How long between exchange and completion?

Richard_Webster

We were originally given the expected completion date

Who produced these dates and on what basis? Some estate agents automatically put in dates just to push people along but without regard to what is actually happening and what needs to be done and the position of others in any chain.

Really you shouldn't give in notice without an exchange of contracts. if you feel you must do this then you should carry out as much research as you can and particularly ask your solicitors to explain what is known and what is not known.

Rumours from an estate agent like "the people at the top of the chain want the 28th..." should never be relied on. Why do they want the 28th and is it even achievable for them?

Even worse is "everybody has agreed the 28th...". I ring buyer's solicitors and they tell me their client hasn't mentioned it and it is totally unrealistic. So if other people suggest/agree dates they must be told to go away and check with their solicitors who may say it is feasible or may say that provided certain things happen by X date, Y date should be feasible. This other person in chain can forget the provisos and happily tell everyone Y date is feasible. So they have be asked if there were any conditions on what their solicitor said. The more checks you and your solicitors do and the more thoroughly they check the more reliable the information will be.

In the end there is always a risk in giving notice on rented if there is no exchange. One of the people in a chain may pull out for some disconnected personal reason such as the death or serious illness of a family member.

wildbreed100

I keep reading on these threads about people having a lot of communication with solicitors, vendors, sellers solicitors etc. A lot of people need questions answered etc. So far my solicitor has not requested anything from me (other than the id / deposid paperwork at start). I am wondering if I am missing something and I should be asking questions which I am not. The survey came back with nothing bad. The house was valued at offer and there was the generic disclaimer line that the house would need maintenance over time (or something like that). What should I be requesting from / telling my solicitor, or the EA / vendors ?. It has been 10 weeks since offer accepted. I'm a FTB.

princess_loki

when i was a first time buyer it took 5 weeks from offer to getting keys (no chain at all).

when i bought the house i am in now it took 5 weeks and 4 days from offer to getting keys. i had no chain and the sellers were ready as a previous offer had fallen through.

my solicitor was excellent - she had sorted out everything to do with splitting from my ex and the only communication i had with her about the new house was by e-mail and me signing documents and posting back through their letterbox.

both times when i made offers on houses i started packing immediately - all my friends said i was crazy and it could take weeks - think i have been very lucky!