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?

Well we were meant to exchange on Friday and complete on the 3rd Oct, but the bottom of the chain has found “some more enquiries” at this late stage!!! I’m absolutely shocked. The bottom of the chain were the ones that suggested the 3rd October!! The removals, annual leave etc are booked. I’ve bought house insurance on the new property and sorted the mail redirect!!! What do I do now!? Might it still be okay?!

@fromthechandelier we have just done this on the sale of our house. Our Solicitor was terrible. Not replying to any emails, not doing the things we asked him to do, being very slow, making mistakes and was just generally not available and not on the ball. Our buyers solicitors were hideous too but that's another story. We lost all confidence in him and with our solicitor and our buyers solicitor running the show we just had no confidence that this sale would ever get over the line. So we switched the sale to a local solicitor who so far has been the complete opposite!

There was a week or so between solicitors where the new ones had to request the files from the old one, get a new file open for us, do the ID checks/form filling etc but we are now up and running with the new solicitor and we feel MUCH happier. Things are moving again, and best of all, she responds to calls and emails!!!!!

Back again on this thread! - so sold my house again quite quickly (after my 6 month chain broke - thankfully) - 2 weeks in from the offer on my house - three offers on onward purchases that went to BAFO and lost out to either a cash buyer or FTB. Back looking at Right Move again - feeling a bit under pressure to find somewhere at the moment as my buyers RICS survey is tomorrow. My EA keeps texting me asking - have I found anywhere yet. Plan B is to up the budget slightly to try to get out of the circle of bidding wars!

That sounds hard @Gunz . Edited to add where are all these cash buyers/FTBs?? That's what I need up my way!

Thanks for the feedback @nonevernotever and @NeverGoingToMove , admit I'm leaning to ditching them. I've spent £300 already with them though and I'm not hopeful I'd get this money back easily. Interesting what you also say @erlinghaalandsmanbun A week turnaround with a new solicitor sounds pretty quick!

They promised action tomorrow, so I'll give them that chance. If nothing has been done by end of play tomorrow I'll ditch them off. All their promises so far have been broken so I'm not hopeful.

Hope everyone is managing to have a not too stressful weekend!

I am downsizing and I looking at houses that FTB will also be interested in. The problem is I have a chain behind me - which isn't very attractive for Vendors when a nice shiny FTB comes along. There's a couple on RM which may work for me - so will ring up about them tomorrow.

So many of us are stuck in the same shitty, shitty situation 🤦‍♀️ Last minute queries (which should have been dealt with months ago!), solicitors who just don’t respond (the result is a life in sodding limbo) and literally no idea what is going to happen next, because it’s beyond our control. I HATE IT 🤬🤬🤬🤬

@HaagenYAAS were in a similar position and equally wondering what the hell we do if it doesn’t all come right this week 🤞 no advice sorry just solidarity for a very sh$t situation

We had our survey report back last week, which flagged loads of things that may be terrifying and may be doable. Solicitor has told me to arrange a builder to give a quote on works, and someone to check the septic tank, and then to ask for a reduction. I'd like to be there with the builder if possible, but I live an hour and a half away so it's a lot of arranging to do! Starting to feel nervy and anxious now. It's such a big move for us, and I'm going from mortgage-free to extremely mortgaged! It's the right thing to do, but I struggle...

You’re all so right - life is stood still, as we don’t know if we are coming or going. I can’t make any plans or do anything until I know for sure.
although I do have to pay for our Christmas holiday in 2 weeks so have applied for a credit card (as apparently it’s safer to pay on a credit card? And for spending abroad). One tiny job done for a life after moving house! Fingers crossed for you all

Yikes, I’d be very careful about taking out any credit as the lender will do another search (I think). Might be worth checking with your solicitor.

Ah I didn’t even think of this! I was immediately approved. I’ll email him now, thank you

It’ll probably be totally fine. It’s likely one of those things that we get warned about but doesn’t have a massive impact unless you’re teetering on the edge of bad credit rating.

@moving300m any news?

We are still in limbo. New Solicitors have had all the paperwork now from our old solicitors so they are now in the process of opening their own file for us and then will crack on and get the adverse possession applications done.

We have asked our buyers if they would be willing to exchange and complete while the applications are still ongoing. They have a meeting with their solicitor tomorrow night to discuss this. We are not hopeful they will. They have been very nervous and very picky buyers so the chances them/and or their solicitor will agree to this is slim. We have said if they are not willing to do that then realistically we can't even begin to look at a forward purchase until LR have agreed to our applications which could be MONTHS! So we are waiting to hear what they think of all that and if they would be willing to wait all that time.

We have literally NOTHING to lose at this stage but to sit in with this sale. Going back on the market we wouldn't be any better off as NOTHING where I live is selling. Market is kaput!

So, once again, we wait!!!

@ErlingHaalandsManBun, once the application is in, your solicitor can request that it's expedited as a sale is relying on it. I had to do this for the house we're in now, and the LR did it in two days.

Would you break the chain to keep the buyer if necessary?

@NoWordForFluffy thanks, our solicitor did mention expediting it but said even doing that it could still take a couple of months, even when expedited, or longer in some cases.

Our chain is literally just our buyers, cash buyers currently in rented accommodation. We lost one onward purchase because of all this title and boundary stuff that needed sorting and our seller was fed up waiting. So we haven't looked at anything else just yet. Been nervous to look too soon in case the buyers solicitors was adamant the applications needed to be approved before we completed. We didn't want to risk another forward sale falling through. I will mention this to our solicitor. I wonder if the LR will give any idea how long it will take once expedited? If they would it would give us a little more confidence viewing and offering on property.

Difficult, isn't it? But if it's 'only' a couple of months, that's about how long you need to undertake the conveyancing on a purchase (assuming no hitch / onward chain). I'd start to look around at least in your shoes.

@NoWordForFluffy It is hard. I think because we lost one house we loved because they wouldn't wait it makes us nervous to offer on something else. But I guess you are right, the sale would have to go through and technically that could take a good few months anyway. I have emailed our solicitor to ask if she has any idea how long it could possibly be once expedited. Just to get some guidance.

Good luck! I hope you can get it resolved sooner rather than later.

Bottom of the chain has now agreed to completion Friday, but we still haven’t exchanged. My solicitor says we are ready but the chain isn’t and it’s likely we will know on Wednesday - my removals are coming Thursday!! I cannot let them pack the house if we haven’t exchanged, but what if exchange happens on Thursday and then my house isn’t packed?! Conversely if my house is packed and then they don’t exchange because someone pulls out?! My whole life is in a van in storage for an unknown time? If that happens I think we will just stay and never move - so traumatic

Our buyers buyer (the house with title plan issue) is going in to see their solicitors tomorrow. That’s all we’ve been told

We’ve bought houses a few times now, and the only time we’ve done this is to sign contracts - am I being too hopeful? Have any of your solicitors ever called you in before to discuss things?

@ErlingHaalandsManBun Nope. Buyers solicitor won’t answer the phone, reply to emails, anything. We are literally just waiting and hoping. Our price negotiation included the condition of what date we complete so hopefully everyone is actually working toward that just not talking to everyone else. My house is 85% packed, kids excited about their new bedrooms, nursery place given up for littlest so right now I’m just hoping and praying this gets sorted ASAP.

I hope you get some answers for how long land registry takes to sort. Someone I know recently got something sorted with land registry and it’s been fast but painful as they returned all the documents based on the wrong wording being used and then confusion over where to send it. But once that was sorted it was signed off quickly. I’d assume your solicitor would know what to write and where to send it so hopefully won’t actually take too long and your solicitor is managing expectations just in case.

I’m so sorry so many of you are in such stressful situations. We are right there with you after our buyers solicitor left the firm and didn’t pass their case on and no one noticed for 4months!!! I just don’t understand how they are so useless when they are paid so much!
Anyway, we are not just finalising enquiries. All quite simple questions all round.
when these are done, what timescale can we hope for? We are a simple chain of FTB- us- empty property. Are we looking at weeks or months still?

Small update from me in that my awful solicitors, who promised I would be given a new case handler today, have not. I asked for an update, was told paperwork was being prepared, I asked how long that would take and was told 'I don't know I'm only admin'. Seriously this firm is a shower of shite.

I've found a couple of local conveyancers and will be ringing them tomorrow morning. Enough is enough.

@junobug if queries are easily answered I would hope to be in by Xmas, if not before. Not sure if that's me being optimistic!

I am feeling so down today. We have only had two viewings since we went back on the market last week and no interest at all this week. The traffic report is showing nobody at all has looked at our details on the ESPC site since last Thursday. (The ESPC catches about 80% of the people looking locally and Rightmove the rest. We're on both plus Zoopla and on the market; I just don't get a report from Rightmove). Not sure if there's anything else I can do now. 😞