Can I rant please? Why is there so much feet dragging??

[cushioncover]

Solicitor has just called to say we will not be exchanging on Fri on the house we're buying because she hasn't had everything back that she's requested. It's been 8wks since the offer and I'm fuming. The offer was made on the basis of quick exchange and there's only us (sold & in rented) and them (going to Spain) so no need for hold up at all.

Apparently she has not received copy of planning consent or building regs for the extension they built. The EA has said they(vendors) are waiting for copy to come from council. They wrote off for them 2weeks ago when their solicitor requested them.

This is why I'm so cross. Why wait until requested? When we sold last August, we accepted an offer on the sat. On the Mon I instructed the solicitor. Then on the Tue I sent her copies of all guarantees for boiler, new windows etc. Plus the planning and buildings regs stuff relating to the extention we built. Then she had everything to hand. Anything else she needed, she called and I sent it straight away, next day delivery. If you wait for a request then get round to it then get around to sending it back,that adds at least another week.

Cross that the EA is saying 8-10 weeks is average. Even if so, then an early exchange means earlier than that surely?

Why is everything so slow? It drives me bananas. If my solicitor needs anything she phones or emails and I send it out immediately.

Why is 'ok we'll pay this but only on the basis of a quick exchange not treated in the same way as ok we'll pay that but only on the basis of the carpets being left.' i.e as something that must be taken into account.

Ok, rant over.

I could have written this.

We accepted an offer 8 weeks ago and still haven't exchanged. This is despite the fact that DH is a partner in a law firm and his firm are doing the conveyancing. The latest delay today is that the buyers solicitors have received the mortgage offer by fax and they are now waiting to receive the hard copy. Ridiculous. What do they think that their client's have sent a fake fax or something? The really annoying thing is that they didn't even let us know that they still won't exchange. when our solicitors called theirs they said they were about to write to us to tell us!!

No wonder solicitors have such a bad name. I can say this being one myself!

Thanks Sparkley, you've made me feel better knowing I'm not alone.

Why do all the requests have to be done by letter? My solicitor thinks this adds weeks. She says if people receive a letter thur or fri they often think, 'oh I'll sort that at the w/e then it's the following thur before the documents or details are back with the requesting solicitor.

It's just so outdated it's driving me nuts.

I have to add that our solicitor is fab and admits it drives her potty too. My problemis vendors or buyers who just dilly-dally their way through a sale/purchase as if they're browsing in a bookshop!

There is no reason at all for doing everything by letter other than to cover your back and leave a paper trail on a file (whihc you could actually do by email)or to increase your fees if you're not on a fixed fee. It makes me so mad. I'm an employment lawyer and I'd have no clients if I did everything by letter and waited to be chased before I did anything.

I totally agree with you cushioncover - we are still trying to sell after nearly a year as our first buyers pulled out eventually after months of delays with solicitors. I work in an industry where there has to be a careful paper trail - and it's emails all day long!! Worst thing is a 2 line letter asking for something, when a 30 second phone call would have the job done. There has to be a HOOOOGE market for a 'quick' e-conveyancing service!!!

Cushioncover, our solicitor actually rang the council and got them to confirm that permission wasn't required in our case and they faxed a copy, which as it was from a legitimate source and not forged he let us exchange contracts.

As we are looking to move this year we are having the boiler, gas fire and hob serviced, alarm serviced, gathering all our instruction manuals etc ready before we even put it on the market.

Maybe we are just anal

Can I join the rant please? We accepted an offer at the beginning of January and seem nowhere near exchange! Our buyers buyers didn't even bother their arses to get a solicitor until the end of February and are dragging their heels every step of the way so the rest of us in the chain are held up. We have already lost out on one house we made an offer on and if they don't pull their fingers out we'll be losing a second. I'm starting to wonder if they even want to buy our buyers house, as they made their offer in late December but don't seem to want to progress. Rant over! Unfortunately I don't feel much better, I just want to move

I really feel for you in almost the exact same situation. Accepted offer on basis of quick exchange and comlpletion here we are 8wks later still with no exchange date.

Just breathe deeply and think about how you want to decorate your new home.

Good Luck.

We had the opposite problem. Given a date we had to complete by and told if not done by then sale off.

We ideally wanted a few extra weeks to clear out the house (mum put London house on market in Feb and moved in with me in Devon, she's now working full time, I was due to have DC5 last week, DH alone in the property and just found out his mum has lung cancer). We asked for extension for two weeks to allow me to have baby, mum to get back to London, hire storage etc but they refused.

Wouldn't have minded so much but when they told us we couldn't have the extra time we were only left with four days to clear out. Still it's all done now thankfully, hope you others get some progress soon.

Oh Piximon, that's awful. Of course sometimes life gets in the way of things and in those circumstances everyone should show a bit of understanding and try to reorganise.

Under normal circumstances, however, everyone needs to get their finger out their bums

From day of offer to receiving front door key took 7 months for us.

8 weeks! Blimey that would be quick work! We're doing a house swop, which was agreed in November. We'll probably move next month. We think. (To be fair, the other parties are in a divorce so I never expected this to be done quickly).

7mths is just ridiculous! Many of the searches are done electronically now so in theory in could all be done and dusted within 1mth!

Why do people make offers then take their time sorting solicitors and surveys etc. Surely that can all be done within a couple of working days of the offer? Grrrrr!

It's just over four weeks since we offered and accept an offer. Everything is going ok so far - just waiting on mortgage offer and searches. I'm hoping to get the whole thing done in 8-9 weeks. Here's hoping.......