Solicitor still not sent contracts 3 weeks after offer accepted

donkey1969

Just after a bit of advice, we made an offer on a property just over 3 weeks ago, we've had our formal mortgage offer for 10 days now, the searches are due back next week, but our solicitor has still not received a contract, the sellers solicitor has been away for 2 weeks, the assistant faxed the info over for the searches to be started last week after the agents contacted them, the vendor has asked us to try to complete by the 15th sept, which suited us fine as we have to give notice on our house and wanted a month or so crossover, but if our sol doesn't receive the contract until early next week is this still a realistic timescale? Neither sol is away again and I would think the contract will be straightforward as houses sell on the estate all the time.
Is there anything we can do to speed things up at all? The vendor is going to push her end tomorrow and agents are too.
Thanks for any comments

Jeffrey_Shaw

No, there isn't anything that you can do; but you can press V [vendor] to press her lazy solicitors!
V needs you more than you need V, you know.

Yorkie1

I'd avoid making any commitments to the seller until you've seen the results of the searches and also the property information / fixtures & fittings forms. You never know what might be thrown up by them (although don't worry too much, the part where things most often crop up unexpectedly is I think the survey).

Just make sure you don't give notice on your rented house until you've exchanged.

Thrugelmir

Jeffrey_Shaw wrote: »

but you can press V [vendor] to press her lazy solicitors!
.

Because they took a holiday...............

kingstreet

Is it freehold or leasehold? Is it possible the solicitor needs information from the vendor, managements company or mortgage lender before it can prepare the contract?

I don't know the answer, I'm just guessing. However, it's not normally something a solicitor would delay unnecessary.

donkey1969

kingstreet wrote: »

Is it freehold or leasehold? Is it possible the solicitor needs information from the vendor, managements company or mortgage lender before it can prepare the contract?

I don't know the answer, I'm just guessing. However, it's not normally something a solicitor would delay unnecessary.

It's a freehold house, the survey was fine, the vendor is using the same sols she used to buy the property with 5 years ago, there is no chain as she is going back to live with parents, I have spoken to the local search dept and everything is fine so far, just waiting for the highways part, but don't expect problems there as the next door property sold 4 months ago, 2 further down sold this year too. It just seems to be the vendors sols being away and no one doing her work, she has promised now that the contract will be with our sols by Mon at the latest.
I really dont want to give notice at ours until we've completed, we have to vacate under our tenancy agreement on the 16th of a month, so if we didn't give notice by 16th sept then we would be tied there until 16th Nov, I was happy to have 1 month crossover so we could take our time decorating / moving, but would prefer not to have to pay an extra £970 rent / council tax and mortgage / council tax on the new property too if we can avoid it.

They seem to be doing everything by post, could I offer to go and collect / deliver stuff from sol to sol to speed things up? They are only 20 miles apart so that would be fine with ourselves.
Thanks

kingstreet

donkey1969 wrote: »

They seem to be doing everything by post, could I offer to go and collect / deliver stuff from sol to sol to speed things up?

Documentation needs to be sent in original format, so there has to be a physical transfer. Most solicitors use the "DX" system so anything sent arrives the next day.

I think you'll find anything which comes in after the post is delivered is treated as the post for the following day and will not be given priority, so I wouldn't waste your fuel driving stuff around.