Should I be sent contract before going to solicitor's office to sign?

[manchestermam]

I have an appointment with my solicitor tomorrow to review and hopefully sign the contract for buying my first house. I haven't actually seen the contract, fixtures and fittings list or any documents as yet and I'm a bit worried I will be rushed in the hour-long appointment and not have time to fully read through what I am signing.

Is this normal? I expected I would be emailed a copy of everything to look at ahead of time and then could sign it in the appointment once I was confident I understood and was happy with it all.

You are usually sent a buyers pack with is thick as a doorstop. Have you not had it?

No, I haven't had anything at all

What contract?

The one to instruct the solicitor?

Or one further on like completion?

The first we got sent the massive pack as stated above, theres no fixtures and fittings on yet as its before the beginning so that hasn't been sorted yet. It has the contract to instruct, one for stamp duty, one saying you understand cyber security, one for money checks, all your info thats needed etc...

To be honest I wish I had been in office with them because theres always loads of questions to ask I find but I just had to figure my way through it myself.

The contract as in the one just before completion. I did get information when I initially instructed the solicitor about conveyancing scams, terms and conditions, ID checks were carried out etc.

Should I be worried that I haven't received a contract or list of fixtures and fittings before I go tomorrow?

How far into the process are you? Some solicitors may ask you to sign the contract (which is a very standard land registry template) to hold on file in preparation, it shouldn’t/wouldn’t be exchanged with the other party, which is when it becomes binding on you to buy the property, until you give your express consent and have transferred funds for the deposit to your solicitor.

If you’re early in the process they may just being getting the file ready, although a little unusual to do all this before fixtures and fittings forms etc and being closer to exchange as it’d be a waste of their time if the sale falls apart.