How long to receive initial contract pack?

[IsItYoursOrIsItMine]

Just that really? I know it’s a bit of a ‘how long is a piece of string’ question but we had our offer accepted on the 15th May.

The vendor had to chase her solicitor to send it to her which she filled out and returned on the 26th.

Despite being chased 3 times we’re still waiting for it to land with our solicitor!

That’s a long time, ours took about a week to come across and this was during the lockdown/stamp duty buying frenzy. Has the vendor definitely sent it? Maybe your solicitor is crap or maybe theirs is…

100% the vendor has sent it and that it’s her solicitor!

I’m at a loss as to what more we can do, our solicitor has chased twice now, as has the vendor (who is actually on holiday at the moment so can’t contact them again)!

I guess we need to wait for her return so we can contact her to speak with them again.

We just had to wait 5.5 weeks. In the end, the sellers estate agents read them the riot act- they blamed their solicitors portal, but everything was handwritten and dated the day before our solicitor received it. Wasn't impressed.

It took our sellers 3 months just to complete it. Considering our buyers only had 5 months on their mortgage offer when we accepted, it's a miracle it all went through! They were an absolute nightmare to deal with.

I'm worrying ours might be a bit like that.

Jesus that’s shocking! Did they even want to sell their house?!

We’re in touch with our vendor although they’re away at the moment so can’t chase so we know the problem is their solicitors!

it’s a no chain sale and we already have a mortgage in place so in theory we could get this through quickly. I feel the solicitor may spoil that theory though!!

So are you at the stage of waiting for your vendors to compete the pack and send it back to their solicitors?

@IsItYoursOrIsItMine Thankfully it was sent to our solicitors at the start of this week. We had an offer accepted last working day of April (so 5.5 weeks is probably an underestimate!). Just received the TA10 and they are taking some weird unanticipated things, so having to ask about the ones that were in the estate agents bumpf.

It’s all a massive ballache isn’t it?

When are you hoping for completion? We discussed the end of July with the seller but based on their solicitor so far I think we’re being massively ambitious!

@Mummaluma - are they taking the carpets and lightbulbs 🙄

They did want to move (I'm sitting in the house!) but they struggled to find somewhere to buy and I think they were trying to avoid paying any legal fees until they absolutely had to. Lots of other issues along the way too. Arseholes.

From what the neighbours haven't said (if you catch my drift) I don't think we were the only ones who found them difficult.

Wishing you a less stressful experience 😀

@IsItYoursOrIsItMine Woodburner. We need to move by Sept to sort out preschool for our little one. Also need a month to move due to distance/current preschool/FTBs buying from us.

(We need to be in catchment by school application dates as well)

@Reallybadidea thank you, we can but hope!

@Mummaluma fingers crossed for a smooth ride for you.

We've contacted the EA this morning in the hope they can fire a shot up someones arse but they’ve just said they’ll email the solicitors. The solicitors just ignore emails though, I’m not sure why people can’t pick up the phone anymore!!

I suspect the vendor will pick up the phone next week when they’re home though and have a few words to say 🤞🏻🤞🏻

Well...I just had to call the agents we are selling with for advice as I've just received a long, rambling email form our buyers via our solicitors that I can't make head nor tail of, referencing weird docs and plans we have never seen. F knows what they are going to be like after their survey happens.

I'm done with this already.

@Mummaluma how strange, have they bought the land registry documents do you think? xx

@IsItYoursOrIsItMine yes and no. Without wanting to out myself, it's taking in a weird wide range of sources referring to images we haven't received with no questions.

@Mummaluma I hope they’re not too much of a pain in your arse!

Contract pack should be ready in days. I’m fact we completed almost all the paperwork before we had an offer. We wanted to sell quickly and so as soon as we accepted an offer, the pack was updated with the buyers details and sent across within a couple of days.
The vendors either have chosen a poor solicitor who takes on hundreds of cases so will be very slow and a nightmare to deal with, or they haven’t completed the paperwork. In my experience of buying and selling 11 times, don’t always take what the vendor says as the truth. They may be trying to long it out as they’re looking for their onward purchase or rental, or their offer may have recently fallen through

@Fretfulmum I did think it should be much sooner.

However, this is definitely a solicitor problem.

Spoken to the EA today who said she heard back from the solicitor (not sure how when he ignores everyone else) and apparently the paperwork is ‘imminent’!

@Mummaluma how are things progressing?

FTBs had their survey today (level 3- no real reason- is a normal 3 bed 60s semi). Apparently no major issues.

Not a word from our sellers, though their agent is great at keeping in touch (we should be due another update this week).

Sounds positive.

We finally have paperwork but not without the vendor having to chase it (after their solicitor telling they’d sent it, which they hadn’t 😡)