Pushy first time buyers

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I accepted an offer from a first time buyer on my ex rental home around 9 weeks ago and my gosh they have been so pushy and impatient.

Is this normal for first time buyers? Excitement I guess and keen to move in?

Why the delays? Are you deliberately being slow? When we bought our first home, it was only six weeks between offer acceptance and moving in. If neither you nor them is in a chain, there’s no reason for it to be slow.

No, not deliberately slow. I had a pre-booked holiday and went away for 2 weeks after accepting their offer. I didn't have time to fill out the forms before leaving so there was a slight delay but they received it on week 4 which I thought was a reasonable timescale. They were hounding the EA and said they couldn't order the searches without them.

Their solicitor sent enquiries just over a week ago and they've already rang the agent and asked when can they expect to receive a response from us.

You have a no chain sale with excited buyers eagerly wanting to complete...

I'm not sure what your complaint is?!

Maybe they have to give notice on a rental?

Hmm if my EA told me the seller went on holidays and didn’t fill out form, I’d question if they were showing to someone else/considering a higher offer/something else devious! I don’t think it’s wildly out of line or that you shouldn’t have done it, but given all the horror stories, you can understand why people feel antsy around delays.

Agreed with @Psychologymam. I know you went away but week 4 seems a long time to basically do the first task on the list. I too would question your commitment but if you are going as quick as you can then it'll all happen.

I don’t actually blame them. So accepting your holiday it still took you nearly two more weeks to complete the necessary forms. Subsequently it’s been more than another weeks delay in responding to questions. And you are in week 9.

It’s all going remarkably slow from your end.

I would be impatient too and I am not a first time buyer. Buying houses takes a ridiculous length of time in England without deliberate delays from the seller, or buyer.

The forms aren’t very complex, you could have done them on your flight in 30 minutes.

your buyers have a lot more to lose than you. 9 weeks is enough time to (almost) conclude a chain free sale presuming vacant possession and no leasehold/freehold issues.

Four weeks is ages to wait for those forms, bloody hell. Sounds like you’re the problem here. I’d be getting impatient too.

You do seem like you are being quite slow about completing forms. I would have done it before going on holiday or failing that, on holiday.

It’s not just FTBs who are keen to know their seller is motivated. I would be the same.

No chain, over two months in and not at a point where an exchange or completion date can be set? No it’s nothing to do with them being first time buyers.

And… they’re probably renting and have to hand their notice in at some point.

When I was a FTB I remember things getting very delayed which left us sofa surfing for a couple of months, as we had already handed our (two month) notice in on our flat.

>I didn't have time to fill out the forms before leaving

You mean you prioritised other things and put them at the bottom of your list?

>They were hounding the EA and said they couldn't order the searches without them.

Conveyancers don’t like spending money til they see paperwork, so this will be true.

C’mon OP, they are not the bad guys here. Pull your bloody finger out unless you want to risk losing them. Every week you delay is a week for a more desirable ex rental to hit the market and pull the rug out from under you.

Blimey, most people are complaining that their buyers are the slow ones. Don’t you want to sell your property? Because unless it is spectacularly lovely or seriously underpriced, you may be lucky to find another proceedable buyer if you let this one go.

Not pushy, you are being slow! Why would you market your house then go on holiday? Crazy timing. I would be expecting to exchange by six weeks and be moving in at 8 to 10 weeks I would be pushing to. I'd want to be in way before Christmas

You sound irritatingly slow, would infuriate me and I’ve bought and sold many houses.

They're probably just excited about buying their first property

I was a cash buyer who bought a probate property. Offered on 1st October completed on 27th November - just over 8 weeks. You seem very slow.

Or is this a reverse?

They're not pushy, you are delaying the process for no decent reason. Pull your finger out and get on with it!

This. The process can be stressful enough as it is without unnecessary delays.

You're holding everything up for them, if I were them I'd go elsewhere. Four weeks for you to do a form and you've taken over a week to not bother replying to their enquiry? I don't understand this.

I think you need to give your head a wobble and apologise to your buyers!

You should have made time to fill in the forms before you went, or at least the moment you came back, hand delivering if possible to prevent delays. 4 weeks later is bang out of order

Re enquiries, you respond within 24 hours if possible, or at least politely apologise for any delay and advise when you will be able to get the answers

You have been too slow - accept it and do everything you can to speed up

I think from their POV it will seem the process so far has been slow. When I bought my first house it was under 3 months from offer to completion. This is nearing that already.