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?

Thank you very much, all really helpful. We've been told that the chain is complete, but they also told me when I made the offer that they'd let me know when it was complete and they didn't do that until I chased to ask how things were progressing. I will definitely keep on at them though and keep them updated as to what we have done.

Our surveyor said overall the house we are buying was sound. One of the things that came up was the small header tank in the loft that feeds the bathrooms has had no lid on it and is really disgusting and a hygiene issue. The house had tenants in it but has been empty 6 months. We will as a minimum have to have it emptied and cleaned but we are also thinking what's the chances of finding the lid meant for it so may need a new tank. I have no idea on costs. Would you expect the seller to sort this or just suck it up once we get there. Obviously it wasn't known when we offered.

I would expect the seller to sort that out, it is a problem with the house they still own. If I was selling it, I would either sort it or find out how much to replace plus labour and expect to reduce the sale price by that much.

I agree with this.

We have managed to exchange. Didn't think it was going to happen at one point, as the signed contract and deposit wasn't with the buyer's solicitor until gone 10am!

We complete next Tuesday. Our solicitor has been amazing. From offer to exchange in 7 weeks after the first purchase fell through (and I sacked the previous solicitors). It helped that it was in the same building as the last one and, as my parents are buying cash, we could use the searches for that one as there was no mortgage company to report to. But still, good going!

Hi all! I’ve been lurking on the last thread watching the stamp duty chaos and delighted to be finally joining!

We went on the market end of March, sale agreed in April and finally had an offer accepted today on our onward purchase (3rd time lucky)!

I’m cautiously hoping for an 8 week turnaround - purchase is vacant and a lot of the conveyancing on our sale has been done already. Now the fun really begins.

This sounds like our current situation. We offered and 5 weeks later, they let slip that they had only applied for probate 2 weeks ago! How the estate agent didn’t know this is beyond me. It also has a tenant in that we were assured would be out by the end of June and I’m doubting that as well/
So we are having to placate our buyer for a few weeks in the hope that it’s a quick probate and our seller actually gets his act in to gear with giving the solicitors information as he hasn’t yet filled in any paperwork.
It’s not even a dream house. It’s a very practical buy and it’s really making me want to give up on it as it doesn’t feel like he wants to sell it.

Thanks for your thoughts both of you. I think the reason it feels awkward is because we got the house for £20k less than listed and they had dropped that price, so I expect they feel like we've already pushed them down...but that was based on what we could see that needed doing and the loft issues with the tank obviously weren't visible. It does need full bathroom re-do X2 and kitchen and overall decor dated, artex ceilings, old light fittings. So the discount in listed price we felt already reflected the dropped offer as another better condition house on the same street/same spec sold for the listed price. It's so difficult to know. We've contacted our plumber to get some quotes to sort it. We are the forth buyer on the house and none of the others were going to have a survey. They all fell through because they lost their buyers.

@NoWordForFluffy so pleased you have exchanged, that's great!

Blehhhhhh I emailed their estate agent who let me know they’re still looking. Good that they’re trying, I guess! I’m trying so hard not to pin my hopes on this one. Just got a feeling it’s not going to happen and we’ll have just pissed more money up the wall for no reason.

We have exchanged! Starting to look like I need a new username!

Congratulations!

@NeverGoingToMove
Hooray. So pleased for you.

@NeverGoingToMove yay, you must be so relieved!

Yay, congratulations, @NeverGoingToMove! When is moving day?

Thank you everyone, I am so so relieved, the last year has been wild!
Moving day is the 26th, I have never been so happy to throw £1000 at booking something before 😁

@HappyCrochetHooker is there anyone below you in the chain to help apply pressure?

@OtiMama I understand your hesitance but to put it bluntly, don't make it your problem, let them put it right.

How exciting and not far away at all.

Yes I know that is what we should do, I feel awkward! We have written to the EA requesting some things from the survey now.

Hi can I join? I’ve been lurking since September. Fast forward to now, we have had the previous chain completely collapse in February. Hung on for a little while longer as thought some of it could be saved…sadly not the case. We realised and went under offer last week, not have offer accepted on our purchase which is no chain!

given what happened last time I just can’t begin to think that this will go smoothly! But I really hope the bumps along the way aren’t huge and maybe just maybe we will move this year?!?!?

Going to join. House offer accepted early April, from buyers in a chain of three which was ‘very progressed’, so we are top of the chain of four. We said immediately progress as moving for work. Various issues have occurred (bottom of chain pulled out and was replaced, buyers’ valuation from mortgage company came in under as rising market and they couldn’t plug the gap too easily). Hoping second mortgage valuation comes in closer. We are buying, but happy for a gap - we just need to move for work. Hoping the sale all goes through

Congrats @NeverGoingToMove and @NoWordForFluffy on exchanging. Excellent news!
We are still chasing our pretty rubbish solicitor for an exchange date. Everyone else in the chain has been ready for ages. She promised me a call back yesterday, which didn't happen, and I then found out that they basically haven't done anything since the 5th of May! If we weren't so far down the line, we would definitely change solicitors.

Hoping for some movement tomorrow, but not holding our breath...

Getting really bored of our sale now. Nothing heard in weeks. My conveyancer hasn’t responded to me for 2 weeks. We’ve got absolutely no idea what is going on with probate and time is just passing with absolutely nothing happening. We are seeing another place this weekend.

So looks like things are happening! DH emailed our solicitors yesterday as searches were due back. No response. He emailed both EAs and ours rang immediately! He then rang our vendors solicitor.
Can’t fault the EAs tbh it’s the Solicitors who don’t keep us updated.
Our FTB has everything in place and wants to be in by July 22nd at the latest. A date in about a month has now been proposed for completion with exchange asap!!

Our buyers lender want to do an in person valuation- now panicking that it will be down valued. What’s people’s thoughts on the chances?

This is standard. Our FTB didn’t have a survey just a Building society valuation.
It will just be to check its worth what they are lending ( don’t forget they will have paid a deposit) Just another hurdle in the process.

Thank you! I was just curious as when we were under offer back late last year- and for nearly £15k more a desk top valuations sufficed!

what did the building society valuation entail? Did they ask you questions about the property

It’s not as thorough as a survey. Asked basic stuff like age of the property, freehold or leasehold. Walked around, looked in the loft checked for damp with a meter. Popped his head in the loft, looked outside up at the roof etc. Told me when he would write the report. EA got in touch a few days later to say all OK.