Offer accepted but something seems odd

AnotherJoe

BTW if they still say no, wait until you are ready to exchange then make it a firm condition before you sign and be ready to pull out if not. They will have something else lined up and they cant afford to derail the process unless there really is something dodgy going on.

AlexMac

hanb wrote: »

.. is it standard that after our initial 10 minute viewing we're not allowed a second viewing until paying our solicitor? That's what we've just been told. Which has brought back some concern. Presumably they mean we need to pay for the searches before going back but that's a fair chunk of money to then discover there's a problem and not be able to get the money back!

Not "standard" in my experience, and seems a bit discourteous, but presumably the EA is at fault; advising the seller to refuse access to gee you up in instructing a solicitor to act?

When buying I always stress to agents that we are ready to proceed, in funds, with a mortgage in principle or ready to port, and that we have have identified a solicitor who is ready to act as soon as they receive their copy of the "memorandum of sale". This document, in my experience, is issued by the selling agent, identifies the sale price, buyer, seller and both sides' solicitors and is sent to all 4 parties.

I assume the agent has sent this to all 4 of you?

Despite what others say above, a payment to the solicitor at the start is not unusual. Our last two or three (different) solicitors have asked for a payment up front with the signed acceptance of their terms of engagement, to cover searches before they lift a finger; usually up to £250.

Presumably the EA is being protective of their client; after all, having accepted your offer they assume you're not going to have second thoughts and withdraw it? And it's unlikely that you'll "discover a problem" on a second viewing, unless you take a surveyor or builder with you, or start asking questions about tenure, neighbour disputes, whether building or major electrical work has been done and if so, if correctly signed off with supporting documentation or registration. Q's like that will only get definitive answers once you have committed a few hundred quid in fees.

So although you could lie, as suggested above, or maybe give a couple of hundred quid to your solicitor with their agreement that they'll not start spending it or initiate searches til you give the go-ahead, that might mean you come across as a tricky buyer.

Given that either you or the seller can back out of the deal any time over the next couple of months prior to exchange, you tend to have to take a lot on trust.

Good luck- exciting 'ennit?