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?

@thismusthappen Our surveyor suggested an electrical check. Our vendors were very proactive. Electrician said a new consumer box was needed. They paid for the check we went halves on the box.

Not many have a level 3 survey, usually for very old houses or unusual structures.

Is there a different thread for 'trying to get my house ready to go on the market (since last summer!)' or may I join this one?
Apologies if I'm in the wrong place. Unfortunately I can only make real progress during school holidays and family bereavement has thrown my timetable. My original plan was to be ready over Christmas and go on the market early this year.

@ModeratelyDepressedSelf I imagine you might find like spirited people here! I lurked for a while before speaking up once ours was ready to list, feel like I gleaned a lot

There’s also this one that I think a few of us are / have been on!

Anyone putting their home on the market…

I think basically if you're house is going to go or is on the market then this is fine 😆

We personally haven't had an electrical check on our house and if the buyers asked we would probably decline. The house is only 12 years old though but I think they recommend every 10 years. For older properties I can imagine people would want it.

Our solicitor said roughly 6-8 weeks to exchange from the point at which the solicitor has the contract. Depends how good everyone is on the paperwork and enquiries.

We have a 4 and 2 year old and I think I'm going to pack myself to keep costs down...might regret saying that! But I do kinda like that kind of thing normally. I must have done 2-3 declutters of the house since we decided to sell, where does all the stuff come from!

@ModeratelyDepressedSelf all entering the house buying/selling hellscape are welcome, no matter which stage you're at.

We didn't have an electrical safety cert as our consumer unit was only replaced last year but we did have to fork out for a gas safety cert. We had a flexible hose between the gas outlet and hob which the engineer had to replace. Said it was Beko's fault, I just nodded along and didn't mention it was my dad who installed it 😅

@NeverGoingToMove did you have some sort of sign off for the new unit? If we have had the boiler serviced every year would we need a gas safety cert?

After having our previous chain collapse at the point of exchange, I just can’t shake the anxiety that something is going to go wrong!

@thismusthappen it was signed off by building regs yes. Don't worry about the gas safety cert, we ended up doing a part exchange on a new build and it was a requirement for the developer, not standard afaik.

We have exchanged today! Moving day is next week. No going back now. It’s exciting but terrifying at the same time.
Our lives are in boxes. Lots of things are in our daughter’s garage too as we are moving very near to her.
Just wanted to share.
Good luck everyone.

I haven't been on for a few days. Congrats @24Dogcuddler! We also exchanged yesterday, at long last. What day are you moving?

Hope everyone here is progressing a bit! A heads up regarding removals... we got three quotes a couple of weeks ago. Dismissed one, and got back to the other two yesterday as we'd now exchanged. Our completion date is this Monday. Both firms then sprung on us that as we have a larger house/more stuff, they won't be able to do the move in one day. They therefore need to come on Friday morning (as in two days time!), and take the majority of our things. Then come back for the 'essentials' (beds, tv, sofa) at 8am Monday morning.
So, we've effectively lost two days of packing up time, and it's been complete panic stations here!

So, worth asking if you have a four bed house or bigger if the move will be done over more than one day.

@soovermoving Oh gosh that’s a shock re the removal.
Wednesday is our day. Downsizing from a big detached family home but actually leaving lots of the bigger furniture for our FTBs including a bespoke L shaped leather sofa.
DH taking a week off work and we are well on with everything. Apparently removal firm will come at 9 and aim to finish for 1! It’s £90 an hour extra after that.

Glad some of you have exchanged, not long now for you!

We are awaiting the pack/contract for us to sign from our solicitor. Our buyers have signed theirs and are returning it this week, so I am hopeful we should exchange soon.

We exchanged last Friday and we complete tomorrow (hopefully!) so we’re living in box city right now. We are doing the move ourselves with multiple trips in my DP’s work van. If we can’t fit the bed and sofa, we’ll have to hire something bigger for 24 hours. Luckily we are leaving a rental property which we still have until the end of the month so there’s no rush.

All these exchanges leave me with hope of a move happening! Surveys done for our chain this week so hopefully after next week there might be some progress communicated?!?

We got told today that a vendor higher up the chain is abroad all of September so they want to complete by end of August. Whilst we have had all searches back, our mortgage offer and today received contract report, we don't have our survey booked until 28th July. Is this a realistic timeframe? I'm scared that we're going to be the ones slowing everything down but we booked it weeks ago and it was the earliest the surveyor could do. It feels like everything is being done in the wrong order, but the survey round here seems to be limiting factor on delays. Is there anything else we need to be doing to not be a problem?

I'm really hoping nothing comes up on the survey 😬

@LillethCrane hope it goes well for you moving. Does sound rather stressful getting everything out.

@Stumblingalongthroughlife I think it is possible but will need quick movement. We didn't get our survey report until a week after it was done and then we probably spent a few days going through it and sending queries. We did have some bits we needed the vendor to do so that took around week to sort or top of that. I think you would need to hope everything is ok and people involved reply quickly.

Our buyers are doing everything in such an odd order. They said survey was ok and they have signed docs to return to the solicitor tomorrow. And now we've been sent a list of enquiries following the survey. Just seems such an odd order. Nothing major - they say the survey mentions low water pressure through the whole house, we are so surprised about upstairs. We have never had an issue and it flows well. Downstairs is low but still works and never bothered us. So going back with responses this evening, hopefully one step closer!

@Stumblingalongthroughlife
I’d check with your Estate agent and solicitor about timescales and the survey. Our surveyor was excellent ( one man firm) gave verbal feedback on the day and the full report a couple of days later. Vendors were then very proactive with the few minor things picked up and paid to sort them.
Are there no other surveyors available any sooner? EA may know.

@Stumblingalongthroughlifeour surveyor offered a service where they guarantee to get the report sent in 48 hours. Not sure if all offer this but might be an option?

Can I join? We accepted an offer mid June and the chain is closed - our vendors are buying a new build - I have no idea how long things take but I’m finding the not knowing/having no control over the process very frustrating. We are porting the mortgage with no extra borrowing so our mortgage offer was sorted very quickly, searches have been sent for and surveyor attended yesterday. Our buyers solicitors haven’t raised any enquiries yet but the draft pack went over 2 weeks ago. I’m trying to be patient and calm - we sold previously but the buyer pulled out for personal reasons …and I’m hoping we will move well before Christmas…

Yeah, I'll ask if that's possible. If states that it will be within 5 working days, but might see if sooner is possible if anyone starts kicking up a fuss.

We had told the EA about the date and they said we'd done well to get it so soon (others not until August). I think it's just because the market is so hot here, I guess all the local firms are really booked up

I’ve had 4 removals quotes now and all have said they will need to arrive at least the day before to begin loading non-essentials! I’m surprised they only mentioned it to you this late in the game really. We’re hoping to arrange completion for a Wednesday/Thursday to allow for this.

I’m getting really frustrated with how long everything takes. We had our mortgage porting appointment last Tuesday. I finally got the mortgage illustration by email last night and still waiting to receive the actual application pack so that we can sign and return before the valuation will even be organised. The lender has advised the minimum valuation they need to be able to lend is only 9K below our accepted offer price which is still 28K over the original asking so I’m nervous.

It’s a bank holiday weekend here and traditionally a lot of businesses take 2 weeks off. Thankfully my solicitor is still working but we have still not had a single piece of correspondence from the vendor’s solicitor almost 4 weeks on from offer accepted. My dreams of an August completion are definitely out the window.

We are picking up our contract/pack this afternoon, so hopefully can review and sign over the weekend. We are just waiting on a final viewing of the property because it is empty and want to check water/gas next week and will then hand in and exchange. Our buyers have signed and returned everything today.

Our solicitor has suggested a completion date of end of July/beginning of August, which would be great for us as that's the last week before things get crazy busy for August/September with my work. Fingers crossed! That is only 3 weeks away so I feel like we need to get organised now and start to pack a few things. Feels like not much happens and then suddenly it's all go!

Our buyer asked some questions for getting an insurance quote for the property. I had totally forgotten about this. It's from exchange isn't it? We need to sort that.

@Hermioninny fingers crossed for your mortgage and I hope you aren't waiting too long on it. Do you have an estate agent involved? If I was you I would try and get the EA to also chase the vendors solicitor if that's a thing where you are. I think ours has only taken so little time because I have been getting updates from the solicitor and then pushing back on the estate agent to sort things.

Yes I’ve had the estate agent chasing too! It’s the same agent selling their house, ours and our buyers house so they’re well invested in the chain succeeding. I’m beginning to worry the vendor hasn’t been totally honest about probate and that’s why nothing has happened but maybe I’m just cynical.

And yes our mortgage documentation states building insurance is required from the point of exchange! Our house insurance is actually up in August so I’m hoping there won’t be much overlap.

@Hermioninny it's so trusting isn't it because anyone in the chain can string you along for a fair time before you would fine out. Even the EA is just going on what people tell them.

We've got a suggested completion date of 31 July now which would be great and easier being last day of the month. Our buyer has agreed, they've just got to wait for our vendor to agree but can't see why they wouldn't when the house is empty.

@NeverGoingToMove ahhhhh so chuffed you have finally moved! We are still going, almost a year since we first listed our house and it’s to put it politely, a ducking shit show. We are in a chain of 5 almost 12 weeks in and it’s impossible to get a straight answer out of anyone. We are ready and so is our buyer, we were told the bottom were but now our estate agent said they have enquiries outstanding. It baffles me how hard it is to get updates from anyone, we’ve asked for an exchange date and no one has got back to us so it’s all a bit mind numbing now and I do not trust the process at all. Drives me mad how you can go through all this and end up with nothing!