Completion last week - but now onto purchase

goldbyron

I completed on my house sale last week as planned after 6 months of hell. I was so glad and shocked that I had to call my solicitor twice to make sure - slightly neurotic I know! Anyway that is the major stress off my back.

Now I am part way through my purchase - survey done, mortgage offer done, searches done. Yes the easy part is out of the way and now come the dreaded legal enquiries that always hold things up. My vendor (who is my partners neighbour) and myself agreed to a sale price at the end of July. He said they could go as fast or as slow as I liked. They said they wouldn't look for a property until we were nearly ready to exchange and they would vacate. So obviously they started looking the same week! They have somewhere and back in Sept they told me it was okay to go slow as they are in a chain. In the last couple of weeks they want to move out and chain break and now want to speed things up. Okay.

However my usually trusty solicitor is being soooooo slow. He promised to have the report and enquiries out 2 weeks ago, then last week...but still nothing. In a tricky position as my sol is practically a family member (known me since a baby) and my vendor is practically a neighbour/friend. This is good as communication is very open and reassuring however I am stuck between them a little. I last spoke to sol on Thurs but should I bug him again tomorrow morning about getting these damn enquiries out? I am hoping this shouldn't take more than 3-4 weeks but hey things don't always run smooth. I suppose I should be grateful I am the bottom of the chain now!

pawpurrs

Good luck with it all, I would just be honest and tell sol you dont want to lose house, can he pick up the pace *in the nicest possible way*

Entertainer

If I was doing this for you, you'd be in by the end of this week.

It seems a straightforward transaction- you've got your mortgage, survey, searches- there really is no need for any more delay. Being a friend of the solicitor makes it hard for you to get too animated, you're right about that. At least you are a "cash" buyer now.

loujay_2

Sorry to butt in on your post but Im in the process of selling too and up to the searches stage. Can I ask what are the legal enquiries?

goldbyron

They can be anything - flats are usually more tedious and queries relating to the lease/freeholder. But they can also include queries relating to what the searches dig up, previous planning permissions etc. Also enquiries could relate to what the survey finds - for example evidence of subsidence. These can be simple matters or they can make a smooth transaction arduous and painful! Depends on how quick both sides are....in my case my solicitor is being very slow and ignoring my e-mails today.

Mrs_Optimist

I assume you are paying the solicitor for undertaking the conveyancing - family friend or not? If so then you are a client and should not have to chase to get the deal done and dusted. Ring every day until he pulls his finger out - he should be the one feeling awkward, not you!!

goldbyron

thanks - that is exactly what my partner said tonight. Am going to think how to phrase it diplomatically.