Contacting seller directly after offer acceptance

ric1982

Hi,

Q1. Just wondering if its is good idea to contact seller directly after offer acceptance?

Our offer on the house is accepted few weeks ago but there is not progress so far from the seller's side (solicitor etc) plus I have a couple of queries which I need to ask and I don't trust the EA with any reliable response (from past experience). I have contact address of the seller from memo of sale.

Just wondering if it is ok to contact seller by writing a letter politely asking to have a short telephonic conversation to clear some queries.

Q2. Is it ok to contact (push) seller's solicitor to get the things going (again the EA is most unreliable)?

Thanks

davidmcn

No, go via the solicitors.

eddddy

I guess there's no harm in trying to contact the seller. But it's hard to predict the reaction.

Some sellers may be fine, others may think "why are you contacting me directly - that's what I employed an EA for?"

And don't assume that the EA is the problem. If you've been getting unreliable responses, it's very likely they've come from the seller (via the EA).

Is the EA being paid on completion? If so, they will be just as keen as you to get things moving - because they want to get paid. But if they were paid up front, that may explain why they are disinterested now.

If the seller is 'difficult', it's sometimes better to let the EA deal with them. A good professional EA may have more experience of dealing with difficult sellers than you do.


And you definitely cannot contact the seller's solicitor - and the solicitor wouldn't take any notice of an EA either. They only take instructions from their client.

Annie1960

Better to go through estate agent.

Is the chain complete? If not, then the legal work normally won't begin until the chain is complete.

eddddy

davidmcn wrote: »

No, go via the solicitors.

Hmmm - I'm not sure I agree with that, except as a last resort.

For example, if your question is "are you leaving the cooker".

- You ask your solicitor
- Your solicitor writes to the sellers solicitor
- The sellers solicitor writes to the seller
- The seller replies to their solicitor
- The seller's solicitor writes to your solicitor
- Your solicitor writes to you

And it probably takes two weeks to get an answer.

A better approach...

- You phone the EA to ask
- The EA phones the seller
- The EA phones you back
- You tell your solicitor the outcome

Hopefully it takes 15 mins.

ric1982

There is no chain in this purchase but there are tenants involved and I want to get an idea about when its going to get vacant/contract information etc. I have tried asking this to the EA but the EA only gave me information on this that I already knew (which is before the of completion process) hence ...

skintpaul

Can't hurt to drop seller a note, mentioning probs with EA - they may be keen to get sorted too, so they can move!

eddddy

ric1982 wrote: »

There is no chain in this purchase but there are tenants involved and I want to get an idea about when its going to get vacant/contract information etc. I have tried asking this to the EA but the EA only gave me information on this that I already knew (which is before the of completion process) hence ...

You're now going to get loads of warnings about buying a property which is currently tenanted!

But to stick with your original question - try to get your questions answered via the EA, or directly by the seller - in the first instance.

Then ask your solicitor to confirm whatever you agree with the seller, via pre-contract enquiries (to make it contractually binding).

Hoploz

Generally speaking if it's a quick question then go via EA, it's much quicker as has already been said. Regarding dates tenants are meant to move out, I'd suggest asking via solicitor as it is a question which is likely to obtain a vague and possibly inaccurate answer if asked quickly, but if asked by solicitor you are more likely to get a more accurate response, they can ask details of tenancy agreements etc which the agent wouldn't bother doing.

The advice is to not spend anything until there is a complete chain, and you shouldn't exchange until the tenants have already vacated and you have inspected the property to ensure it is in the condition you would expect.

To answer your original question, I will never speak directly to a buyer again (except on a viewing obviously!) after it making everything go horribly wrong on one occasion. My buyer was very pushy, there was a misunderstanding, things didn't end up working out over dates (at his end, but he was too busy throwing his toys out the pram to realise this) after telling us he wanted to exchange and complete on the same day, we had small child and refused, he called me a liar, and ended up pulling out on what should have been exchange day. Leaving me frantic with a house half packed. Luckily we managed to refinance and buy our new house regardless and a new sale went through a few weeks later.

But I will NEVER enter into any discussions directly again, it all goes through a third party so there are NO misunderstandings.

Leeds_House_Mover

But I will NEVER enter into any discussions directly again, it all goes through a third party so there are NO misunderstandings.

I would have thought the same scenario would have happened if you'd gone through the EA or not.

We bought our house from people who used one of these 'cheap' national online agencies. We ended up doing all our negotiations directly with them and had their mobile number for quick texts.

Of course, they were nice and reasonable people and - even when things got a bit stressful with missed dates and problems with the valuation - it was miles easier to be able to ring them directly than to not know whether the EA was passing on the message in full or at all.

I dare say that if that relationship and experience wasn't as good then I wouldn't be as positive about contacting the sellers directly.

tea-bag

I am in direct contact with my buyers as I used a online agent. It is quicker and easier.

I had to slow my sale as I had problems with the place I am buying and now have to go into rented (while work is done) but it is full steam ahead.

I have bought a cheap phone and sim to use juts for the sale and buying process. I give this number out to everybody. If that phone rings I know it is something related to the house and at the end of it all it will go into the bin!