Countrywide - use or avoid?

katiejc

I've got my second appointment with countrywide this Friday, but already I'm having my doubts. We were mislead in appt 1 and the lady 'conveniently' didn't mention a few vital things. Since, I've read horrendous reviews about them. Should I go elsewhere? People have said to go directly to a bank. However I'm worried well be rejected as we're young, don't have much credit history and have a combined income of only £40500.

Help!?

Annie1960

Countrywide sent the surveyor who carried out a building survey on the property I was selling. If I and been the buyer, I would have been very annoyed that they sent someone who appeared so incompetent.

The EA advised me to be out during the survey, so I made arrangements to be elsewhere. I got a phone call saying the surveyor could not get in, there was something seriously wrong with my door, so I rushed home only to find he did not seem to grasp the concept of a mortice lock. He had failed to pull the handle down!

I made sure he had all the keys, I even labelled them and put them in an enveloped marked 'surveyor'. He claimed he was not able to find the key to the gate (which was there when I left the house, and was also there when I returned). It must have disappeared during the time he was there!

When I got home later, he had not engaged the mortice lock on the front door.

I know this was the surveyor and you are presumably asking about their mortgage advisers, but I have heard nothing but bad reports of them, and I would avoid.

Maybe others can tell their experiences of the mortgage angle.

SilverMist

I was advised against using the countrywide solicitors by the estate agent marketing the house we offered on. I had already decided to use one recommended by a family member anyway. I wish I had used an independent broker too as it took 5 weeks for Natwest to decline us, I appreciate that wasn't our Mortgage adrivers fault but he was incredibly difficult to get hold of, never returned my calls or respond to emails and left me hanging for days. I was chasing him daily and would have backed off if he had just sent a quick update! After 3 weeks Natwest declined us due to our use of overdrafts, when I said I had more recent bank statements now he asked Natwest to reconsider. I trusted this was the best decision but it took them 2 more weeks to then decline anyway (proving we were out of overdrafts now would have made no difference i now understand) . I feel 2 weeks were certainly wasted but more so the not being kept informed. We could lose the house due to that. I ended up ringing an independent broker last Wednesday evening and he has been FANTASTIC! came to see us after calling me 5 times for information, updates me every step (I was an emotional wreck when I rang him lol), texts to ask questions, replies to my emails same day. He gathered information Thursday, came to see us Friday, reviewed all our info Saturday and submitted our application to Santander yesterday. They may well decline us but it won't be due to lack of effort on his part!!

The Countrywide MA was a lovely guy, but far too busy and just not 'on it' enough. I would like to think he had our best interests at heart, but who knows? I am very trusting and believe in people but in the end I told him we were using this other guy. I only wish we had done that at the start, but you live and learn - this is all new to us.

I strongly advise you look MALMO up on here or look at my post about being declined as it was his advice I followed that found me the new guy. Hope that helps

Elfbert

I've had a survey done by Countrywide for a remortgage, and it was fine. Except the guy forgot his tape measure...but I had one, so he was okay.

However, HSBC insisted on using them for my purchase (back when their stupid 'panel' was much more restricted), so I used my own solicitor, but Countrywide had to look everything over for HSBC.

They were so terrible I still have difficulties putting it into words! Probably worst thing they did was accidentally fax everything they were supposed to be sending my sols about my mortgage app directly to my SELLER'S solicitors.

HSBC had refunded me everything I'd had to pay them for Countrywide's 'services' before we even got near completion, because my lists of things that went wrong was so long. If it wasn't for the mortgage guy at HSBC personally calling them up and sorting a few things (which wasn't his job - he was just an in-branch selling guy) I don't think we ever would have bought the place. As it was my mortgage app was approved on 3rd Feb, and because Countrywide were so staggeringly slow an incompetent, we completed on 27th July. My seller agreed he would never be part of a chain involving Countrywide again if he could possibly avoid it!

Run away, while you still have your sanity.

ACG

Countrywide solicitors are expensive and do not have great reviews.
Countrywide mortgage brokers are heavily targetted on sales I believe. I think their process is very sales orientated... Not the ideal situation when you are purchasing your biggest buy.

Limited credit history should not be a major issue and your combined incomes are fine.

I would say have a chat with their broker or another broker and see if you get on with them. If you do not then im not sure I would be trusting them with a £150k (give or take) purchase.

SplanK

I did use Country wide when I was a FTB. The first guy we were introduced to was a bit of a joke, didn't know what he was doing, and was really pushing a hard sell.... however we got chatting to another who seemed much better, advised us well. Yes there was still the hard sell on insurance and stuff, but when you are a FTB you can be easily led up a garden path. Thankful I had enough knowledge in me to say no to a lot of the un-needed insurance packages they were trying to sell but did end up with quite an expensive buildings and contents insurance which I swapped out a year later.


So as long as you get a good advisor, I didn't find it too bad, but I will always use other services.


When it came to re-mortgage, I allowed them to come over and do some digging for me. They found a number of mortgages and recommended me one. I looked at it, it was with Natwest, they wanted £500 setup fee plus legal fees. I went direct to Natwest, got a slightly better deal, no setup or legal fee's either!

katiejc

Ok, so they're not sounding great. Perhaps I'll avoid at all costs. From what I've heard, Halifax & Nationwide have up to a 4 week wait for an initial appointment. If this is true that's an issue, as we want to start the process asap! Will call around today and see if I can get one sooner.

Rambosmum

Is this for your mortgage application or survey. If it is the mortgage then my experience would be not to use them - they push products which aren't the best for you because it makes them money.

Google London and country. They are fantastic, whole of market broker and will talk you through all the options, explain how the lost monthly payment isn't necessarily the best mortgage for you and vice versa and answer all those seemingly stupid questions without making you feel stupid!

stalkah

With using HTB I would strongly recommend using a broker, why not find someone local? Speak with friends and family of anyone that might have moved recently to see who they used, alternatively use this post to help find one http://forums.moneysavingexpert.com/showpost.php?p=68187991&postcount=3

katiejc

Thanks both - I'll make a few calls and see what happens! With brokers, do they then suggest solicitors to use or do you need to source that yourself?

stalkah

Some may suggest others will leave it up to you