The all new buyers/sellers waiting room (x 7!) thread

[JoyfulSpring]

Starting a new thread so we can continue the conversation...

Yes, yes, yes and yes.

So many of us are stuck because of silly requests for things that can't be provided--building regs on properties that were extended (with planning permission) decades before building regs existed. Or because of repeat requests for information provided months ago. It makes it take so long. What's the solution? Write off every house that's over a decade old so we can be sure that the entire property stock is compliant with building regs for 2025?

I feel I've been rushing around like crazy, but my buyer just isn't communicating with anyone. His transfer of equity of his existing house to his company seems to have stalled as they chose a lawyer who isn't on the lenders' panel, but meanwhile he is sending me requests for things, via his other lawyer (for our transaction), that he already has. My lawyer reckons that unless he sorted the new lawyer out weeks ago, he hasn't got a hope of completing this side of the deal by the 31 March.

I've told my lawyer and EA that I'm not cancelling my short holiday in the middle of March to make it happen for him.

At this stage I am doubtful we will get to exchange. He doesn't seem to want it urgently enough to make it happen and will no doubt come up with another 'issue' to stall things.

The irony of course being that so many new builds have been thrown up with shoddy construction, as cheaply as possible, and the building regs mean nothing.

Sorry your buyer is being rubbish — hopefully both of us get a miracle!

Thanks, @WittyOchreBird! Yes, the house I'm selling survived nearby bombs in WW2 and the Great Storm of 1987 without complaint!

Our previous house (purchased in 2020) has a similar stretch of road and other than purchasing an indemnity policy Nationwide had no issues with it.

So our seller has come back about the damp issue and it was apparently due to a problem with the roof which they have had fixed.
What are your thoughts on the wall? Should we be pushing to have it repaired/replastered?

Apparently our buyers just send the contracts today 🤬 had them since 13th of feb and we are supposed to exchange this Friday . I am fed up if we do not exchange this week i am putting it back on the market on Monday
Their excuse is they didn't know they have to send it before being told to ! Like wtf i am sure i was not this clueless even as a ftb ! They are in their 40s ! Am i right that they would need to send their money as well before exchange ! I have a feeling they haven't done that either!

FFS! You must be rolling your eyes so hard they nearly spin all the way round.

Have you told the chain about your plans if not ?

Honestly it seems fair to many solicitors have taken on to many clients at the moment

Yes they will need to send their deposit before exchange

@hotandpermi yes we told them ! It just seems unfair they are dragging their feet when we are selling to them for 15k less just to move things fast as FTB ! I will ask tomorrow if they send the deposit if they haven't then they are clearly taking the piss and i had enough

Oh and their solicitor practice specialty is immigration not conveyancing they went with them cause they knew them from their visa applications 🤦🏻‍♀️ i just cant !

Congratulations to everyone who has exchanged or completed recently. I have been lurking for a few weeks on the thread. Mostly to make me feel like I am not the only person who is loosing the plot with everything house move related. I have everything crossed we can complete before the end of March but who knows. The solicitors from both ends seem to be on a go slow with everything. Trying to get a straight answer from them seems impossible. Our flat went up for sale last April so its been 12 months almost, we accepted out current offer in October and we then put an offer in on a house end of November. We are moving into a vacant house and we are currently living with family due to relocation and are happy to complete the sale of our flat even if we then have to wait a few weeks for our sale to be completed on our new property. I am never moving again. Ever.

I've not heard whether my vendors final enquiry has been settled yet so I don't think we will exchange Friday after all. My solicitor said they'd need to know by today really to be ready Friday and it hasn't happened. So frustrating and I knew this would happen. My vendor and her solicitor just don't have any urgency whatsoever 🙄. We have had an completion date of 28th March proposed by the rest of the chain though so of course if they've all agreed then we don't really have a choice but to go with it even though I would have preferred it to be much sooner. If we exchange and it's final though then I'll be happier. I'm hoping if we exchange a couple of days after the deadline that the school admissions will show us some leeway but I've no idea if they will. The schools round there are all oversubscribed so I doubt it.

Give them hell. This whole move process has me swinging from utter despair to utter rage.

Great time to be pemi menopausal.

Honestly kick off would be my recommendation because they are taking the Michael

So sorry to hear that! What happens if you miss the deadline does it go as an in year application?

@hotandpermi seriously the house opposite is for sale for 425 k same as ours but a bit more driveway at the front ! We agreed 385 with them (listed for 400) just so we can do it quickly as they wrre ftb ! now i am thinking fuck them i ll relist ! Seriously we have been ready since end of January !

@movingtoreading it's for year 7 so it goes down as an out of area application. On national offer day which is 3rd March we will be unlikely to have been offered any school at all as OOA. They've said after 17th March when everyone has accepted or declined their place they will see what schools have spaces left and we'll be given one then but it obviously won't be what we want, it'll just be any school in the area with a space. They said if we exchange by 28th feb we have a higher chance of getting our preferred choice after 17th but not if we don't exchange. My other child is currently in year 8 and I've done an in year application for her but as we're not exchanged she's currently number 19 on the waiting list for our preferred school. She might bump up higher after exchange but she's extremely unlikely to get an in year place this year. My fear is we will get the school in that area that isn't good as it'll be the only one with spaces.

Considering schools is the main reason we're moving, I'm pretty upset.

That's awful @JoyfulSpring so frustrating. Do your vendors know all this? Will they really not pull their finger out to do you a favour?

I've been telling my vendors this since October but really ramped up my pleas in January after I'd contacted the admissions team. Solicitors unfortunately do not care. They really have the power to change your life!

If I didn't want that house so much I would love to pull out tomorrow and tell them to stick it!

I hate to generalise but first time buyers can be a right pain in the neck, I would issue an ultimatum and give a date you will relist by.

I expect the first time buyers are being guided by a cheap and crap conveyancer. They will not have much idea about pushing things forward and just be doing what is asked of them. They need a direct communication via the EA that you will be withdrawing from the sale if we are not further forward by x date. And a reminder that the agreed price was for speed and moving before stamp duty or whatever. These are no longer relevant and your intention will be to withdraw.

@notgettinganyyounger @hotandpermi thanks both yes we made our intentions clear to then we will relist if no exchange by monday !
@JoyfulSpring thats so stressful for you my goodness especially if you are moving for schools ! Praying for a miracle for you 🤞🤞

All I'll add is that exchange can be done very very quickly if everyone puts their minds to it. Even in a chain. In our case, once the bottom solicitor decided she would start the release, the whole process was done in 15 minutes and wasn't started until after 4pm. Incredible what can happen if it looks like the chain is in danger of imminent collapse.

I've had an update that the chain is ready to exchange however my vendors solicitor is just doing one last review of the file before he confirms in writing to my solicitor. I probably shouldn't get my hopes up just yet but I'm feeling positive!

Fingers crossed for you @JoyfulSpring .