The race to be in your new house for 2007 [Winter/Spring]

kittykirsty

Hey all, been lurking reading this thread for a while now, good luck to everyone else waiting to move, hope it's not too long for all of you now.

My OH and I went to look at a new-build 2 bedroomed flat in September sometime (don't have exact dates of all of this cos i'm at work just now). We loved it so much we put in an offer the next day, subject to survey (we're in Scotland btw). It was fixed price so we thought we should move fast even though we didn't have a mortgage in place at the time.

The estate agent recommended a mortgage advisor who's quick advise was that we could get a mortgage for that amount, maybe even an 100% mortgage which is what we'd really need. The advisor then asked if we had a solicitor to put the offer in for us, i said not yet and he recommended one.

The solicitor phoned me about 1/2 hour later, took some details and then put through the offer, this was on a Friday. All good, got the verbal acceptance of offer on the Monday i think, and then it was time to try and sort out a mortgage.

The IFA didn't give us any recommendations for 100% mortgages, so we decided we could do better ourselves. First people (not naming any names) said "maybe", and then "yes", and then said "sorry but we made a mistake, you're not earning enough" (OH was on part time contract at the time so his salary is not taken into account by some providers). Next people said "probably" and then sent out the documentation saying they could only give us 95%. Final people, and i will mention them cos they're great, Yorkshire Building Society, sent it away to be approved by head office, heard a couple of days later we'd been approved, and a couple of days after that we had the offer. Fantastic service!

So, that all took a couple of weeks, survey came back no problem apart from they couldn't spell our address or the name of the property developers who are selling the flat! Meanwhile we didn't want to do anything about the fact that we didn't have a written acceptance of offer, until we got it in writing that we had a mortgage. Once we had this, i tried for ages to get a hold of my solicitor. She was always out or on another call. Eventually we got hold of her, and she said she'd find out what the problem was.

We got a letter through describing a 'dispute'. Basically our block of flats shares parking with another, and when ours was build they had to rearrange the parking as there wasn't enough maneouverability. They couldn't formally accept our offer until all the current owners of flats in the other block had signed papers allowing these changes to be made to the plans that go with their deeds. However, it was all in legalese, so we decided to call the seller straight to explain this to us as our solicitor hadn't a clue what was going on. We got the explanation along with "it should only take about 2 weeks to do". Then phoned our solicitor back and told her the info that she should have found out for us.

We waited, phoned her back, no update. But they had been sent the land registry documents needed for conveyencing so they were making a start on that. Got the forms through and had a few issues with it. Phoned the solicitor, couldn't get a hold of her after trying every day for about 2 weeks (we weren't too bothered about the delays at this point as it meant we were saving up more money in the meantime). Tried phoning the developers direct again to answer our questions, different guy directed us to their solicitor as they had all the information. Solicitor wouldn't talk to us direct, had to use our solicitor. Felt like telling her that would be fine if we could actually get in contact with our solicitor. Called solicitor, no answer, asked receptionist for email address. Wrote very detailed email, got reply next day that she would follow up. Got reply from developers week after (into December now). Apologies for lateness, but there were holdups getting the document that everyone in the block would sign, so they couldn't tell us how long it would take.

Got another letter after Christmas saying they were still waiting for 3 signatures to the document and would be trying to collect those in early January. Emailed solicitor on Tuesday asking about progress, reply on Tuesday saying "no idea, someone will find out for you", email yesterday saying that they will get the last 3 signatures on the 25th of this month.

Feels like people have been letting us down all over the place, no one person to blame. Didn't think it would be this hard (in fact thought this one would be easiest as we're FTB). Getting really fed up and just want to move now!! Anyway, thought i'd share my story so far!! Getting RSI now, so will stop typing!!

Doozergirl

:jCongratulations!:j

Go tell that solicitor of yours she's a good for nothing :rotfl:
(In fact, save that for after completion!)

kittykirsty

Many many congratulations lynz, been following your story on here!

jewel22_2

Hi,
i am having a nightmare of a time trying to exchange contracts, all is in place! its just confirming a completion date with the chain, the phone keeps ringing with EA telling us it must be end of month cos of different reasons solicitor has a confirmed date of 2nd Feb which is good with us.. i wonder if she wants it at end of month to get commission ???? not gonna take her calls anymore just listen too sol now ,they are going to try and exchange fresh tomorrow morning so good vibes to me please its been so stressful this last week.
good luck to all and well done on all completions i hope i join you soon.

Poppycat

Whooo, congratulations about bloody time

We should have exchanged today, just hopefully 1st Feb

When do you move Lynz?

lynzpower wrote:

All arbitary discussion now Silvercar!!!

Weve just exchanged

wigglygiggly

That is FANTASTIC news Lynz!!!!! :D

lynzpower

went and paid half of the money today, we get keys tomorrow, hopefully removal on saturday

I am happy but shattered!

Check in with y'all in the mornig

:beer:

jewel22_2

lynzpower wrote:

went and paid half of the money today, we get keys tomorrow, hopefully removal on saturday

I am happy but shattered!

Check in with y'all in the mornig

:beer:

Congratulations to you:beer:
hopfully i will be in your position tomorrow

Vickicb

CONGRATULATIONS! :beer:

You must be so releived!

Hopefully it will be us on Monday, moving on Friday 26th...:j

lynzpower

Its so strange actually, the way I know Hex & dkny say, oh once youve exchanged, youll forget about it.

Yesterday until I went to bed I was still really het up and pi556ed off, and I went to bed at 9 I was so shattered

I swear down, there is no way in hell, I will ever put a seller through what I experienced over the last few months, the uncertainty, the waiting the panic, the stress. So I do want to remember it, I dont want to forget it!

Especially in my new career as an estate agent I want to keep remembering how bloody awful the whoile process is, the phone calls saying write me a cheque for something, the surveys, the removal man the constant identical conversations that invaded mine & OHs quality time that always start "if we exchange on monday then....." trying to plan, missing social events cos you are expecting to move. THE LOT.

i have looked back on it and learned SO much about the process, it hasnt been all bad. It has equipped me so much, in fact I have done SO muhc on behalf of the solicitors, made thephone calls, got the faxes sorted etc, jollied everyone along. Its been brilliant practice, and it has made me SO aware of how stressful the whole process is, and there is sometimes no need, for the sake of a 2 min phone call, that can resolve things.

Best of luck to all of you. Ive a meeting this morning then im off to collect the car, OH has the PM off and we are going to collect the keys and get round there and start cleaning!

Love to all of you
Lynz
xxxx