probate for the house we are buying I should have said

That house has the huge driveway issue, @Nortam. Are you even happy to proceed, given that? I wouldn't be.

@MercyNursey, that's a crazy timescale.

We're STILL bloody waiting for replies to enquiries and the amendment to the lease plan. We're seeing the HA guy on Friday, so I'm going to moan to him about it!

We’ve already been waiting weeks as well so we’re gutted. Such a nightmare. The house we’re moving to is empty and the sellers were pushing for a quick turn around so I’m hoping they don’t pull out 😢

I’m feeling very despondent today 😢 I’m worried our buyer will pull out (even though delays are not caused by us at all) or the house we’re buying will fall through. I feel a bit in limbo, I’ve got to apply for DS high school and feel a bit in limbo about that as there’s 2 high schools he can go that his school feeds into (catholic school) but one is closer to the new house than the other so waiting to make a decision about that. i’m struggling to cope the the uncertainty of it all

Stressful few weeks here. For background we are selling my old flat, it is empty and we accepted a cash buyer offer back in June.

Things were initially held up because the managing agents lost my Solicitor's request for a management pack - this delayed things by 3 weeks. We responded to their initial questions and then they came back with more at the beginning of September. These needed to be answered by the managing agents. They sat on them for 3 weeks. Apparently there was only 1 person who had the authority to answer and they were away for 3 weeks so had to wait for them to return. I called them the first day they were back from leave and I was told I needed to "be patient!" This was a red rag to a bull. They then sent a very rude message to my Solicitor thanking them for their patience, but due to my impatience they had answered. Turns out that there is to be a company almalgamation with the managing agents taking over everything. Another Solicitor was meant to have sent me some paperwork. Not received anything. Finally got out of Managing Agents the name of who I needed to contact them, despite them saying they had passed my query on. Emailed. Nothing. Ended up having to phone the other Solicitors who has said I'll get the information Monday.

We were due to exchange and complete on the 19th. I'm fed up with the stress of it all. We can't afford for the flat to be empty for much longer as are paying out 2x lots of everything.

Good luck to everyone else.

@MercyNursey I’ve moved now but totally sympathise with the survey wait :( just wanted to say my local council surveys I was told could take up to 5 months due to backlogs! For house sales etc. you can complain and get them expedited. I did complain and mine and the house I was buying were back within a few weeks (I think 2 for the one I was buying and a little bit longer for mine). If you google there’s usually a government minimum time for things like this as well which you can use to push them x I hope you can get yours through quicker.

We are finally in! The house is filthy (hurrah for a relative being amazing and making it at least habitable) and the sellers had to be hurried a little (underestimated how much stuff they had without a removal co) but we are in!

I wouldn't recommend our agents (didn't get a call from them even at exchange, decided to email and tell us they didn't have out keys...mid move. Told them to actually look for them) but would recommend the agents we bought from (nice phone call, along with a nice moving present from them!).

Now for more cleaning....

We are finally moving in on Thursday. It feels rally strange after the best part of a year and a half being dedicated to a carousel of Rightmove, estate agents, paperwork etc. Phew.

*really

Joining in! Saw somewhere we liked last Monday, estate agents round the following Monday, on the market by Tuesday. 4 viewings on Thursday, 1 asking price offer Friday which we accepted and had the offer accepted as well! So just waiting for the chain to complete and then we'll see how we go!

Congratulations @Purplepepsi , I hope your move goes smoothly. TBH you were really lucky that it worked that way round (finding a new property you liked BEFORE marketing your existing one). In most areas, (and especially in the current economic climate) this wouldn't work at all and often viewers who aren't on the market are not taken seriously and often not allowed to view even.

You must live somewhere very desirable!

I think the opposite, @Pemba, that in this climate you're more likely to be able to view without having sold first. Getting bodies through the door!

No doubt we're in for another week of bog all happening this week. It's driving me fucking loopy. If I was this slow in my job (also solicitor; litigation, not transactional housing), I'd have complaints coming out if my ears!

I always think that looking for your next move first is kind of upside down. How do you know that you'll sell and how can you even make an offer when you don't know what you'll get for yours? Although it seems to have worked for the pp and like I said she must live in a great area or just be lucky.

We had this when selling a small family property recently. Somebody offered without having sold, the agent was pushing it (we got you an offer!) but I was very sceptical. Couldn't take the offer seriously. Nothing happened for 2-3 months and in the meantime we got fed up and swapped agents.

A first time buyer offered through the new agent, lower offer but we accepted it. The sale was progressing when the first agent came back and said the first buyer had a sale on theirs agreed now, but I said no we will stick to the first time buyers even though they were paying less. I think we made the right decision,and the sale completed in the summer. My relative really needed a definite move so chain free was better.

As you know, you don't have to accept any offer, so if you aren't happy with proceed-ability then you can just say no if an offer is made. If you hadn't received another offer, you'd have been pleased to get the one from the initially-unproceedable buyer.

Swings and roundabouts, especially in a cooling market.

We signed contracts today so waiting on exchange before the mortgage offers get near to expiring. Fingers crossed 🤞

@Pemba I agree that it all seems backwards. When we bought our last house in 2017 when things were moving quickly the sellers accepted our offer "in principle". They continued to advertise and have viewings but when we had an offer for DH's flat, that was well below asking, we were able to call the agents, tell them the offer and ask if ours could be formalised. They spoke to the sellers who confirmed our offer was accepted and then he immediately called to accept the offer on his place. It all went through smoothly.

This time we had to accept an offer on our house before we were allowed to make an offer on the next place. It fell through twice so we had to rejig the figures and work out we could afford it but it was still frustrating that agents wouldn't discuss sale price.

So we may be doing a simultaneous exchange and completion on Friday. I am trying not to get too excited as last week nearly broke me with more endless chasing of paperwork and stress. Keeping everything crossed!

Sorry for all of us in nightmares

Does anyone have experience of how long mortgage offers are taking at the mo? I used a very good broker who worked fast. But my buyer is slow.

he said he had verbal approval about two weeks ago but the lender was completing due diligence. Now his solicitor says they sent mortgage paperwork out last week, so they should be able to give an exchange date "soon".

surely, either the mortgage has been confirmed in writing, or it hasn't? I appreciate that different brokers work differently. Very confused, if anyone has recent experience and can shed light, I'd be grateful. Thank you.

It took our lender 3 weeks from application to offer.

Our vendor has chased their sols today (resisted the urged to ask how he chased and what response he got!), so hopefully we can move to exchange soon, if his chasing works! Surely they want it sold?!