Leeds building society

Lunchbox

Ours took 28 days. At one point they lowered our loan amount due to an outstanding credit card - it had been paid off months before but was still showing on credit report, so we submitted evidence and waited for that to be looked at. After this they decided they needed proof of an address we lived at for just 6 months, 3 years previously as this also hadn't shown up on the credit reports. All went through in the end though and 28 days wasn't too bad as it was Christmas in the middle of it.

Worrywart

A mixed bag of replies as to ne expected.

Our application will have been with then a week tomorrow and our broker advised it can take another couple of weeks.

I hate waiting, am really stressed - hardly eating or sleeping. I know, I will be a worry wart until we have a decision and then have the keys.

bramble123

Your post spurred me on to sign up to the forums properly today! We're FTBs and are going with Leeds. I just thought I'd reply to give you another example of a timescale - all the waiting is awful isn't it!

We submitted our application to Leeds on the 16th October via our mortgage advisor. They were fairly quick at getting back to us for some extra details they needed (marriage certificate, letter from my husband's employer to state that he's permanent and his start date). Our survey (we paid for the homebuyers survey option) was instructed on the 26th October and carried out on the 2nd Nov. We got the survey report via email today (3rd Nov), and our mortgage advisor phoned to say congrats on the mortgage. So start to finish it's taken 12 working days - now just waiting for the actual piece of paper confirming it all!

Hope that was a bit useful to hear another anecdote :-)

Worrywart

Bramble, congratulations on your mortgage!! I bet you won't believe it until you move in?

That's reassuring to know. We had an email to confirm we'd passed the under writing process and onto the next stage. I'm sure my nerves will frazzled by the time we move!!!

JohnWestBear

We had the acceptance letter, however they are still waiting for a declaration of occupier form to be returned. Which they have insisted has to be signed by a solicitor. So that has cost me a small fortune today. Hoping that is the end of it now.

Going to speak to the solicitors tomorrow to push the exchange on now, before they start to change there mind and god knows what.

mashmash90

We had a positive experience with Leeds BS (through a mortgage broker). We found the timescales on their website were pretty much exactly as what we experienced. The valuation was done very quickly (within 3 days of submitting application) and the offer was about 2.5 weeks later in the end.

The trick is to have all your documents ready as soon as you decide to go for the mortgage- better to give them more than less so they can't chase you and delay the process.

Worrywart

Thank you for sharing your positive experiences with Leeds. It is making me feel better.

It also helps that we've got a fantastic broker, that has been in touch with us on a regular basis, unlike our previous broker who I'm sure was related to Houdini!

bramble123

Our mortgage offer paperwork came through yesterday - very speedy! Hope you hear about yours soon worrywart

JohnWestBear

Leeds were in touch to say all paperwork has been completed. They are waiting on the conveyancers now, who seem to refuse to reply to e-mails which is good. So I will call them tomorrow, and if they don't answer may even take a trip to see them.

Such a stressful process, probably actually starting to put a bit of a strain on the household as well, because the old silence is golden rule really doesn't apply in the case of a mortgage.