How soon do you get told about completion date.

[Harshtruth1111]

Hello

Signed all paperwork for contacts in November's and solicitors mentioned completion before Christmas.

Trying to contact solicitors for more information. And they will be closed for two weeks in Christmas.

Is it worth pushing again?

I would speak to them because you need more information - you need to exchange contracts first, in theory you would have a gap of a week or 2 before you then complete but many people on it in less time, or on the same day.

Do you need to book removals, move broadband etc ??

The completion date is only confirmed when you exchange contracts (as the date is written into the contract)- any mention of completion date before this is merely hopeful rather than fact.

You need to speak to your solicitors as only they will know if all enquiries are dealt with and the whole chain is ready to exchange.

Already exchanged contracts in November. Just wondering what the delay is.

We have until January 16th to leave our current place.

You need to be quite firm with the solicitors and find out what the plan is. Ask if there is anything outstanding that they're waiting for from either you or the people you're buying/selling to. Then ask what the planned exchange and completion dates are. Are there any preferences on dates from your side? If there are then communicate this now. Worth also mentioning it to the estate agent as well. House buying requires a bit of prodding otherwise it can take an eternity.

If you have exchanged contracts then the completion date would have been confirmed.

If you have just signed contracts this isn't the same as exchanging them- have you actually exchanged?

As others have said when you exchange you agree the completion date. Contact your solicitor now to confirm what has been agreed? You should have been made aware/sought agreement from on the completion date.

Are you absolutely 100% certain you have exchanged?

Which is different to just having signed the contract.

I was informed it would be before Xmas.
I had to attend solicitors office to confirm and sign all the paperwork. This was November.

Signing the contract doesn't mean you've exchanged, your solicitor does that.

It doesn't sound like you have exchanged- signing the contract is something different, exchanging is when all the solicitors in the chain exchange the contracts with one another. Often signatures are sought by people in advance of this so as to speed this process up.

That's not exchanging though. Push them for an exchange date.

I don’t think you’ve exchanged.

Agreed it doesn't sound like you have exchanged. Contact the solicitors, ask if anything is outstanding that is preventing exchange and push then to confirm the exchange date. Make clear to them what completion date you would also be happy with.

As above, it sounds unlikely that exchange has taken place.

You need to speak with your solicitors to understand the situation.

Ask your solicitor when they expect to exchange contracts. Then it will be a week or two after that. It sounds as though you haven’t yet exchanged because the solicitor has to confirm with you that you are happy to exchange, before it takes place. That’s usually a phone call.

If you have to move by 16th Jan, you need to be getting them to get a move on.

You're confused.

If you had actually exchanged contracts you would know the completion date.

You've just signed the contract from your end, which is not the same as all the solicitors exchanging contracts.

As others have said, you have not exchanged. You have just signed the contract, which often happens very early on in the process, months before you are ready to actually exchange.

I do wish estate agents and solicitors would spend a bit more time talking people through the process. It would certainly reduce confusion and ensure that first time buyers know what to expect and when.

I would google the stages in the house buying process as there are good online guides, in lieu of you having the people you are paying actually explain it to you.

It sounds like you are unlikely to be completing by 16th January if nobody has talked dates yet, so I'd be looking to secure your current living situation this side of Christmas.

Also, if you exchange you pay monies... usually 10% of purchase price at this time. (Think that's right...I'm in Scotland but did buy an English property 10 years ago.