Finally exchanged contracts!

PointerOO

Hi guys,

Long time lurker, first time poster here on the forums. My wife and I finally exchanged contracts on our new house on Friday after having moved down from Scotland to the Greater Manchester area and renting for the last 5 months.

We were supposed to exchange contracts 22nd June but the people at the top of the chain weren't ready as they were buying their MIL's house (although when we made the offer they were moving to spain and already had a property out there!?). We were then supposed to exchange contracts on the 29th June but the people at the top of the chain hadn't even received their contracts yet and now one of them had to go into hospital so couldn't complete until 20th July. Our vendors solicitors told them that seeing as everyone was supposed to be completing by the end of June that was completely unacceptable and they agreed to 13th July instead.

And so it came to be that on 6th July (after a couple of false starts the previous 2 days) we finally exchanged contracts and will get the keys to our beautiful 4 bed house with a garden for my 2 year old daughter next Friday 13th July (Getting a new house on Friday 13th?:eek:). We spent most of yesterday shopping for new appliances, curtains and "decorative accessories" (my wife assures me that the decorative accessories are so essential that the earth might stop spinning if we don't have them) and thank goodness for quidco I say, just discovered it last week and we should get £50 odd quid back for buying the stuff through them.

So anyway, the countdown is now on until next Friday and finally moving in. It wasn't actually that long of a process, we put the offer in on the 1st May so about 10 weeks from offer to completion. We were ready a lot sooner than that as were our vendors but a chain is a chain and not a lot you can do about it I guess.

We used Hammonds Direct as our solicitors which I was regretting after I read feedback about them on this board but I must say they have not been too bad, our solicitor could have done a bit of a better job on a couple of things but overall as long as we get the keys next Friday I will be happy with the service given by them.

Our vendors are absolutely lovely people, the wife has made us a folder with all the instructions for the various things in the house, receipts for carpets still under warranty and everything. I am going round our new house tomorrow or Tuesday night so that the vendors can run me through how the alarm system and central heating system work and how to change the settings. Are there any other questions I should ask about the little nuances of the house whilst I am there? We have already had 2 visits and covered a lot but I can't help thinking I am missing a few things, I need to ask about bin collections for example (as stupid as it sounds).

Thanks for the continued great reads everyone and best of luck to anyone waiting to exchange contracts or sell their house, it WILL happen eventually!

Pointer

kjz

just had to say congrats!we are still in limbo land waiting toexchange, hoped it would be done by now and we would be on the countdown to our moving day but not yet!fingers crossed though i will be in the same position as yourself very very soon (i keep calling it the point of no return as whilst we are in limbo i keep stressing that it will all go wrong!)

p.s the earth will inded stop spinning if you dont comply with your wifes most sensible need for those decorative accessories!

hope your move goes well!

kingkano

Congrats mate! We are hoping to join you with a Fri 13th move if we exchange today! One good thing, I noticed plenty of removalists were available even this late notice lol. Not too popular a day it seems.

As for things about the house, your lucky there. We arent being told or shown anything I dont think you get that very often. You just bumble along and find things out yourself. A bit like being on holiday the first few months I guess!!! Thats part of the fun surely