To those BUYING in these difficult times....

dizziblonde

Yeah in the end we exchanged and completed the same day. Wasn't planned like that - we'd been pushing to exchange last week but the vendor's solicitors weren't bothering to pass on messages and generally giving us the run around so we had to wait. Thankfully our solicitors had pushed the mortgage funds request through once everything was ready to go anyway. Taken a heck of a lot of chasing by the estate agents to get the vendor to push from his end to get his solicitors into action to be honest.

Know what you mean about the lack of sleep though - it's been really really grinding us down. So the in-laws arrive to help us decorate and refurb mid-next week, I'm gradually moving boxes across anyway until then and hubby's off from the middle of next week to do the move proper. So still kind of in limbo - considering attempting to paint the kitchen cupboards today (they're hideous 1980s beige) just to get something accomplished - but at least now the control is back in our hands.

Today the hydrangea which has annoyed me in our street for the last 2 years (we rent 3 doors down from where we now own) meets its end muahahahahahha

nell53

Well done dizziblonde. I felt your pain and frustration in your emails. Enjoy your new home.

Grimbal

Yay Dizzi, so pleased that it finally seems to have worked out. It's been a long old slog hasn't it? !

LilacPixie

WooHoo Dizzi. Could the budget stretch to new kitchen cupboard doors?? Might be a livible compromise

question for everyones plans. When you get keys do you plan on changing the locks?? House we are buying has been 'home' to 6 adults so 6 sets of keys and I am just a bit concerned about the saftey aspect. Any idea of the cost??

xtra_time

LilacPixie wrote: »

WooHoo Dizzi. Could the budget stretch to new kitchen cupboard doors?? Might be a livible compromise

question for everyones plans. When you get keys do you plan on changing the locks?? House we are buying has been 'home' to 6 adults so 6 sets of keys and I am just a bit concerned about the saftey aspect. Any idea of the cost??

If we ever get into our home then yes we will change the keys as it was rented out before they sold so anyone could have keys.

Doshwaster

LilacPixie wrote: »

WooHoo Dizzi. Could the budget stretch to new kitchen cupboard doors?? Might be a livible compromise

question for everyones plans. When you get keys do you plan on changing the locks?? House we are buying has been 'home' to 6 adults so 6 sets of keys and I am just a bit concerned about the saftey aspect. Any idea of the cost??

I would certainly recommend changing the locks. You just never know what "friends" of the previous owner may have a spare set of keys.

sonastin

I definitely need to change the locks. The repo company have already done it once but I noticed on the last viewing that they were 3-lever mortice locks & insurance companies want at least 5-lever so it needs doing from an insurance perspective if not a security one!

I'm pretty certain its not necessary for security though - the garage has had no door on it for the last 10 months while the property has been up for sale and no one has touched the old boiler or the miles of copper pipe that wind their way around the garage walls. In the area I've left behind, you only needed to leave the garage unlocked while you went in for a cup of tea and those things would be down the road!

redstararnie76

Congratulations Dizzi!!!!!
Still waiting here... done everything we can and are ready to exchange and have been since last week, but being messed around by the top of the chain. I really thought we would be in with plenty of time to unpack while I'm off work, but I'm due back from maternity leave after Christmas and with our luck we won't have completed until then .

goldbyron

Well this morning has been eventful. I sat here trying to work until 10.30am then popped out to the bank and post office. Suddenly our sol sends the contract to my partner to sign and send back whilst confirming the top of the chain is ready to exchange. So I drove over to my partners place of work - got the signed copy - drove home, scanned and e-mailed it back to our sol. At that same minute the buyer e-mailed to say (she is an absolute miracle worker) that she has also received her report and scanned it back to her sol. Her sol now says they are ready to exchange....today....right now.... I am absolutely bricking it....Four solicitors to ring each in the space of five hours. Not sure if there is a joke about that...but right now I am almost hysterical! As for locks - yes I would change at least the yale...

Will keep you posted on the delivery of my exchange....I am going to put on the kettle while I fret.

emilia15

Lots of exchanges and completions going on - congrats and good luck to all!

We had an eventful day yesterday - our buyers and the people we're buying from both came to us with preferred dates of exchange and completion (mid-December). Suits us fine!

I've put it in writing (via e-mail) to our sols that this is how we'd like to proceed, everyone in the chain is in agreement, and both other sets of sols are aware and agreed, and asking if our sols are on board too (although we know of no reason why not, they've been announcing that our purchase is ready to go easily before Christmas).

Guess what response we've had from them? Nothing! So I'll be ringing them this afternoon, just to clarify that they are at least in agreement with the dates.

I've found them so hard to pin down for definite answers throughout the whole process - all I get back as a response is either silence or a riddle. And I don't think I'm asking any particularly difficult questions at this stage - or am I?