Is this normal????

bluelad

Hi all!
Just a bit of advice needed please! I'm a first time buyer and had my offer accepted on a house. The vendors have expressed a desire to exchange before xmas and on Friday I recieved a load of paperwork from my conveyancer. On the letter from my conveyancer, it asks me to read through the documents and to return them to the office with the deposit. The documents include the Land registry, Land transaction returns, Contract, Deed of legal charge etc. Obviously i'm reading them all, but half of it doesnt make sense to me (all the technical terms etc).
I rang my conveyancer to express my worries that i dont understand half of it and questioned whether someone was meant to go through it with me before I commit myself to something by signing. Was told I'd get a call back....nothing yet!

Just wondered whether it was 'normal' to sign these docs at home and send them back or whether people have actually been to their conveyancers' offices to read and sign them?

Hope someone can shed a little light...this is all so new to me!!
Thanks!

delmar39

For exactly the reasons you point out i.e. not understanding the documents, the normal procedure would be for you to go to the office. That's what I did when I exchanged contracts and then finally completed. The service you're getting doesn't sound great to be honest and at such a crucial stage of the process you need someone in front of you to answer questions. I guess at this time of year solicitors are busy and will do anything to minimise workload....! We're currently selling our house and I know that our solicitor, whilst staying in contact with us, is stacked out. Hope you get it sorted...

I,_Geek

My solicitor sent contracts out in the post, but my husband had to go into the office to sign them because they'd gone missing. It's been 2 weeks since she posted them and they still haven't shown up :rolleyes: .

Milliewilly

My solicitor is very quick and sends papers out next day to be signed as part of the process of the sale so they are all ready in good time.

Exchanging however is a different matter - you are obliged to complete the sale once you have exchanged or forefeit your deposit (have you got the deposit?) and possiibly be sued for costs by the vendor if you don't complete.

Do not get pressured into doing anything you don't want to. Get clarification from your conveyancer. It will be a very quick exchange if it gets done by Thursday.

bluelad

Have got the deposit, sitting there waiting! Thought it wasn't right, but am wondering whether they assumed we would just follow their lead (being first time buyers etc). Just found it all a bit strange! I think I will go in and see them then, they even asked me not to date the documents - sign only??? Sounds so so strange to me!!

I,_Geek

My husband signed documents a week ago last Thursday and hasn't had to sign anything since. But exchange won't happen till tomorrow. My solicitor said they would verbally exchange over the phone and then physically exchange the papers in the post.

iamana1ias

bluelad wrote: »

they even asked me not to date the documents - sign only??? Sounds so so strange to me!!

That's completely normal. They add the date when the exchange happens.

Milliewilly

iamana1ias wrote: »

That's completely normal. They add the date when the exchange happens.

Yes quite normal, you sign all the paperwork & take in proof of ID etc. I had a mega panic the first time I bought a house thinking that as I had signed the contract that was it (we hadn't exchanged and a few issues came to light).

bluelad

I think the fact that it's all near Xmas is messing it all up a bit. Have been told completion will be march, but obviously I need to arrange my house insurance to start when exchange takes place - only prob will be relevant parties (insurance companies) will be closing over Xmas I imagine! Thank you so much though folks...really helps having some extra advice/support during this puzzling time!!

Milliewilly

bluelad wrote: »

I think the fact that it's all near Xmas is messing it all up a bit. Have been told completion will be march, but obviously I need to arrange my house insurance to start when exchange takes place - only prob will be relevant parties (insurance companies) will be closing over Xmas I imagine! Thank you so much though folks...really helps having some extra advice/support during this puzzling time!!

!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! I would be more alarmed at 3 months between exchange and completion that's too long.

bluelad

Yeah, well we knew the completion would be March, the current owners get their new house in the 1st week of march. We dont mind so much...living with parents so we're not in a rush to move...plus the house needs a lot of work so we're quite glad we've got the extra time to save the additional funding for works!