The all new buyers/sellers waiting room (8) lies lies and the stamp duty deadline

[hotandpermi]

Continuing on the convo- title based on the theme of the last thread

@2025willbemytime sorry if I’ve missed your post, in what way do you feel your chain is going to collapse? Are you all trying to meet the stamp tax duty deadline and if so, does it hugely impact those involved to the point they will have to pull out?

Another sleepless night for me, we offered a reduction but I might retract as I’ve found out that my buyer is still waiting on their HTB closing statement.. although this is through no fault of their own, they are not in a position to negotiate a reduction on price if they do not have their paperwork in order. We’re going to speak to the solicitors today to see if there’s a chance we can still exchange and complete 31 March, the offer of the reduction will still stand on the basis that we complete 31st. If the solicitor doesn’t think this can happen, will accept we won’t meet the deadline and there will be no further negotiations as there won’t be any funds left after paying the extra stamp duty. It’s going to be another stressful day on top of a stressful day at work!

@lemonwrighty never ends, does it!

Good luck everyone who is trying to exchange today & complete within the next week❤️sending positive vibes🥰

Thank you all, and very best of luck to everyone hoping to exchange today or in the next days along with completion! Ours is set on the 27th (two days!!) - good thing we are in renting. I don't know if I had managed, had I had a house to sell at the same time, and honestly I don't know how our sellers are coping! They originally asked for 2 weeks between exchange and completion - sweet naive summer children. They were the ones pushing to meet the deadline, so I guess they just had to bite the bullet. Kudos to them, though, for arranging the removals in these precarious times.

I'm not sure at all how completion works - will the solicitors tell us when and where to collect the keys? Will they tell us live on the same day, just like on exchange? Assuming we will need to go to the estate agent? And, us being bottom of the chain, we'll likely be the last ones to know, right?

I'm a bit the same, but not sure about the timing of exchange and completion on the same day. Presumably the money takes a little time to reach accounts?

My sibling lives on the other side of the world and is keen to start their transfer via Wise asap so it doesn't get bogged down over the weekend, but as D-day is Friday and I think it's going to be crazy, I've told them not to hold their breath.

My DS was requested by his solicitor to get all his deposit funds in place at the solicitors by now, before exchange so they have them for exchange and a timely completion a few days later. He paid them over last week as the banks have daily limits.

The solicitors have presumably called down the mortgage money.

Maybe ask your solicitor what timing they want?

Can you imagine the balances that must be in the solicitors client accounts this week!!!!

Just found out our seller will be leaving both the washer/dryer and fridge freezer.

I am undecided about the washer/dryer, i have a washing machine that is less than 2 years old but have contacted the EA to ask the make and age. If suitable, i will pay it forward and leave my washing machine to my buyer.

I am already leaving the under counter fridge (my current kitchen dosen't fit a full sized fridge freezer), and am so excited to have been offered a full sized fridge freezer, esp with a 19 yr old DS who eats everything in sight! Living with an undercounter fridge that only has a 1 shelf freezer has been hell tbh.

@havensprings

Good luck today!

In the 1990s we got a call from our solicitor and had to pick them up from their offices.

I don't think DSs vendors solicitor has an office as he is independent and appears to work from home, so maybe he will meet him there? Who knows!

Like you DS is in rental so the disadvantage of paying a month's more rent comes with, I guess, the advantage of a leisurely transfer. He did get some boxes yesterday tho! He's in furnished rental so doesn't have as much as most to move.

@hairyunicorn

We had two fridges, freezers and washers when the kids were small and had them in the garage (we inherited them from my Grandad when he passed away and no one else wanted them). They were really useful.especially when the kids were small although we didn't replace the second washer when it went to washer heaven.

@Feelingstrange2 Sadly, i'm moving to another flat so no where to store anything extra. Can imagine when the kids were small these were a life saver.

You are bottom of the chain with nothing to sell so you should be first to complete. You will get a call from your solicitor when you've completed. You will typically collect keys from the estate agent (they should have confirmed this) and the EA will let you know when the keys are ready to collect. Sometimes they will meet you at the property or vendors will hand over keys, but I think this isn't that usual these days and more likely you will go to the EA office.

Just be clear about whether you accept them being left or not. You don't want them leaving them regardless if you will subsequently have to get rid of them. We are leaving our fridge / freezer and noted this on the F&F form. However, I got the solicitor to double check they had accepted the offer as I didn't want them turning up with a fridge freezer only to find ours already in situ.

Thank you @Gekko21 I will double check with both the sellers solicitor and mine that everyone is a wear what is being left.

I did put i would be leaving the under counter fridge on the F&F form, but not the washing machine.

My buyer is a FTB, moving from rented. So i am hoping this will be a pleasant surprise for her.

@Limeandsobertotally agree with everything you have put.

i won’t like my anxiety didn’t vanish (as people said it would) once we exchanged but then morfed into a sheer panic. I thought we had decluttered I was so wrong !! I have the packers here now, my partner took some time off to “help” which in fact made the whole thing a lot more stressful tbh . Last day at work and I’m back to back meetings. Feel like I’m losing my mind a tad.

@2025willbemytime you will get there. As limeandsober said your brain goes to v dark places during this time !

I know, the rent money waste stings a bit 😞My landlord was even happy for us to send the notice whenever, so that we didn't have to wait for when the rent was due and save some money, but all this chaos still led us to give notice only yesterday and as we complete in two days, we'll have to pay rent till end of April.

At least for now both your DS and ourselves won't have to rush but can do things in our own time, and we won't have that luxury if ever we decide to buy again! And it's good that your DS doesn't have to think of furniture to move and can get the furniture over to the new house in bits and pieces!

Ah, I don't know why but I always assumed bottom of the chain would complete last! Maybe because logically I assumed that if the last house in the chain gets vacated first, there won't be any surprises along the way of people moving into a still occupied house! But I guess things are not done logically in this country 😆

Thanks, I will check with the EA how they will organise the key drop (nobody told me a thing of course! Leitmotiv of this moving) - I only took half a day off work, hope that will be enough! 😆

How long do you think is reasonable for an EA to produce a memorandum of sale? We are a week post acceptance of offer - and nearly two weeks from the date the offer was made.

Yeah and it's open plan so they are leaving the sofa and an ottoman bed frame because it doesn't fit in their new house that has walls!

And the kitchen is a modern fitted one so most things are staying. I think he said he just has a washer dryer, TV and mattress to buy.

He's got a good relationship with his landlady too - he lives in her house annexe. He will miss her pets - the cats in particular as they came and went into his place and he's been there 6 years.

I don't think he wants to ever have to move again after this experience!

Yes, nothing is logical with UK house purchases and as you point out, often people don't tell you things you really do need to know. Are you just collecting the keys on that day or are you moving out of your rented and moving into your purchase? That will determine whether half a day off work is sufficient. If you are just collecting the keys then you only need to ensure you get to the EA before close of play.

I am definitely not moving out that day! 😆 I will use the month of extra rent to take things really slow. Also, my DH is going on a work trip, so I'll be packing calmly and wait for him to be back to actually move. On completion I'll just collect the keys, take the readings, check that the house is still standing and get back home! So, hopefully I will make it in one afternoon. When are you completing?

Yeah, the afternoon will be fine to do those things. When we last moved, I didn't take time off at all as we were also in rented. My other half left work early to get to the EA before it shut and then I met her in the pub. We had a quick scout round, took meter readings and admired the golden pelmet and fleur-de-lys wallpaper 😂. Then we moved in over the weekend.

I complete on Thursday. Removals come to pack tomorrow. We've been told they will load 90% of our belongings tomorrow, which is great as we will be able to clean tomorrow evening. Then it's just a Luton van to load on Thursday morning and off up the A1.

I’ve also got to pay another months rent this week, give notice, and complete on Monday - it does sting a bit but those are the terms..

Not sure what to do really, I was going to move in gradually but I don’t really want to leave my new house unattended at night for very long. I might just try and get in as soon as I can, tidy the rental and then tell them they can have the keys back.

I want to sort cameras out and possibly change the locks.

@Gekko21 that's great that you get the most of it sorted the day before moving! Best of luck and hoping for a smooth moving day😊

@Limeandsober I'm also aiming to get the locks changed before actually moving in, but apart from that I think (and hope!) it should be fine.

Thank you @Abra1t .

@lemonwrighty we've already missed that due to the developers and it will collapse as my buyers mortgage offer is going to expire.

I hope so @hotandpermi .

I have got my removal firm looking into moving my vendor as well and his opinion is she's lying as most firms have loads of capacity as they are all working up to and including the 31st March.

My estate agent thinks it will be mid to late April and I've said why since the new house is being signed off the first week in April and everyone is ready and has been for weeks! Why add on another 2-3 weeks ffs. For a removal issue that isn't true.

@Limeandsober if I ever get that far my plan is to empty & clean my rented over a weekend then tell them they can have keys back. Despite losing the months rent, I’d rather be in my own home. I’m also planning a lock change as the house I’m buying (everything crossed) was rented out.