First time buyer need help to move sale along?

[Gardenhair]

Hi all, just wondering if I'm being unrealistic, offered asking price 8 weeks ago, cash offer, my vendor has his onward sale.

Have a local solicitor who initially seemed responsive but since that first week nobody is getting back to me or giving any idea if we will be able to go to any kind of timeline.

My timeline of moving isn't completely set in stone but obviously it's a big upheaval as I work full time but I feel like I can't plan anything as nether estate agent or solicitor seem to get back to me about anything?

All queries (not proper queries yet just as in can I ask we're we are at) seem to be hanging and I ring and they are left hanging again? Am I supposed to be chasing more or do I just sit and wait?

Thanks!

Get your EA to earn its fee!

I'm not with an EA, do you mean theirs?

I would call every day for an update that usually gets things moving, and go in person once a week. To the estate agent and the conveyancer.

Yes, you need to keep chivvying them.Tell them you need to proceed by a given date and will have to withdraw your offer if the sale doesn't get expedited. Ask for an exchange and completion date. Chase your solicitor to see if there are any delays on acquiring the deeds or land registry checks.

Keep looking at other properties too. If you are a cash buyer, you are in a strong position to buy something with no chain.

But it does take a while. DS1 is buying his first property right now and it has taken several months and is still not sorted, even though there is no chain. He was not in a hurry and the property was tenanted so that might cause his delay, but if there's no known reason for yours, do call them a couple of times a week until they act.

You only have two real choices until the vendor returns the signed contract and you can set a closing date. Either hassle their estate agent for updates and sit and wait or be prepared to walk.

I would always advise someone to continue looking for properties, even if same agreed, because until those contracts are signed, nothing is guaranteed.

Same = sale

What you’ve described is quite normal. You can chose to poke them regularly, or you can let it play out (which it will, but likely at a much slower pace!). As for an actual moving date, you could always propose one to them and see what comes back. And if they suggest something in a few weeks that you can’t make work then just tell them. There’s always threats of people pulling put etc but its in everyone’s interest to make it work.

I ended up finding my buyer on social media and speaking to her directly.

Okay, thanks all, I really appreciate it! I don't want to pull out or anything, I just want to make some plans really but I understand what you're all saying.

Do not set a closing date until they have returned signed contracts. We were nearly left homeless when our vendor set a closing date to keep us sweet and our solicitor never told us they hadn’t returned the contacts. We gave notice based on this date - it turned out they hadn’t even decided if they were going to buy the house they were sale agreed on and we had to send a letter instructing that we were pulling out if they hadn’t signed by such a date. If they hadn’t signed we would have had to move an hour away and in with my parents because our landlord had a new tenant and didn’t want to mess them around so we’d no wiggle room.

When you buy a property things do normally go quiet for a few weeks at the beginning whilst solicitors get paperwork out and wait for answers to enquiries to come back. You need to get a survey sorted out if you are having one. Dont panic yet!

Your solicitor should be able to tell you what's happened so far - eg they have received papers from the other solicitors/received your mortgage offer/put in hand searches and received the results.
Your estate agent should also be able to give you some idea, but the solicitors will be able to be more accurate. Keep ringing until you get to speak to someone.

Thanks all, it's almost like they are crossing wires all the time and I go backwards depending on which one I ring. I don't want to pressure the vendor, it's more just to know where I am I suppose. Thanks for all of your advice.

@Pollywoddles Wow, that sounds stressful!