Page 17 | Is there a new thread for “Anyone putting their home on the market in early 2025”?

MovingABCs · 29/07/2025 21:40

Hermioninny · 29/07/2025 14:31

We’re in the same position but the other way round. Our solicitor confirmed this morning that our sale is almost ready to exchange and so is our buyer with their buyer. The house we’re buying haven’t even ordered searches yet! Spoke to the estate agent today and both they and our seller are chasing the solicitor. It’s the same solicitor acting for the buyer at the bottom of the chain who is the most desperate to move and wants to complete by end of August. Our solicitor said today that our purchase is likely to take another 8 weeks… it’s been 6 weeks since we had our offer accepted and basically nothing has been done on the conveyancing side.

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It's incredibly frustrating isn't it? I find all the waiting and hoping that other people in the chain crack on with things really difficult.

MovingABCs · 29/07/2025 21:43

OtiMama · 29/07/2025 21:14

@MovingABCs that is so annoying. Probably going to be a few weeks until that's all sorted. I guess you can only push up the chain, so get your EA to speak to your buyer and they speak to theirs until that person who has direct contact with the person buying their house chases them. If they have a good EA/solicitor they will have done this. Did that buyer start later than everyone with the process?

Our house is in boxes now. Moving day Thursday is fast approaching. I've disconnected the dishwasher and washing machine today. Also turned off the fridge, all cleaned. So we have nothing! Fed up of cleaning now.

Our EA has been doing a good job of chasing for us, but our buyers EA seems to be getting a bit shirty with being chased. I can't understand why though, as non of the EAs will get paid unless this thing gets over the line!

OtiMama · 29/07/2025 23:07

MovingABCs · 29/07/2025 21:43

Our EA has been doing a good job of chasing for us, but our buyers EA seems to be getting a bit shirty with being chased. I can't understand why though, as non of the EAs will get paid unless this thing gets over the line!

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Exactly. Totally agree. If the chain collapses they don't get paid. Our EA has been so good at progressing our sale and checking in with us. Feel they've earned their money!

Hermioninny · 29/07/2025 23:19

MovingABCs · 29/07/2025 21:40

It's incredibly frustrating isn't it? I find all the waiting and hoping that other people in the chain crack on with things really difficult.

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Hugely frustrating. I really struggle with not being able to control everything. We’re lucky in a way because all the houses in our chain are listed with the same EA so they’re able to contact everyone in the chain directly. My solicitor chased the sellers solicitor again today, requesting the same documents for the 3rd time and got an out of office that they’re off until next week. Fantastic.I can’t believe I got my hopes up that we might actually be in by the first week of September. We’ll be lucky to make it by October half term at this rate.

IDontDrinkTea · 30/07/2025 08:02

Also struggling with lack of updates here. I almost wish companies offered an extra service where they provide daily updates. I appreciate that most days nothing would change. But I’d at least like to know ‘today I chased this for you’ or whatever so I know they haven’t forgotten me 😂 would happily pay more for this service!

MovingABCs · 30/07/2025 22:01

All parties in our chain agreed to a completion date in mid-August a couple of months back. Today, we learn that this date has to be pushed back to the end of August because the FTB at the bottom of the chain are going on holiday!!! Aaarrgghhh!

PyjamasForever · 30/07/2025 22:46

Wonder if I can join? House has been on the market for 6 weeks (and a month before that for 2 weeks before that estate agent went out of business).

Finding it really frustrating. We’ve had a couple of second viewings, a couple of cancelled second viewings and a cryptic telephone call asking us a lot of questions from the estate agent who is hoping this couple will make an offer.

MadisonAvenue · 30/07/2025 23:50

@PyjamasForever it really is frustrating.
We’ve been on the market for 7 weeks, we had two viewings in the first week and then nothing until someone came to have a look around last week. Lots of positive feedback from that one and the people were considering making an offer but we’ve heard nothing since.
There’s another viewing booked in for tomorrow evening so we’ll see how that goes.

PyjamasForever · 31/07/2025 06:56

I think it’s the uncertainty of it all that’s so frustrating… and the time spent tidying up.

@MadisonAvenue Fingers crossed your viewing goes well!!

AhBiscuits · 31/07/2025 08:08

It's been about 6 months for us. Last viewing was a few weeks ago now. Thinking of dropping the price again.

PiercedMrsP · 31/07/2025 14:00

PiercedMrsP · 16/07/2025 16:17

Our mortgage got declined today, not for any financial reason but because of a bloody electricity pole thing! It's one of those two poles with a box in between things - the kind you see everywhere, especially in rural areas - and it's not even on the property. You can just see it, if you look past the trees for it, and according to Barclays the presence of this thing makes a 3.5 acre property with a big 4 bed house, garages, etc "not suitable for lending". It's utterly ridiculous!
Seriously, that's the one, sole reason they've given for refusing to lend. More annoyingly, they would never have lent so the application was doomed from the start.

So, back to the mortgage drawing board and this time our broker had better do his homework before bunging an application in! I knew it was all going too well when the searches only took a week to come back... 😩

Thought I'd update on this - under pressure from our broker to review, the surveyor re-valued and gave the property the full asking price and the lender reversed their refusal to lend! We're all approved and the offer letter is in the post! What an utterly stupid nightmare that didn't need to happen 🤦‍♀️ Few more grey hairs on my head, that's for sure!

PyjamasForever · 31/07/2025 17:59

@PiercedMrsP what a relief!!

Hermioninny · 31/07/2025 19:44

That’s fantastic news @PiercedMrsP!

Our valuation has been instructed but I’ve not been told if a date has been arranged yet. My friend’s brother is a surveyor and had a look at the link online to reassure me. Then told me that because it backs on to a farm some lenders might be cautious of the resale potential and not lend. So actually not very reassuring at all!

ThisTooShallPassApparently · 31/07/2025 19:58

Hey!

Hope its okay to jump on!

We accepted an offer on our house 13th june from FTB, offer accepted on our onward house 28th june- empty/ no chain

Our solicitors have been horrendously slow and we've only really had any progress from them in the last week🙄

Current position, both us and buyers have mortgage offers in place, our searches are done, draft contract gone to buyers and enquiries are back (solicitor still sat on them but going to be very basic stuff based on what they sent directly to us), our enquiries haven't been raised yet, draft contract from new house (solicitors still sat on it), surveys done on both properties, no reductions, no major issues either side, no extra searches etc

SO, how long would you guess we have until exchange/ completion?

I know it varies but I have no idea if were looking at 2 weeks or another month! Weve packed alot of the non essentials up already and huge declutter already.

Also, DH has the use of a huge van IF we complete on a Saturday, im worried if something gets delayed, we get pushed back to Monday and then have no van- are we better off getting a mover/man with a van or hire OR Saturday is likely to be fine and im just flapping?

Sorry- lots of questions, we've never done this before our house was a private sale from family and we were already living in it so this is all new to us!

MadisonAvenue · 31/07/2025 20:21

PyjamasForever · 31/07/2025 06:56

I think it’s the uncertainty of it all that’s so frustrating… and the time spent tidying up.

@MadisonAvenue Fingers crossed your viewing goes well!!

Thanks but they were a no show so I’m properly pissed off.

I’ve spent all afternoon cleaning and tidying while trying to deal with our puppy who was intent on making a mess. The viewing was booked for 6pm, the estate agent turned up 10 minutes earlier so I chatted to him for 5 minutes before disappearing out with the puppy.

I checked the Ring camera at 6.05 to see if they’d arrived as I hadn’t had a doorbell notification. Looked again a few minutes later just as the estate agent was getting into his car at 6.09.
It’s now 8pm and there’s been no communication from the estate agent, incidentally the office is ‘open’ until 9pm so it’s not like we’re now outside of their working hours but then he could easily have called me as he left.

PyjamasForever · 31/07/2025 20:41

MadisonAvenue · 31/07/2025 20:21

Thanks but they were a no show so I’m properly pissed off.

I’ve spent all afternoon cleaning and tidying while trying to deal with our puppy who was intent on making a mess. The viewing was booked for 6pm, the estate agent turned up 10 minutes earlier so I chatted to him for 5 minutes before disappearing out with the puppy.

I checked the Ring camera at 6.05 to see if they’d arrived as I hadn’t had a doorbell notification. Looked again a few minutes later just as the estate agent was getting into his car at 6.09.
It’s now 8pm and there’s been no communication from the estate agent, incidentally the office is ‘open’ until 9pm so it’s not like we’re now outside of their working hours but then he could easily have called me as he left.

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We’ve had a few no shows… but it’s rubbish that the Estate agent didn’t call you straight away!

JanuaryBluez · 31/07/2025 21:22

ThisTooShallPassApparently · 31/07/2025 19:58

Hey!

Hope its okay to jump on!

We accepted an offer on our house 13th june from FTB, offer accepted on our onward house 28th june- empty/ no chain

Our solicitors have been horrendously slow and we've only really had any progress from them in the last week🙄

Current position, both us and buyers have mortgage offers in place, our searches are done, draft contract gone to buyers and enquiries are back (solicitor still sat on them but going to be very basic stuff based on what they sent directly to us), our enquiries haven't been raised yet, draft contract from new house (solicitors still sat on it), surveys done on both properties, no reductions, no major issues either side, no extra searches etc

SO, how long would you guess we have until exchange/ completion?

I know it varies but I have no idea if were looking at 2 weeks or another month! Weve packed alot of the non essentials up already and huge declutter already.

Also, DH has the use of a huge van IF we complete on a Saturday, im worried if something gets delayed, we get pushed back to Monday and then have no van- are we better off getting a mover/man with a van or hire OR Saturday is likely to be fine and im just flapping?

Sorry- lots of questions, we've never done this before our house was a private sale from family and we were already living in it so this is all new to us!

Hello!

Can't comment on timescales, seems to vary wildly!

However you won't be able to complete on a Saturday, completions have to take place during working hours as money has to be moved up the chain between banks/firms of solicitors.

You can't really book removals until you are about to exchange because if you want to secure a date you normally have to pay a deposit.

OtiMama · 01/08/2025 10:55

Just to say we completed on our house yesterday. It was all so quick, our buyers had paid by 10am and we were out and the transaction for ours had gone through by 11am, we got the keys straight away. Some teething issues with the house as expected as it was empty but overall pleased and our neighbours on both sides seem lovely too.

I hope you all get there in the end, it's hard work but so worth it. Now I need a holiday 😂 the kids are so thrilled to have more space.

Hermioninny · 01/08/2025 12:01

Congratulations @OtiMama! Proof that it can happen. Hope all goes well for you.

ScoobyDoesnt · 01/08/2025 13:23

Congrats @OtiMama - that’s great news!

Just (still) waiting on solicitors here. I’m told all paperwork for all parties is now in place - so exchange should be imminent, whatever imminent means in solicitor speak!

JanuaryBluez · 01/08/2025 14:01

Congrats @OtiMama thats great news! Hope you're settling in nicely in your new home 😊

MadisonAvenue · 01/08/2025 14:19

Yesterday’s no show has rescheduled for this evening. There isn’t an estate agent available to do the viewing though so I’ll do it. They could’ve done an accompanied viewing tomorrow but we’re all out seeing Oasis and our son’s girlfriend will be here looking after the puppy and it seemed a lot to ask of her to make sure the house was viewing-ready.

Original poster

IWasBornIn1989 · 01/08/2025 17:43

OtiMama · 01/08/2025 10:55

Just to say we completed on our house yesterday. It was all so quick, our buyers had paid by 10am and we were out and the transaction for ours had gone through by 11am, we got the keys straight away. Some teething issues with the house as expected as it was empty but overall pleased and our neighbours on both sides seem lovely too.

I hope you all get there in the end, it's hard work but so worth it. Now I need a holiday 😂 the kids are so thrilled to have more space.

Amazing! Congrats! Still rumbling on here. Waiting to exchange. Only three houses in the chain but those above us have no urgency even though we’ve said we need to move before 16th August otherwise it won’t be possible until after schools go back in Sept. Haven’t chased for a week and of course, nothing has happened. 🙄

OP posts:

Hermioninny · 01/08/2025 21:17

We finally seem to be making some progress! Our solicitor has received the draft contract for our purchase and the land registry documents. Unfortunately the boundary has been registered completely incorrectly with the land registry so half the garden and a third of the house still appear as though owned by the builder. Unbelievable. The seller’s solicitor has gone back to the solicitor used when they originally purchased the property to ask them to have this rectified urgently but no one can say how long this might take. Our mortgage valuation has been arranged, but isn't for another 2 weeks and our buyers still haven’t booked their survey on our house. Buyer at the bottom of the chain wants to move before school starts and I just can’t see how it can be done.

WindTheBobbinAgain · 02/08/2025 17:27

joined this thread a while ago. We are in a chain, we are fourth from the bottom. When we accepted the offer (first week in April, needing to hurry to be exchanged ideally by early june for school places) the chain below was pretty progressed as they had been waiting for the people buying ours to find something. We said we would sell regardless as moving area. Everyone happy with dates, etc.

Everything progressed okay initially. The bottom of the chain dropped out, but buyer replaced within a week, and after some small delays looked like we were approaching exchange end of June, including on our purchase. Then, we start hearing rumblings about needing a deed of variation on their lease as it’s an upstairs flat and they don’t formally have rights over the stairs (apparently).

Four weeks later and this hasn’t yet been agreed or submitted. We are constantly told it’s nearly there. We have been told once it goes to the land registry turnaround is 10 days, but that seems difficult to corroborate in public information. Communication in the chain is rubbish - our seller’s EA seems to get the most from the bottom of the chain, but it’s still patchy and often downright false.

We are now in a genuinely tricky situation as we need to be in situ in September. While this is all happening house prices have continued to rise where we are selling, and fall where we are buying. We can’t afford to rent and wait, not least as we would have to rent for a good old period to get a school place allocated. We think we might have to crash the whole transaction if it’s not exchanged by early September so that we can rent in the new city.

Any experiences of deeds of variation like this and how long they take for the land registry to turn around?