If I complain will they speed things up ?

[itsasunshinestate]

Basically at my wits end with this whole process and now my solicitor (who is usually quick and very good at communicating) has gone silent on me and I can't get a clear answer on where we're up to or which side are holding things up.

The last time I spoke to her 2 weeks ago she said that there were outstanding enquires but I have no idea if the sellers solicitor has responded yet and the estate agent (who has been very helpful so far) is reluctant to chase the sellers solicitor in case it's my solicitor who is slowing things down!

We have both emailed her for clarification and I've also emailed her PA but had no response.

I appreciate their busy but a quick email just to clarify would really help and the estate agent could then chase the other side if we knew what was going on! It's so frustrating and I feel like I'm being kept in the dark.

After 14 weeks I'm very much ready to get this over the finish line now. This is a no chain vacant property and I'm first time buyer too. It's ridiculous how long this process takes.

Hi, I would ring her and speak to her every week and send an email Asking for an urgent update. Sometimes they sit on things if you don’t chase

@Mumlaplomb thanks for your reply.

I have been chasing/emailing every week but I can't say it's made a difference unfortunately.

I don't really want to complain but I think that's the only way it will make them go faster. What do you think?

I would ring and say you aren’t happy with the lack of communication and want a call back today - they respond better to phone calls

This. If you can’t get through to her when you call ask to speak to her supervisor. I’m a solicitor and I called or emailed mine every day in the lead up to exchange.

Thanks both - I hate calling them as the couple of times I have her PA has been a bit snappy / awkward and it's put me off ringing. Ridiculous I know as I'm paying for a service. I'll call later today. Thank you

@itsasunshinestate you can be snappy right back or, better still, tell the PA that she sounds angry at you and ask her why that is. But I like to fight fire with fire!

Honestly, if there's one thing I've learned from my recent buy and sell is that the squeaky wheel gets the oil and my EA was the squeaky wheel from hell. He reserves 9-10 every day to call (not email) solicitors and clients (and buyers) to follow up on agreed deadlines. I really wanted to tell him to fuck off several times :-) and he was my EA but he got it done and got our transaction prioritised.

So I would call the EA you bought the house from and tell them to chase for you. If they're conflict adverse they're in the wrong job.

To be fair, 14 weeks is not that long. I was first time buyer last time no chain, and it was 6 months... It was during COVID times though, so it should be quicker now. Also lawyer not replying for 2 weeks is normal in my experience when they're busy with multiple cases or nonresponse from other lawyers. Best to call in that case and escalate.

This is one time when calling them is more effective than emails, etc. I think I was like the poster above's estate agent. I know I was a pest but, to be clear, I was a very, very nice polite pest. I'd be wanting to know what the outstanding enquiries were and what might be done to expedite them and then following up.

Apart from one time when my solicitor (who had been pretty hopeless to be fair) got their admin to call me to say they were posting a critical document to me to sign a few days before I was due to exchange and complete on the same day. I asked her whether, if we did not get the documents there and back in time, she would want to be the person who told me that we couldn't complete because she probably would be.

After a second's reflection, she emailed the documents and I drove the signed copy back (in the days before e-signatures).

I'm sure they hated me and it really isn't like me.