Do I instruct searches yet?

thumpertwinkle

Received letter from solicitor today regarding house purchase. She is requesting payment for the searches in respect of the property but I am still awaiting the valuation from Nationwide (apparently this was instructed last week but has not yet taken place and I have not had notification)

My solicitor says these searches take 2 weeks, I would really like to be in for Christmas, so do I instruct and pay for searches before a mortgage offer has been made?

oli_ro

In my case, also with Nationwide, I have paid the 300£ straight away and the searches have been conducted in parallel with my mortgage application. Its a leap of faith, but worst can happen you lose the initial payment.
BTW, still waiting for my mortgage application decision and my broker has submitted it on the 29th of Oct.
NW seem very slow at the moment, at least for me.

kiddakidda

Of course it's your choice but.........

I would wait for the valuation and subsequent mortgage offer on the basis of a acceptable valuation before laying out cash on searches.

As far as I am aware NW do their valuations before they go to full underwriting so you also need to be sure that they will make you an offer.

But as I say, it's your choice.

kiddakidda

Also you need to realistic with getting in before Xmas. You have about 5 workable weeks and you are not at valuation stage yet.

Not impossible but you may be up against it.

Thrugelmir

I would really like to be in for Christmas

What's the position of the vendors?

thumpertwinkle

They are not in a chain, ready to move as soon as it goes through