Timescale for buying a house - No chain

Estellaabella

Hello there
I'm a first time buyer and am just wondering the timescale for completion after the mortgage has been agreed? I'm not in a chain and neither are the sellers. I'm currently renting and need to be out by the 30th of April so the pressure is on!
Any advice gratefully received.
Thanks, Estella

Blueysea

Depends how much luck you've got on your side, I'm a first time buyer - my offer was accepted in early November (17 weeks) and I'm still waiting for contracts to exchange. The buyers are moving into an empty property (no chain) but essentially there is a chain of 2, me buying their house, them buying their new house.

The experts claim to allow 8 weeks...

MrJB

Estellaabella wrote: »

Hello there
I'm a first time buyer and am just wondering the timescale for completion after the mortgage has been agreed? I'm not in a chain and neither are the sellers. I'm currently renting and need to be out by the 30th of April so the pressure is on!
Any advice gratefully received.
Thanks, Estella

You say you need to be out by 30th April... did you serve them notice that you would vacate by that date, or did they serve you a section 21, or is that when your fixed term expires?

dc197

It could be 4 weeks, it could be 4 months. It depends on many factors. The lack of chain is massive bonus, but there could be all sorts of reason for delay. e.g. your searches take 3 weeks to come back because the council is busy, then the seller's solicitor takes a month to answer querties that come up from them.

Is your mortgage agreed in principle or do you have your full offer? Add anything from 2 days to 3 weeks to that branch of the process if you have only an AIP.

Best to make sure that your seller's timeline and pace is aligned with yours. Ask the EA to pass the message one.

Estellaabella

Yes they served us with a Section 21 as they intend to sell. I think I might have to beg them to see if we can stay a bit longer..

Estellaabella

MrJB wrote: »

You say you need to be out by 30th April... did you serve them notice that you would vacate by that date, or did they serve you a section 21, or is that when your fixed term expires?[/QUOTE
Yes they served us with a Section 21 as they intend to sell. I think I might have to beg them to see if we can stay a bit longer..

marksoton

Estellaabella wrote: »

Yes they served us with a Section 21 as they intend to sell. I think I might have to beg them to see if we can stay a bit longer..

The section 21 doesn't mean you have to leave.

The tenancy ends when you willingly walk away or a court evicts you.

Estellaabella

Really? I didn't know that! We've been really panicking!

pinkteapot

Estellaabella wrote: »

Really? I didn't know that! We've been really panicking!

While legally it's true - you can just stay put and refuse to leave - far less antagonistic method is to approach the LL about staying on a bit longer, if need be.

Have you told the EA your deadline? And your solicitor? What has the seller said? This is all about communication. Ring your solicitor at least weekly to ask for an update on where you're up to, what still needs to happen, and how from exchange you are. Only the EA and solicitor can answer your question.

silvercar

With willing sellers and buyers, no chains and solicitors who push themselves. a month is possible.

Berger_3

Having no chain, or a small chain is great but it doesn't unfortunately guarantee that the process will be quick. It only needs somebody in the process to be slow and this will hold everything else up, essentially its only as fast as the slowest link in the chain. You might get everything posted straight back first class recorded as and when requested, with a view to making things happen as quickly as possible, but somebody else might think they are being quick by getting those important forms bank within a week or two, or digging out that boiler service certificate next week when they get a moment.