Seller gone silent

RS89

Hi there,

We had an offer accepted a while ago, survey threw up a few issues which were discussed and agreed on.

However, since then it's been 2 weeks and we've not heard a word from the sellers. I would guess we are pretty deep into the process at this point - all searches are back and it's just enquiries that need to be finalised.

How long would you wait before you started getting nervy about the lack of updates?

Seanymph

I would have had the estate agent chase them within about a week.

I nag my estate agent mercilessly to keep me up to date on what everyone is up to. I'm paying enough, they need to be facilitating communication.

So, I'd call them today - they are working for the seller, they are the sellers agent, they need to know what the seller is up to. And on this you'll be on the same team because you both want the sale to complete.

kingstreet

What are you expecting the vendor to tell you?

A house transfer is very much a purchase-led transaction with most of the action being on your side. Once the survey is back and you've resolved any issues, you'd normally expect the purchaser's solicitor to be completing any searches and enquiries and then asking the parties to put forward their preferred completion dates.

Your vendor may be thinking exactly the same thing about you.

andy208833

I agree with seanymph, i awlays deal with the sellers estate agent or solicitor to keep things official even if you get on really well with the seller. Best to keep things official and documented.

Yorkie1

andy208833 wrote: »

I agree with seanymph, i awlays deal with the sellers estate agent or solicitor to keep things official even if you get on really well with the seller. Best to keep things official and documented.

For professional ethics reasons, the seller's solicitor is highly unlikely to deal with you direct as you will have your own solicitor.

Good idea to chase the estate agent, though - and your own solicitor.

RS89

kingstreet wrote: »

What are you expecting the vendor to tell you?

A house transfer is very much a purchase-led transaction with most of the action being on your side. Once the survey is back and you've resolved any issues, you'd normally expect the purchaser's solicitor to be completing any searches and enquiries and then asking the parties to put forward their preferred completion dates.

Your vendor may be thinking exactly the same thing about you.

The action is currently on the vendor to respond to my guys enquiries we've actually pretty much done everything else all searches surveys etc all finalised.

Some of the enquiries were quite big, but even so 2 weeks of non-response is a bit much.

I'll chase via the agent and see how it goes.

Yorkie1

Well at least one of those weeks has been half term and a bank holiday; they may have been on holiday.

hcb42

I wouldnt use that as an excuse, you need to be on the communication. The whole world does not take the week on holiday.

Seanymph

What did the estate agents say?

RS89

Seanymph wrote: »

What did the estate agents say?

Emailed them and still no reply. Sols state that they have spoken to vendor and are waiting for their responses - now into 4th week of waiting for a response to enquires.

Very painful.

Personally I think the vendor is stalling; it doesn't take this long to answer simple questions. Am tempted to issue an ultimatum as tired of waiting, but that probably won't get us anywhere!

geoffky

i took us six months to exchange and i never once in that time spoke to my sellers...do you need to speak to them? we did have three viewings at the start which we used to get all the information needed.