The all new buyers/sellers waiting room (9) the one where we start to wonder if we'll move by Christmas..

[NeverGoingToMove]

Huge apologies if I have missed this thread, I have searched high and low but don't think another was started after number 8 ended in May.

After a seriously stressful encounter with building control, I think we are almost ready to exchange. After going on the market last July, I'm hoping we'll move before our year anniversary!

How is everyone else doing?

@YourUglySister the uncertainty of the whole process kills everyone going through this godforesaken process 😂Something we all have in common. Really hope you get some news and get this sale over the line soon.

@unicornpower any news from your viewings?

@moving300m any news today? Did you get any clear answers to what your buyers are banging on about, about the survey?

@ErlingHaalandsManBun it seems that they want us to pay for every single item that was raised on
the survey at least 75% of which is cosmetic and was clearly visible when they viewed and taken into account in the initial valuation. We’ve offered half which is more than fair and hoping we get an answer back by the end of the week.
It’s just ridiculous because the survey recommendations are wildly inaccurate with some estimates that are obviously plucked out of the air and others that would realistically cost 10 times as much as their guess to fix properly, which is why I chose not to because although adding kerb appeal it would not increase the value to that extent.
So angry. But on the plus side my solicitor has been amazing today with fast responses and even picking up the phone to me herself.
Have you managed to arrange to speak with an independent advisor yet?

@moving300m oh my god are you absolutely kidding? That is not what having a survey is for. Its to make sure there are no BIG issues with the property you are buying. ALL properties will have small things that are not perfect. I feel angry for you. That is ludicrous! Offering half if MORE than fair IMO. I would be tempted to tell them to stuff their sodding survey up their jacksy. I hope you get a reply tomorrow. You must be desperate to just move this sale along and get out of this situation as much as possible.

We haven't heard anything back from the conveyancer we approached at the start of the week (no surprise there at all) So we have messaged some others today and hopefully one of them will actually make contact with us before the week is out. Relying on conveyancers is stressful. We haven't dealt with one yet that actually replies to messages in a timely manner. 🙄

@ErlingHaalandsManBun I wish I was kidding. It’s so stressful and unnecessary. All houses of this age will have issues, but cosmetic is easily changed if you choose but absolutely a non issue in terms of mortgage and the house staying standing long term! The price reflects the issues but overall they are things like cracked floor tiles and chipped paint. The house we’re buying has similar minor issues. We have not asked for any discount and wouldn’t have even considered it.
I definitely do want to tell them to stick it but im also worried about the chain collapsing and us losing our onward purchase which in my head I’ve moved into! I’m hoping we hear today but feel like they may take longer to get back to us.
I hope you get a call back today too. Such a shame as it’s not like you’re asking for free advice. How do these people want to get and retain business if they don’t reply to messages or answer the phone!

@moving300m unfortunately this is why buyers pull this shitty trick towards the end of a sale. Its pretty much always going to be to get money knocked off. Its almost become 'a thing'. Its proper shit, especially when you literally really have no sodding choice. Hopefully you won't have to wait too long and this won't go backwards and forwards. Like you, we would NEVER even think to ask to have money knocked off for peeling wallpaper or chipped tiles. These things are clearly visible when viewing and are taken into consideration when the asking price is set. Our house, for example, needs some carpets replacing. We were going to do it ourselves then decided not to as whoever was buying would more than likely want the opportunity to chose their own flooring. Wondering now if we are going to get crucified for that decision 🙄Good Luck with it and keep us posted.

I am hoping we hear back from one of the conveyancers we have asked for advice from today. Like you said, its not like we are asking for free advice. We will be paying for their advice. Its just bonkers. They obviously have too much work already but where will that leave us? Who knows?

So the probate house we were buying is now back on the market. I contacted the agent - to see if probate has been granted - as the sales spiel says that it’s chain free. Nope, it’s still ‘imminent’. As imminent as it was when we were told it was imminent in March. It’s outrageous that they just continue to lie when they know they’ve just lost buyers because of the ongoing refusal to be open about whatever the probate issue is. Infuriating.

God, this is so crappy. It's shocking that this is allowed!

@ErlingHaalandsManBun did anyone get back to
you today?
We haven’t. I’m so stressed. No idea how long is reasonable to wait to decide, but I’d just say yes ok or no I’m still not happy with that and make a counter offer. I wouldn’t keep people waiting days on end. Not even sure there’s anything I can do to encourage a conversation. If I put a deadline on it do I risk losing the sale. Ultimately I think my time line puts me in a very poor position right now! I am desperately hoping we get an answer tomorrow because if I have to spend the weekend this stressed I might just decide I’m not moving and will probs regret that!

@moving300m what? I don't get that at all? What is there for them to think about really? And why are they taking so long? The waiting is enough to drive anyone insane. All you end up doing is second guessing what people are thinking. It's horrible to keep someone waiting like this. I hope you get some news tomorrow but I would set a time and if you haven't heard anything by that time then definitely call the EA and ask them to give them a call and ask them what they are thinking. It doesn't hurt to push a bit and put a little pressure on for an answer.

We had an email back from one of the conveyancer's today apologising for the delay but they had been on annual leave and were now playing catch up. They have suggested a zoom call with us tomorrow to discuss everything further. I am so pleased we have actually had some contact back now and hopefully we can move things forward a bit now.

@ErlingHaalandsManBun brilliant I am so glad someone got back to you. Make sure you keep us posted how it goes and where you’re going from here.
Our buyer will only communicate to and via their solicitor, unless my solicitor or EA can get in contact with them we are getting no information. Hoping my EA will keep trying the solicitor tomorrow at least!

@moving300m So your buyer won't even give updates to the EA? well that is bloody even more frustrating to say the least! All you can do then, is ask your EA to try and get hold of the solicitor again tomorrow and keep asking the question. I really hope you get an answer or reply of some sort tomorrow. Going into a weekend with it hanging over your head will be horrible. 😬Did you ever meet your buyers and do the house viewing yourself or did your EA do it? If you did, what did they seem like?

@ErlingHaalandsManBun nope they won’t answer to the EA calls or messages and if they do they just say I’m speaking with my solicitor. It’s so frustrating and quite frankly rude! I’ve never met them so can’t even gauge for myself how enthusiastic they are!

Hi all, sorry to see there’s not been much positive progress all round. I had to take a break as everything was just getting too much.

We have finally had our mortgage offer issued after a very long 9 weeks! Still not sure why it took so long but we got there. Our buyers finally had their survey done 18 weeks after us accepting their offer and the surveyor has said all is well but hasn’t actually issued the report yet… Land registry has accepted they made an error with the boundary on our purchase and have rectified it, new map to be issued by the end of next week.

The only issues left are from our survey on our purchase. A ridge tile has fallen off since we first viewed and the survey has said something about the verge tiles over the sunroom having raised capping and possible signs of water ingress. We had asked the seller to investigate but he lives in another part of the UK and his nephew lives locally - apparently there’s now an issue between seller and nephew and nephew won’t answer the phone to seller or estate agent. I’m getting concerned as he’s also the one who’s clearing the house (vacant after family passed away). We have asked to go and view again to see if we can spot anything or if we can just plough on as this is now the only thing to be sorted before we sign contracts and get things finally moving. It doesn’t help that our surveyor was terrible, gave very poor descriptions and had to rewrite the report so we’re not sure if the issues highlighted are actually real problems. I’m so fed up that I want to just take the risk.

@moving300m oh its so difficult when you haven't got to meet the buyers either. You can't even gauge what kind of people they are and if they seem like they might be reasonable or not. So frustrating for you. Here's hoping for an update tomorrow for you. Keep us posted.

I’m almost at the end of the process now but it’s just dragging on and on. Accepted offer end of May and solicitors tell me they are “reviewing final answers to enquiries” and we are in “the final stages before exchange of contracts” but it’s been this way for 2 weeks! I phone and email the solicitor and the estate agent twice a week but I really don’t know what the hold up is now! Arghhh!

We accepted mid May, and don’t seem to have progressed. It was supposed to be a no chain, cash buyer sale. They weren’t getting a mortgage and had a builder look over it. Yet suddenly had a survey this week. The surveyor was very nice, said clearly the house is a project (and priced that way) and that they were wasting their money really having the survey if they’d already had a good builder out. So we’ll see what they come back with. We’re pretty much decided it’s a hard no if they start playing games. And our solicitor seems to be totally incompetent. She’s handed the sale over to someone more senior now. The buyers solicitors don’t seem to have done much either. Very frustrating. I’d hoped we’d be wrapping things up now. Then I hoped for Halloween, and now I’m wearily wondering if we’ll be done by Xmas, or if at all!

So after our solicitors being fantastic throughout, responding to emails within the hour since April, they have now stopped responding at all this week just as we’re getting to the end point. We were hoping to sign early next week and complete before the end of the month but looks like that won’t happen. So frustrating to be so near yet so far. Off to see the house again next week just to check the issues from the survey for ourselves but either way they’re not dealbreakers that would delay us signing.

@moving300m any news or response today??

We had our call with the convenyancer who was really knowledgable about old houses and these kind of old title issues and access arrangements. We talked everything through with him and we are going to see him in person on Tuesday. We have to take all the title deeds and information we have, along with photos of our property so we can sit and thrash it all out in person. We were really pleased with him and so glad he has been responsive to emails and calls and is fitting us in early next week. Hopefully we might get somewhere with all this now!

@ErlingHaalandsManBun that’s great that you have found someone helpful and you feel like you will be able to move forward. Is that with your buyers too? I really hope this is a turning point for you.

No news for us. A long weekend of waiting and wondering what our fate will be. Fed up now.

Hope you have a nice weekend. I’ll be keeping busy and distracted!

@moving300m oh FFS! Seriously, what is there to think about? It is silly now. Unnecessary hold ups. It just feels mental to me that there is no news. I am sorry you are going into the weekend with this shit hanging over you.

We feel pleased with the outcome of our meeting today. Finally we are talking to someone who actually understands this house and the title and will be able to give us some proper sound advice. We have told our buyers and they are still keen to stick with us and are hanging in there. I feel confident they want this house so that is something I suppose.

Lets hope we both get somewhere next week! Have a good weekend. x

A house we offered on in January has just come back on the market or at least I think it has. It may be the estate agent doing the usual trick of showing something for sale on one day and it being sold the next - just to get people to contact them.

If the sale has genuinely fallen through I’m a bit shocked that it’s taken this long!

So finally we have found two houses that we like. Same price, one has already been extended slightly, the other hasn’t. Ones on a better road than the other. Both are genuinely chain free. We would ultimately be happy with either but the better road is our preference. We will offer on that one tomorrow (I’ve seen it before). If they say ‘no’ we will offer on the other. Both at asking price. Surely one of them will accept our offer?!

@kirinm oh excellent news!! Great that you have two options also. Good Luck for tomorrow and lets hope you get the one you want. Keep us posted.

How exciting! Good luck.