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No searches without mortgage offer?

grovez3
grovez3 Posts: 1 Newbie
in Mortgages & endowments
Our solicitor has told us that he cannot start the searches on the property we are purchasing until he has received our mortgage offer. Is this standard practice?

YBS have dragged their feet and only requested valuation yesterday, earliest surveyor can get out is 22nd April. There are 4 of us in a chain and we all wanted a completion date before wit week but this is seeming increasingly unlikely. Just wanted to get as much done as can to prevent any more delays but solicitors saying no.

Any advice welcome.

Thanks

Comments

  • kingstreet
    kingstreet Posts: 39,344 Forumite
    Part of the Furniture 10,000 Posts Name Dropper Photogenic
    AFAIK the solicitor can request searches when he gets the draft contract from the vendor's solicitor.

    Unless he's waiting for the offer to see if there's any specific requests, all he has to do is look at the lender's CML Handbook entry.
    I am a mortgage broker. You should note that this site doesn't check my status as a Mortgage Adviser, so you need to take my word for it. This signature is here as I follow MSE's Mortgage Adviser Code of Conduct. Any posts on here are for information and discussion purposes only and shouldn't be seen as financial advice. Please do not send PMs asking for one-to-one-advice, or representation.
  • Wh05apk
    Wh05apk Posts: 2,938 Forumite
    Part of the Furniture 1,000 Posts Combo Breaker
    This does seem common practice now, which doesn't help things when searches can take 4-5 weeks in some places. It might be they will do the searches now, but at your risk and expense if you ask them.
    I am a mortgage adviser.
    You should note that this site doesn't check my status as a Mortgage Adviser, so you need to take my word for it. This signature is here as I follow MSE's Mortgage Adviser Code of Conduct. Any posts on here are for information and discussion purposes only and shouldn't be seen as financial advice.
  • eeyoreworld
    eeyoreworld Posts: 28 Forumite
    We instructed our searches 4 weeks ago. All complete and okay, mortgage only went to offer today. Was at risk of losing money if mortgage didn't go ahead but knew that. Now we are ready to go with no waiting.
  • GolfFoxtrot
    GolfFoxtrot Posts: 182 Forumite
    We asked our solicitors to do searches before our mortgage offer was back. They did but told us it was at our risk financially and we were ok with that. Our reason was that searches were taking 2+ weeks to return.
  • Thrugelmir
    Thrugelmir Posts: 89,546 Forumite
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    Searches rarely delay the process.
  • Okydoky25
    Okydoky25 Posts: 1,139 Forumite
    Part of the Furniture 1,000 Posts
    Ours were happy to go ahead at risk of our own cost but it's taken 3 weeks to get the draft contract which was needed so now we have that and mortgage offer anyway.
  • ethank
    ethank Posts: 2,197 Forumite
    Holiday Haggler I've been Money Tipped!
    My solicitor advised me to pay for the searches straight away, but they were not refundable if I did not go ahead. I paid up as I know they can delay the process!
  • Thrugelmir
    Thrugelmir Posts: 89,546 Forumite
    Part of the Furniture 10,000 Posts Name Dropper Photogenic
    ethank wrote: »
    My solicitor advised me to pay for the searches straight away,

    That's to fund the searches. As the solicitor has the money. Once the mortgage offer arrives then there's no delay.
  • amnblog
    amnblog Posts: 12,771 Forumite
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    Sounds like your solicitors have had too many rows with clients left with search fees to pay and no mortgage offer.
    I am a Mortgage Broker

    You should note that this site doesn't check my status as a Mortgage Broker, so you need to take my word for it. This signature is here as I follow MSE's Mortgage Adviser Code of Conduct. Any posts on here are for information and discussion purposes only and shouldn't be seen as financial advice.
  • Thrugelmir
    Thrugelmir Posts: 89,546 Forumite
    Part of the Furniture 10,000 Posts Name Dropper Photogenic
    amnblog wrote: »
    Sounds like your solicitors have had too many rows with clients left with search fees to pay and no mortgage offer.

    Solicitors will only use client funds to pay the search fees. Arguments no doubt start when the money ends up being wasted.
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