Do I have to push my solicitor (AKA how long is a piece of string)

anggrrr

I put an offer in on a house and had it accepted a couple of weeks before Xmas, survey on the 14th December and phone call from my mortgage company (Halifax) saying survey was fine and mortgage offer would be made. I then didn't hear anything for a few weeks which was fine as it was the holidays and my solicitor was closed anway. Then I got a call from the mortgage company as they didn't send out the mortgage offer before Xmas but I got my copy a week ago so assume the solicitor got it at the same time.

I sent the agreement and search fees to the solicitor as soon as the survey came back as okay (I know they got them before Xmas, the cheque was cashed) and went and proved I was who I said I was the first Saturday the office was open after new year. I was sort of expecting to hear something from them this week: there is no chain, the house I am buying is empty and my purchase does not rely on my house sale. Am I being unreasonable? Is it up to me to contact the solicitor and make it clear that now my lending is in place I'd prefer a fairly rapid exchange. Someone I know had their survey a day or so before me (they are FTB with no forward chain) and has their completion date for the 28th Jan!

pmlindyloo

anggrrr wrote: »

I put an offer in on a house and had it accepted a couple of weeks before Xmas, survey on the 14th December and phone call from my mortgage company (Halifax) saying survey was fine and mortgage offer would be made. I then didn't hear anything for a few weeks which was fine as it was the holiday's and my solicitor was closed anway. Then I got a call from the mortgage company as they didn't send out the mortgage offer before Xmas but I got my copy a week ago so assume the solicitor got it at the same time.

I sent the agreement and search fees to the solicitor as soon as the survey came back as okay (I know they got them before Xmas, the cheque was cashed) and went and proved I was who I said I was the first Saturday the office was open after new year. I was sort of expecting to hear something from them this week: there is no chain, the house I am buying is empty and my purchase does not rely on my house sale. Am I being unreasonable? Is it up to me to contact the solicitor and make it clear that now my lending is in place I'd prefer a fairly rapid exchange. Someone I know had their survey a day or so before me (they are FTB with no forward chain) and has their completion date for the 28th Jan!

My experience is if you don't continually keep in contact with your solicitor then your case goes to the bottom of the pile (OK I am a cynic )

Telephone/email/whatever the system is and keep on their case.

fannyanna

I would recommend that you start thinking like a project manager and take charge of the situation.

Find out from your solicitor exactly what needs to be done and what timelines they plan to get things completed by.

Yes, you are paying a professional to do a job but they're not as bothered about the sale going through to completion as you are.

I say this as someone who is potentially about to lose their buyers because their solicitor didn't keep them informed of what was going on (and more importantly what was going wrong).

klolav

pmlindyloo wrote: »

My experience is if you don't continually keep in contact with your solicitor then your case goes to the bottom of the pile (OK I am a cynic )

Telephone/email/whatever the system is and keep on their case.

Completely agree! Get on the phone now! (I actually prefer to email mine a couple of times a week and call once a week!).
Not made a blind bit of difference, my house sale has taken 20 weeks and counting........
But seriously, not a lot happens unless they have you in mind. Good luck:)

klolav

fannyanna wrote: »

I would recommend that you start thinking like a project manager and take charge of the situation.

Find out from your solicitor exactly what needs to be done and what timelines they plan to get things completed by.

Yes, you are paying a professional to do a job but they're not as bothered about the sale going through to completion as you are.

I say this as someone who is potentially about to lose their buyers because their solicitor didn't keep them informed of what was going on (and more importantly what was going wrong).

I hope you don't lose your buyers and things go through to completion for you. Good luck

Thrugelmir

You say the house is empty. So who are the vendors?

anggrrr

Thrugelmir wrote: »

You say the house is empty. So who are the vendors?

From conversation with the estate agent it's an inheritance. We know it's been empty for at least a year (we saw it being cleared) but the EA told me it took him 6 months to get the go ahead to market it.

I made an initial and then revised offer, both took at least a week to get an answer. I think it's being dealt with via a solicitor as executor. I would love to find out what exactly is going on there to be honest.

anggrrr

fannyanna wrote: »

I say this as someone who is potentially about to lose their buyers because their solicitor didn't keep them informed of what was going on (and more importantly what was going wrong).

Urgh. The firm acted very well and promptly in my previous dealing with them (sadly a sale that didn't go through) so I was happy with them, I hope everything goes okay with you.

JimmyTheWig

I'd say you need contact at least once a week if you want to make sure things are moving forward.
As has been said, find out what is the next thing to happen, when it will happen and chase if you haven't heard about it by when it should happen.

You can always contact the estate agent for an update, too.

dizziblonde

JimmyTheWig wrote: »

I'd say you need contact at least once a week if you want to make sure things are moving forward.
As has been said, find out what is the next thing to happen, when it will happen and chase if you haven't heard about it by when it should happen.

You can always contact the estate agent for an update, too.

I found getting our estate agent onside really helped with kicking both sides' solicitors into gear to be honest - but half of our problems were the vendor's solicitors being very sluggish returning stuff and our lot being too busy on the golf course to chase up the sluggish returns... so I'd end up ringing our sols a few times a week to chase up what was required and asking the EA to give a little bit of a push at the vendor's end as well - just to keep the case at the front of their minds.

Hell hath no motivation like an EA wanting their sales fee in the middle of the property market being dead!

Thrugelmir

anggrrr wrote: »

I think it's being dealt with via a solicitor as executor. I would love to find out what exactly is going on there to be honest.

That may account for some delay. As the solicitor may well be communicating with several others.