Buyers / sellers exchange waiting room continued...

[NoWordForFluffy]

New thread for those of us still waiting the dreadful wait. 😩

@EmilyMay89 Current plan is to complete first week of December.

I've had a relatively simple journey so far - and found that stressful enough!

Woah. I wouldn't tolerate that nonsense!

What will you do?

You've done really well. Our vendor could clearly learn from yours in efficiency! We could've been moving in a fortnight if they weren't stupidly slow. 🙄

@NoWordForFluffy We’ve said we need to complete by Christmas, and complained to the EA about her messing about. So we shall see.

We wouldn’t be proceeding if she can’t complete before our mortgage offer expires. So ball is in her court.

OK, I appreciate this isn't the worst problem to have, but how do you choose between 2 offers? Both FTB, proceedable, and offers have gone to best and final with only £500 difference between them. The lower offer are the people who have waited as we held these other viewings. They sent a note through the door the day after they saw it saying how much they loved the house etc. I'm feeling swayed by the note, since the offers are so similar. Is that ridiculous?

I'd go with them for £500, especially as they've waited.

Go with the people you like best. By the end you will probably have wound each other up (FTB will have wound you up with incessant queries, they will have been wound up every time there is a snag), so best to go into it with good vibes. We’re at “bitch eating crackers” point with our seller, I don’t recommend it.

I went with the people who sent a note. You want committed buyers, and for the sake of £500… you want the ones who are most into your house. In my case the note people also offered £2k more, and I had pondered what I would have done had it been a lot under the other woman, who had turned up with her builder and already asking for evidence of planning permission (when I hadn’t extended..). Congrats @MovingToPlan !

This is sensible advice, thank you all. I'll go with the note people. 😊 Now we need to secure our own purchase!

@Saschka that is seriously being very annoying of her, out of order really there is no excuse for delaying completion like that.

We are wondering if she ever seriously intended to sell, honestly.

When we viewed the house she’d made no effort whatsoever to make it presentable - sink full of dirty dishes, unmade beds, clutter and cobwebs everywhere. Lied about the length of the lease. Everything the survey brought up she just insisted “wasn’t true”. She turned our surveyor away multiple times (pre-agreed appointments) because “it wasn’t convenient”. She told DH she probably wouldn’t move all of her furniture out. We put up with all of this because we want a quick sale, it’s cheap, and we are planning to do major renovations on the property anyway. And now she’s done this. Clearly not a motivated seller in any way - she’s done nothing whatsoever to move the sale on, beyond accepting our offer.

We just need to pull out don’t we?

I wouldn't even trust that she'd move herself out, @Saschka, let alone some of her furniture. She doesn't sound like she really wants to sell at all. I wonder what her motivation to market it was?

@Saschka how frustrating. I don't understand why people do this. Maybe say that you're going to pull out unless she changes her completion date and see what she says then? But I wouldn't get my hopes up

Morning! Just had a catch up on the thread, so sorry to see the people having problems!

We’re no further forward really, the estate agent last spoke to our buyer on Wednesday. He tried to ring him on Friday and yesterday but no answer so he called the buyers financial advisor who said the buyer is 99.9% sure he’s going ahead with the sale… the estate agent has told him we need an answer by the end of the day or it’s going back on the market, it’s been almost 2 weeks since he came back with a revised offer!

I think he’s just trying to pull a fast one as house prices have decreased slightly since he made the offer months ago. I’ve had a look on Rightmove and there’s absolutely nothing in the area around the same price of ours that’s nice, the ones that are cheaper all need a lot of work doing so it’s not like we’re competing with any houses

So fingers crossed we have an answer today.

@MercyNursey how frustrating! I honestly think that once you’ve committed, you need to crack on and move. Don’t put an offer in if you don’t actually want the house.

Why are there so many timewasters around at the moment? 🤷‍♀️

Exactly! Months and months down the line it shouldn’t even be a conversation of ‘are you going ahead’ when there’s absolutely no reason not to! It’s ridiculous and messes with people’s lives!

We have been researching local surveyors, and in doing so have stumbled on the one who did the survey for the previous buyers two months ago- we knew that there was a previous buyer who pulled out (because they got cold feet over the mortgage rate, we were told).

The surveyor is checking with them that they'd be happy for it to be sold on, and if so will sell it to us for cheap.

We're tempted, as we can't see what has changed in 2 months really and it'll save us a fair wedge. Also feels like if we say no and get this guy (who comes the highest recommended by friends/family) to do it he could just give us the same report anyway with a different name on it. But unsure!!

Just catching up. Sounds like lots of frustrating times for people. Good luck and try not to give up the hope.

We had a call with EA on Fri who said that our buyers (who had lost their buyer) had a viewing on their house friday evening and we'd get an update on Monday. If no joy they would recommend we go back on the market so we don't lose out on the house we want. Apparently our seller isnt waiting for us, they just haven't told him as they know he would immediately relist. We've had no update yesterday but I saw that our buyers house is now marked as sstc on rightmove so I'm getting my hopeful it may be good news...

Still waiting to exchange here. The only thing that's holding everything up? Our buyer's mortgage lender is insisting on indemnity insurance on our property's ground rent, which is a tiny amount and not usually required. I guess the banks are getting mega cautious now. But this can take up to two weeks. Great. What doesn't help is our seller is being very difficult and insisting on two weeks before exchange and complete, so every day that goes by, the entire chain has to adjust to accommodate him. Double woop.

To say I'm fed up, stressed, annoyed... is an understatement! But what can we do? We've chased. We've ensured everything has been signed, sealed, and delivered. Our fate lies in the hands of an insurance firm who won't be in any rush. If we move before Christmas, it'll be a miracle.

Just spoke to our solicitor. She is just checking the file, but does think that the fucking sodding bastarding plan is the only o/s issue between us and exchange. Honestly, how hard?! They've had my updated version for 3 weeks now. 🙄🙄

I feel your pain, @MillTree.

@MillTree Indemnity insurance on ground rent? Isn’t that a bit crazy?! Maybe it’s just me but there just seems to be more paper - rather than more actual good safeguards!

I’ve now been asked by the buyers solicitor to go to the builder and get his written confirmation of why he won’t provide a warranty. The builder is a bit fed up I think. The work was done ages ago and he just didn’t provide a warranty, I knew this at the time. I’ve told the buyers solicitors several times that there is no warranty, why would there be a reason for this? I don’t know what they are doing. The work was done well and has been checked.

Oh, @NoWordForFluffy! I really hope you get some good news ASAP. It really can be the most stressful process, can't it? Stay strong!

And @HopefulSeller – Yep, it's quite crazy indeed. The insurance we've had to pay to get this over the line is the same cost as THIRTY years of our ground rent. What an utter scam. I tell you, there are people out there making money out of nothing. I hope this warranty thing doesn't hold things up. It's mad what props up at the last minute.

We've had some good news tonight. It looks like we might be exchanging tomorrow. I will be praying into the early hours, no doubt – as we continue some more packing. Not holding my breath. This has been going on for a long time. Good luck to you all, too!

That's a turn of events, @MillTree! Good luck for tomorrow.

In a way, we're not in a hurry to exchange, as long as it's done by 7 Dec. However, I just want it bloody DONE so I can sort shit out!

If I was as shit at my job as the vendor's solicitor is (as in the in house solicitor giving instructions to their conveyancer), I'd no longer have a sodding job. I just want to send a huge amount of cash to my solicitor! 🤣

Looks like quite a bit of good news here recently! congratss all!

I am still waiting around :( Good news are searches are finally back. Currently waiting for the solicitor to review to see what enquiries need to be raised. Hoping nothing major and only like around a week from exchange -- one can dream!

My buyers solicitor chased today too for an update. Not sure if it's a standard thing they do, or a sign my buyer is eager?

Hi all

Some of you may hate me but I've pulled put of my sale

The EA thinks I'm not serious because I was in tears when I told him

But, aside from own health, my situation ran like this

Buyer made offer in May, I accepted

He then delayed because he didn't want to be the first to instruct a solicitor 🙄

His mortgage offer was withdrawn - I am not clear why, but as I was ill, I let it run on...

He then made an offer £15k lower. I accepted, given it's a high rise and others seemed unable to sell. So he applied for a new mortgage.

From mid September, I have been told "we are very close to exchange, don't pull out".

Now in mid November, I realise we might be close to exchange. But two more months of this has finished me.

It also gave me time to realise I made a mistake buying the place I'm in now. I've actually been crying over wanting to go home since September but didn't want to "waste" the money. The new place is bonkers. I'm amazed it passed soundproofing tests. No one would have the patience to listen to what's gone on here but I will say - don't buy a new build.

The buyer for mine is actually operating as a property company while saying he plans to live there. I'm not convinced. I also don't want to sell to someone operating as a property company in future, unless they are cash. My previous/current place was built in 2003 and has decent soundproofing so why that can't happen for a place built twenty years later, I don't know.

I had to pull out of a previous purchase in 2022 because the vendor turned out to be in breach of their lease and subject to tribunal,... otherwise I'd never have gone for a new build. I was looking for something clear cut in a better area.

Hopefully I can rescue the finances by renting the new one when the problems are fixed. Going back to old home as soon as I can, foolishly got rid of the spare furniture that wouldn't fit in the new place.

Perhaps the universe has done me a favour. I've been looking for a sign about what to do but it was under my nose all this time, I should have pulled out earlier.