The all new buyers/sellers waiting room (continued x4) thread!

[TheEnglishSystemSucks]

As @fromtheshires is in their new abode, and we've almost filled up the last thread - hope people don't mind me starting a new one.

My situation: waiting on survey reports before enquires/searches can start - so expect i'll be here for all 40 pages.

Hope exchanges and completions come quickly for all and no-one has the christmas 'will we won't we'.

Old thread here: https://www.mumsnet.com/talk/property/5105250-the-all-new-buyerssellers-waiting-room-continued-x3-thread?page=40

@Illumicrateme wow that sucks! Did they give a good reason at least? Hopefully the next houses you see are even better than the one you've lost out on.

Surveys are between you and the surveyor. You generally need their permission to let anyone else see them, or any part of them (check the ToC of the survey). In general, a vendor who 'demands' to see one should be told to FO. If they want one, they can commission their own.
I have on one occasion got permission from a surveyor to allow a specific part of a survey to be shared with a vendor as the courts were involved in the sale and needed evidence re the price. The vendor didn't demand it, they just explained the court needed evidence, and our surveyor was willing to allow it.

This is yet another reason why we should never share any part of a survey without the surveyor's permission, quite apart from the survey's ToCs which generally don't allow it without permission. If a vendor wants a survey, they're as free as you are to commission one - of their own.

My buyer who pulled out sent his survey to our estate agent and asked him to send it to me.

So we've another person who is selling their business is coming to view the house, that'll be 3 of the 4 most recent viewers selling businesses - that's so odd isn't it.

Not odd considering the cost of borrowing and electric etc have gone up so much. Plus many business owners are worried about possible upcoming Labour tax changes and are looking to get out before an increase in capital gains tax or a reduction in business disposal relief.

Do be sure to find out where their sales are up to before accepting an offer. It can take longer to sell a business than a house in many cases.

@TheEnglishSystemSucks They wanted to sell it to a family member all of a sudden, it was on the market for a year and a half before we made an offer so why wait!

Very apt username. I like it. The name not the soddy English housing system.

Been trying for a week to exchange contracts. Yesterday was the 3rd failed attempt. Solicitor at top of the chain was stalling and wasting everybody’s time, apparently the issue is resolved now, so we’ll see if it happens today, I am raging because we specifically requested 2 weeks between exchange and completion because we have lots to sort out, but due to the incompetence and belligerence of others, we’re moving in a week and still haven’t exchanged.

@GoldieLookingBoots this is so frustrating!! Similar is happening to us…

3 weeks ago we agreed to exchange, then our seller (which was meant to be no chain) decided to tell everyone he has had a onward purchase going through and wants to wait. Luckily it wasn’t a huge delay and my buyers were okay - they managed to have the onward purchase ready in just over 2 weeks.

Exchange was meant to happen yesterday but the seller was silent ALL day. So here we are, hoping to exchange today but the EA isn’t working today and my solicitor can’t get through to his solicitor. God knows if he has replied to anyone in this time!

Stressed beyond belief 😓

I know this is a v minor stress compared to some, but allow me a small vent- we are exchanging in 6 weeks and the dishwasher has broken beyond repair. Sooo annoying. Why couldn't it have been one of the freestanding white goods we were leaving on a "if it still works you can have it" basis?

We’re aiming for completion on 30th August and it’s so frustrating. We want to complete asap but our buyer who last week was threatening to pull out if there wasn’t an agreed completion date now isn’t confirming that date is OK. We’ve contacted removals company we had a quote from and they’re booked up on that today but only provisionally so they said if we exchange and get a firm date to let them know. We’ve rang around a few other removals and they’re all full on 30th.
So now worrying we’ll have to ask chain to postpone date as the removals are all booked up!

Our neighbour said they might be interested in buying our flat. Having never sold a flat before, what happens if you sell it to someone whilst in a contract with an agent (who didn't introduce you)?

We are trying to move as fast as possible to keep our seller happy. The solicitor has today decided she needs multiple documents from my parents who are lending us the deposit so we can move before selling our current home. Problem is she decided thisn1 hour after they boarded the plan to go on holiday for 3 weeks and they are not computer literate enough to sort this out from abroad!

Read your contract with the agent, that should enlighten you. Usually you only owe them fees if they have 'introduced' the buyer.

@TennisLady it feels like just getting to exchange is the most stressful part of the process. I really hope you get removals sorted. We had a similar problem, we got a quote with a good price, then when I knew the completion date, I tried to book them, but they were fully booked, as were several others. Apparently the end of the month and beginning of the month are very popular times to move. We’ve ended up paying another company double what our quote from the others was because there were no other options.
@chinchillin I feel your pain, today has been the worst in terms of stress, but we did it. Exchanged ready to complete next Tuesday. I am still fuming at the solicitor at the top of the chain who was deliberately obstructive to the point of almost sabotaging the chain. He should have let us all know that his client was hoping for a later date, but no, he strung us along and put us through so much stress. I will be leaving a Google review for him when I get time. For now, I’m going to get cracking with the packing after I’ve had a large gin!

I hope you have exchanged and I'm sorry it's been a hassle @GoldieLookingBoots .

What actually happens between exchange and completion? I've only bought three properties and can't actually remember.

FTB here, I though I jump on this thread and find some information for how long it takes to purchase a home. I put an offer it was accepted. Conveyance have order searches and I have instructed a level 2 survey to be done this Thursday. I

@GoldieLookingBoots glad you got there in the end! You must feel so relieved, hope you enjoyed a well deserved gin.

My EA ended up calling me not long after I posted and explained he is just very laid back and chilled didn’t realise he needed to approve the exchange (!!!!!), promised he’d get onto it… come 5pm they still haven’t heard from him. Here’s to tomorrow hopefully 😫

How long is the chain above you? Even then it's hard to answer as sometimes it all goes through without a hitch and sometimes chains collapse at the last minute and it takes months. I'm looking at 11 months but it's a bit of an unusual situation so not typical (thankfully!)

So much for the open day the estate agent claimed they'd do. So far one viewing booked in for Saturday - this is the 'off market' stuff so pics and floor plan being done on Tuesday.

No news on our cottage. Solicitor is off today and EA hasn't any updates since she last updated me (one week ago, she gave the date lol)

I made.clear that baby is coming in 5 weeks, our mortgage offer runs out in November and we need the enquires to be completed ASAP.
If it wasn't such a beautiful bloody cottage in the exact perfect location we would have pulled out months ago. It's so hard sitting and waiting.

This will be week 14 and searches were.only ordered last Friday.

Feeling very sorry for my big pregnant self 😕

@RightStuff it depends on so many things really, chain length will add time and then if it’s for whatever reason a complicated purchase. It’s good you’ve been proactive, have your sellers started their side of things as well? Do you have a completion date you need to be working to or do you have flexibility on when you need to move? fingers crossed it all goes as smoothly as it can for you anyway.

Our sellers emailed a copy of the title register of the freehold today which I’m not really sure what the benefit of that was as we already know that they don’t own the freehold of their property. They don’t seem bothered in the slightest by this issue. We’re still weighing up whether to pull out or not.

@MendaciousMabel The property is chain free. I do not have a property to sale, therefore a completion date for the end of October is what hope to happen. The seller has moved abroad and the Estate Agent is working on her behalf.

There is no chain on either end therefore I hope for a smooth buying process. Seller has vacated the property and has moved abroad, and estate agent working on their behalf.

You should hopefully be sorted by end of October. We are chain free either side and are hoping for October half term completion. We have are a couple of weeks post offer now but need a mortgage and the mortgage offer won't be through until later this week/early next week.

Can anyone give me an idea how long is usual to wait after the surveyor visits to get the report? Its a level 2 survey.