Sold our house, nothing to buy yet... agents pushing solicitors?

[Greeninnature]

We've just accepted an offer on our house. We've yet to find one to move into..not for lack of trying. The estate agents are being really pushy about us relaying our solicitor information and to start the ball rolling to 'show willingness' to the buyer. But this will incurr charges surely?!
I have a friend in the same boat saying absolutely don't pay a penny to a solicitor before you find somewhere.
Then the agents saying that's not correct protocol and we need to.

What is correct???

Do you want to keep your buyer? I would be walking if the vendor didn't get their ducks in a row to show that they were serious

You can line up your solicitor for the sale surely, and get that part of the ball rolling? Then instruct them on the purchase when that happens. You'll be selling either way!

I agree with PP, if a vendor didn't at least give the name of the solicitor company they'd selected I'd be very wary.

Trust me OP

you have not “sold” your house

Thank you guys... appreciate the advice. I will get one instructed immediately. Just didn't know who was correct, we were ftb for our current house so this is our first experience and learning as we go. Thanks again

You really are a long way from selling your house. If you want to be in a good position to buy you need to be further down the track than you are. You've just accepted an offer- it could be withdrawn tomorrow. There's no contract in place and an awful lot to do before that can happen. If you intend to sell your house get on with it. A buyer will want to see evidence that you are serious - they have to invest money in a sale to instruct a solicitor to do searches, get paperwork in place, pay a surveyor to do the survey. They won't be inclined to take you seriously if you don't have a solicitor starting on all the work on your side to sell the house.

If you don't intend to sell, don't mess buyers around by accepting offers and leaving them hanging then changing your mind.

Appreciate it. I'm on the case. Never done this before so Learning as we go.

We discovered when we sold ours and thought we were ahead by researching solicitors and deciding which to use, that we were actually behind as could have done the ID checks already and lodged the sales paperwork (eg filling out the property information form) already!

You need to get that done whether this sale happens or another one does, so might as well get on with it. We didn't pay the solicitor until the sale completed but the buyer incurs costs early on for searches and survey so they need to know you are in good faith.

Have you indicated to the EA how long you're planning to look for somewhere to buy, whether you're prepared to compromise or move into a rental after x time in order to progress the sale?

Yes we have relayed that info. So phew I'm.happy.to.know.we.are now doing the right thing and will sort a solicitor ASAP.