To those selling in these difficult times Part Deux. AKA sellers support network!

sonastin

azkaban420 wrote: »

Hugs to everyone...I'm also at the unsure stage of my sale...solicitor has heard nothing back since he sent the letter of 'exhcnage by Friday or we pull out'. Just sums up the sense of urgency down the chain really. We may end up going back on the market on Friday, something I'm just not wanting/looking forward to.

Az

You can betcha if you do end up back on the market that they'll come beating down your door crying "what are you doing? I thought we had a deal. There's nothing we can do it - its our buyers" etc etc - as though you haven't given them enough warning already!

Best of luck - I really hope it doesn't come to that for you

not_loaded

BornAtTheRightTime wrote: »

Well our buyers have finally pulled out, citing my email last night as the reason and claiming they were ready to exchange today and complete on the 14th. However our solicitor knew nothing about this and it is my strong belief they simply couldn't raise the funds...

Your email is fine in the circumstances. They were clearly time wasting idiots. No way would exchange occur when your solicitor did not have the information to hand. It’s complete BS on the part of your pretend buyer.

We’ve had pretty much the same thing at the bottom of our chain and the FTBers kept up the pretence for weeks, wasting everybody’s time and stressing us all out. I can’t imagine what these idiots are thinking. In part I blame their solicitors for not obtaining the correct confirmation on their situation. They bother to check ID and things like that, but apparently when two young people turn up and say certain things about a huge financial commitment they just believe them. I suppose the solicitors don’t care at the end of the day as they get paid whether it all falls apart or not.

I have two sales running at the moment, and although our EA and sol are fine, they are stumped by the inadequacies of the other sols and EAs. Our buyer’s sol for example has blatantly lied twice now about simple enquiries from our sol. Lying and deceiving just seem to come so naturally to them I think they see nothing wrong with it. They have the house buying public precisely where they want them, and have no compunction about their atrocious behaviour and how it affects people’s lives.

FTBers clearly need their hands held throughout the process, and for the money we deserve much better from these so-called professionals.

kittie wrote: »

we were left in doubt for a whole week. We had exchanged but no-one bothered to tell us. Then completion came and went and we had to keep ringing the solicitor and EA…

sonastin wrote: »

...I'm in the very surreal situation of having no idea if I have sold my house at all. I'm 90% sure that it has gone... on the basis that if there had been something to stop completion, someone would have told me. But no one has actually said "yes your completion did happen as planned on Thursday and the money is with your solicitor".

These posts prove my point many times over. They just do not care. I presume business is booming for these ‘professionals’, as they clearly won’t be getting recommendations from satisfied customers.

I hope there’s a very special sort of Hell for solicitors and estate agents who exploit people like this.

goldbyron

sonastin wrote: »

It soundsl like the group rollercoaster is having a bit of a dip again - a couple of weeks ago we were full of good news and cheer but at the moment its back to trouble and tales of woe again.

I'm in the very surreal situation of having no idea if I have sold my house at all. I'm 90% sure that it has gone... on the basis that if there had been something to stop completion, someone would have told me. But no one has actually said "yes your completion did happen as planned on Thursday and the money is with your solicitor".

I expected to get a call sometime mid-Thursday afternoon to say that completion had happened, but heard nothing. On Friday, my mobile was playing up (the "call" button seemed to be cross-wired with the "off" button!) but I got an e-mail from my solicitor regarding my purchase. I replied to that with a couple of questions, one being "did the sale complete OK?". No answer. I got back to civilisation and landlines on Monday and called the solicitor - he's on holiday again (3rd time since I started trying to buy this house!) but left message for his secretary to call me back. Heard nothing from secretary so called the EA. Asked "did it complete OK on thursday? coz I haven't heard from my sol that he's got the money so I've been left wondering and just wanted to know" "Oh yeah, xxxx wouldn't release the keys unless she'd heard from your sol that the money had transferred". But she never actually said "xxx released the keys" - first bit of "I'm sure they would know and tell me if it hadn't happened but still..." doubts.

Tuesday, finally get to speak to solicitors secretary- "I want to know that completion happened OK and what happens to the money now" "it'll stay in our client account until we get your purchase sorted". But no "it is in our account now and it will stay there". second bit of doubt creeping in...

Tuesday evening stopped by to drop off OH's spare key coz he still had one. No change to house since I left. No sign of life. Chatted to neighbours who were outside their houses. They hadn't seen the buyer. And she'd been mad keen to get in and "disappointed" when I asked for completion to move from monday to thursday when we exchanged. so she'd had a whole weekend to start moving in but no sign that she had. Starting to wonder whether she even owns the place yet...

Its all very surreal - the more I look for reassurance that completion happened, the more I find reasons to question it. And I'm sure it must have gone through because why wouldn't it, and if it didn't someone would have communicated it to me. But until I get that bleedin' completion statement off my solicitor (which will probably have to wait till he gets back because his secretary gave a dozen excuses why she couldn't do it), I'm gonna still be in a bit of limbo

Still better than still looking for a buyer so good luck to everyone out there and sorry for my moan

Have you rung the estate agent? They will know if it completed as they will want their commission....

goldbyron

kittie wrote: »

we were left in doubt for a whole week. We had exchanged but no-one bothered to tell us. Then completion came and went and we had to keep ringing the solicitor and EA. The money did go into our account on completion day but only in the afternoon. What a whole load of stress!!!! I really feel for those of you waiting to sell, it is an absolute nightmare

I can't believe no one told you it had exchanged! I thought your sol has to ring you just prior to get the go ahead even if you have spent weeks saying 'just get it exchanged!'. Well that was me anyway! LOL.

sonastin

goldbyron wrote: »

Have you rung the estate agent? They will know if it completed as they will want their commission....

One of the things I liked about this EA is that everyone has their own role so you know who to speak to - viewings and or feedback ask A, where's my sol up to or has the buyer had her survey done ask B, when's the for sale board going up or can you change the RM ad ask C, etc. They can all look things up on the computer and they all talk to each other in the office so they all have a good idea but if you have a specific query, you don't get passed all around the houses (so to speak), just transferred to the person who will answer the question.

Trouble is that the "have I sold" call was answered by the person who conducts the viewings, after the person who deals with completion had finished for the day. Her response was "xxx wouldn't release the keys unless she'd heard from your sol". I feel silly calling back now and asking to speak to xxx and asking "did you release the keys" because they've been so efficient with everything else so surely they would have told me if they hadn't!

Oh, and my sol has already received their bill for their fees (due on exchange, payable after completion I think) so he'll be paying them from the proceeds of the sale IF he's got any proceeds :rotfl:

paul97_2

Hi All,

Have just put house on market, but after viewing your posts I am now wondering if I have wasted my time?

I did take into account the market etc. and have priced reasonably, but need to move back nearer family as a bit sick of driving up and down every weekend for family commitments.

It's only been on a few days, so hopefully we might see some action after the bank holiday weekend.

tyllwyd

paul97 wrote: »

Have just put house on market, but after viewing your posts I am now wondering if I have wasted my time? ...

Well, it's too early to say really - its a tough market, but houses are selling - it depends a lot on your house, the price bracket it is in, the situation in your local area. I wouldn't expect a huge flood of people banging down your door, but you only need one serious buyer if you are going to sell. So don't get too stressed about it, wait and see what happens.

azkaban420

sonastin wrote: »

Oh, and my sol has already received their bill for their fees (due on exchange, payable after completion I think) so he'll be paying them from the proceeds of the sale IF he's got any proceeds :rotfl:

Nothing is every easy is it, the problem is when this process takes so long and drains you of all enthusiasm, it's difficult to get excited about exchange/completion unless someone confirms it 100%!!

paul97 wrote: »

Hi All,

Have just put house on market, but after viewing your posts I am now wondering if I have wasted my time?

I did take into account the market etc. and have priced reasonably, but need to move back nearer family as a bit sick of driving up and down every weekend for family commitments.

It's only been on a few days, so hopefully we might see some action after the bank holiday weekend.

Paul, don't lose heart, despite the (mosly as it may seem) doom and gloom on this thread, we do get there in the end...try to remain positive. If you've learnt anything from this thread, that will help you in closing your deal when the time comes...fingers crossed for you


Update from me is that I've had a long chat with my EA and have been told that the proof of funds/deposit the FTB at the bottom of the chain had to provide has now been sent (as the EA involved further down the chain has faxed all this over herself). So now, provided nothing else is requested, they're just waiting for the bank/mortgage co to approve the mortgage and release funds. I doubt we will still be on track for tomorrow, but I do think that the 'ultimatum' letter my sol sent has triggered some paper-shuffling and work!

I've emailed my solicitor to find out if this is all truly happening, and I know deadlines are only as good as the people who stick by them, but as long as I know we're 'almost there' I'm happy to hang on for another week or so.

Leaving it in the lap of God now, so fingers crossed something positive will come out of it rather than another depressed, ranty post from me lol.

Good luck to everyone else who needs some....

Az

sonastin

Good luck Az - at least its moving in the right direction again, even if they are still just baby steps!

Paul - the trick in this market is definitely patience. A zen-like calm while waiting for others to do what they are supposed to and the occasional rant back here when it all gets to much seems to be the way most of us are getting / have gotten through it. Oh, and chocolate / alcohol / insert comforter of choice here!

tiny_tear

Just been told someone wants a second viewing on Saturday... fingers crossed and all that...

I viewed the flat I am in last year on August Bank Holiday Saturday, hope it will bring me luck...