House purchase not going as fast as we need it to

[Mamma2025]

We’re renting now. Our offer on a house was accepted a few weeks ago but these initial stages are going so slowly. No mortgage, straightforward cash buy with no onward chain, survey was fine.

We’re moving to be closer to DC’s primary school. DC has complex SEN. It’s already going to be a massive change with moving house and moving school so close together. Ideally we’d have at least a month in between. But now with 12 weeks to go I’m doubtful that we’ll even be able to exchange and move before school starts. I’m really anxious that the disruption of the house move will wreck everything for DC who struggles with any kind of change, so I’m wondering if we should pull out. But if we pull out and stay where we are then we’re stuck over an hour away from the school which would also be awful for DC.

When you say it's going slowly, what do you understand has been done so far? Do you think it's the other side that are holding things up? Either way, make it clear to your solicitor/conveyancer you personally have a deadline (sooner rather than later).

I really feel for you we had a similar situation last year it all fell through in the August , we ended up moving in Dec and had to move my DS schools he was reception.

I would tell your solicitor unless your in by X date you will pull out as you need to be moved and settled for schools. Tell them you will 100% pull out .

Do you know how many people are in the chain above you? It may not be the fault of the people you are buying from. In your transaction have all searches been done, has your solicitor done a report on title yet? You can obviously get all your own ducks in a row but if there’s delays further up then nothing will move. Any rentals available nearer the school?

If you're a cash buyer you can choose to forgoe all of the painful conveyancing if you really want to speed things up... my parents bought a house in 7 days a few years ago (in England). They knew the area really well so weren't worried about local authority searches. They had their builder do a check of the building and didn't have a survey. Their lawyer thought they were crazy but they'd had a couple of places fall through and were desperate to move.

If I have understood correctly it's just you in rented, buying a house with no chain, so one transaction. 12 weeks is still doable. Our solicitor said 6-8 weeks to exchange from the time the contract has been issued. What are you waiting on? I would speak to both the EA and your solicitor to see what stage you're at and what's happening and work from there. Have you paid for searches?

The only way to get things moving is pester, badger and pester some more! Keep ringing, emailing the solicitors.

Are you in a large chain, what is causing the delay?

Don't pull out. It seems counter intuitive to do that. Does your child know your moving? Start getting them used to it now. As for the house move get as vocal as you can. Be clear to the estate agent and solicitors when you need to exchange by and chase for progress and updates. Unfortunately you can't be passive in house buying as time will slowly slip by. Make sure you have all your ducks in a row but push and push to make sure others do. You still have time to achieve it so you need to do whatever you can to do it. If it takes a bit longer then it takes a bit longer but at least you can actively prepare your child for it.

I’d stick with it if you want the house otherwise you will be back to square one. I know how unsettling it is as we are waiting to move atm.

We moved to this house when our youngest was 3 ( diagnosis of autism and SPD) We were so worried about the move and all the changes. It was a newbuild and we used to visit the showhome and watch the house build progress.

At the time she was really into numbers so we kept emphasising when our then house number would finish and the new one would start.
We turned down a week before Christmas date and moved in the January.

There were lots of advantages at our new home. Detached, garden DC had their own rooms. Our DD actually dealt with it really well. The hardest thing was getting her to stay in her new room.

I have taught children with additional needs for a number of years ( special school then advising mainstream staff) Often children who don’t cope well with change can cope with a bigger change better than a small one e.g.may have a meltdown if a particular colour of cup is not available but manage a school transition (albeit carefully managed) fairly well.
Hope it all works out for you.

Whatever happens it will be short term pain for a long term gain and so wi definitely be worth doing in the longer term.
Just remember that in a years time you won't remember how stressful it all was.

You just have to stick it out - whenever you move it will be horrendous
pulling out just makes the short term bad for no long term gain

you may yet get lucky

put forward an exchange and completion date for 8 weeks time to put the idea in everyone’s head

Hound the solicitor. With no mortgage, and no onward chain, you aren't dependent on the other side at all really, so apart from the length of time searches take (and who knows in this day and age), it should be much faster.

Fast house purchases should be possible if no chain and cash buyer etc, do you know who/what is causing the delay? Our last house was sold to a cash buyer who didn’t bother with any surveys or searches, and from his first viewing we literally had 4 weeks until we completed and moved out. That was his condition as he offered a high price and wanted it quick (he was wealthy & divorcing). Meant we had to go into short term rental ourselves until we bought this house but it was worth it as we were moving location.

Often conveyancing solicitors are snowed under with many clients so I think you need to keep on their backs also. I wouldn’t pull out as you could well face the same issue again or worse, conveyancing is always frustrating.

You're damned if you do, and damned if you don't, so keep moving forward, don't pull out. Nobody likes moving house, it's stressful as hell and a ridiculous procedure, it needs burning to the ground and starting again.

Push the solicitor, try to remove any arbitrary dates you've laid over the situation, yes xx weeks would be best, but it will still be doable if it takes longer, just not optimum. In six months you'll be in and sorted, and you'll have got through it.

It just takes ages, that’s how it is. Yes you can try and push things along with phone calls/emails that might help but the bottom line is, be patient it will happen eventually.