FTB loosing control of the whole thing. Advice needed please

gemstars

Hi all. I have a feeling that this is going to turn into a bit of a rant but here goes....

we're almost at the end of the buying process (I hope) our vendors want to complete by the 31st of this month. I'm finding it very had to get anything done at our end. Any questions I ask the EA they're just ignoring, I'm not finding my solicitor very helpful at all and I feel like I don't know what is going on and I've got no control over the situation.

I've tried to arrange another viewing but the vendor was not available at any time over the next 2 weeks but I've kicked up a fuss and now we're going round tonight.

Can anyone suggest anything I might need to know that I can ask tonight as I feel like it's going to be my one and only chance to get any answers.

HELP!

Beardmidget

Have you exchanged contracts yet or is that 'just about to be done'?

I'm not sure what exactly you feel out of control of- Are there some specific problems, or concerns? Do you simply feel like you might be making a mistake?

maninthestreet

You're aiming to complete in 10 days time, but are viewing the property again tonight - what for? Has exchange of contracts taken place? Have you even signed the contract yet?

gemstars

Thanks for the replies. We haven't exchanged yet.

We haven't exchanged yet at our end because I haven't got any buildings insurance sorted (I have no idea if the vendors are ready to exchange), I can't get buildings insurance sorted because I don't know alot of things about the house (e.g. alarm type, door lock type, are their working locks on all windows etc). This information is not in the survey, the EA is not answering when I ask them and the solicitor says it's not part of his job to find them out. We haven't signed any contracts yet. The EA has said they're still waiting on things, when I asked for specifics they said various paperwork.

I've arranged a viewing so that I can speak to the vendors direct so that I can make progress and also so we can check the house is still in the state we expected and do some measuring up etc, I thought it was a good idea to have another viewing near exchange? http://forums.moneysavingexpert.com/showthread.html?t=1816885&highlight=

rs82uk

I know the feeling, we are completely in the dark, nobody is telling us anything we dont know whether to carry on packing or to stop.

maninthestreet

There is no way you are going to complete by the end of this month - nor does it look likely you will be in a position to exchange. Your conversation with the vendor this evening should prove useful to you.

gemstars

Thanks rs82uk. It's comforting to know there's others out there with the same problems.

Can anyone suggest anything I should find out tonight? Ideally I'd like to ask the vendor for their contact details, even just an email address so that we can update each other directly as I feel like it's the people in the middle that are holding everything up. Is this a common request?

My partner and I are living with parents and ready to move anytime. We've got our full mortgage sorted, the survey's done and come back with no problems. There was a couple of queries on the F and F list which I've reported to the solicitor but I might put vendors tonight. I know what I need to find out for the buildings insurance and I know who the vendors energy suppliers are.

Anything else I need to know? I might give the solicitors and the EA a call before the viewing to find out exactly what stage they're at.

gemstars

maninthestreet wrote: »

There is no way you are going to complete by the end of this month - nor does it look likely you will be in a position to exchange. Your conversation with the vendor this evening should prove useful to you.

Thanks for your reply.

Why do you think we'll not be in a position to exchange or complete? What still needs to be done do you think that would take up the next 10 days? I'm completely new to all this so your advice is appreciated

Doozergirl

maninthestreet wrote: »

There is no way you are going to complete by the end of this month - nor does it look likely you will be in a position to exchange. Your conversation with the vendor this evening should prove useful to you.

What information do you have that the rest of us don't in order to make that statement please?

Doozergirl

gemstars wrote: »

Hi all. I have a feeling that this is going to turn into a bit of a rant but here goes....

we're almost at the end of the buying process (I hope) our vendors want to complete by the 31st of this month. I'm finding it very had to get anything done at our end. Any questions I ask the EA they're just ignoring, I'm not finding my solicitor very helpful at all and I feel like I don't know what is going on and I've got no control over the situation.

I've tried to arrange another viewing but the vendor was not available at any time over the next 2 weeks but I've kicked up a fuss and now we're going round tonight.

Can anyone suggest anything I might need to know that I can ask tonight as I feel like it's going to be my one and only chance to get any answers.

HELP!

Ok, how many people are in your chain - is it just you and your vendors?

I wouldn't bother with the EA unless you have a specific issue with the vendors that you can't resolve - they only make the same calls that you do to solicitors etc.

Do you have your formal mortgage offer yet?

If you speak to your solicitor, what you must get is a list of what is outstanding before you will be in a position to exchange. Then ask what you can do, if anything to speed that up.

That way, although you don't have control (you never do!), you will have an idea of where you are and any subsequent conversations with your solicitor can be based around that and getting that list down to zero.

If you can get that call in today then when you see your vendors this evening , you will know if there is anything currently outstanding from their side and you can get them to encourage their solicitor to produce that.

If you have a relationship where you feel you can talk directly with the vendors, it will help to be able to do that as you can both help jolly things along when one solicitor is waiting for something from the other.

queenieplum

Hi - I think its best to communicate through your solicitors rather than directly to each other as thats what you are paying them to do rather than taking it on yourself. If I was you - I would go into the office of the EA and Solicitor and talk face to face rather than maybe wait for a returned phone call.

Wishing you the best of luck with this.