Selling - documentation and communication

Bossworld

Apologies if this has been done before, a quick search only revealed a timeline thread from 2014 and the current 'waiting to exchange' thread but we're not that close yet.

Accepted an offer on our house around 14 May. Received documents from our solicitors around the 20th, returned in person on 25 May so that we could provide proof of ID in person. Included every document under the sun as the house was built within the last 10 years, so had everything inc. boiler service, electrical certs, previous water search, land registry forms, land registry proof of title etc. We also completed the TA6 and TA10 forms about the property/fixtures and fittings.

The only thing I've heard from the solicitor since was a letter to ask for confirmation of the results of the land registry search, that the boundaries of the property matched their records. This was Weds 1 June.

We've given the estate agent a couple of updates along the way to pass onto the buyers - have said on a couple of occasions they're welcome to come around to measure up/view again if they need to.

The buyer's surveyor came around on 31 May, was only here about 15 mins so I'm guessing it was only a mortgage valuation rather than a homebuyer's report or structural survey.

I know it's going to take 2-3 months and I'm assuming no news is good news, but just wondering if anyone can offer their experience? When we bought the place, we seemed to receive a different pack of papers in the post once or twice a week - is it just that as a seller, there isn't a need for the level of documentation? I sent the solicitors a quick email today asking if they'd heard anything from their counterparts - I don't want to come across as pushy and I'm assuming I'll probably get billed for any emails they send!

I suppose by the same token, our offer to buy the next place was accepted on 1 June and the only contact we've had since then, has been with our IFA with regards to the mortgage application.

Thanks

ellie27

We sold our house last year. It took 6 weeks from accepting offer to the folk moving in. We received just 2 things through the post, one a copy of the written offer and the other papers for us to fill in fixtures/fittings. Pretty sure that was it.

Samsonite1

Selling is much, much simpler than buying and there is much less paperwork and communication from your point of view. Buying involves a lot of searches and admin work by the solicitor, culminating in the Report on Title.

The time it takes will be the same though because while you are selling, someone is buying and having to go through all of that documentation!

Bossworld

Thanks both, that's put my mind at ease. Hopefully we'll start to get some more stuff back soon from the one we're buying.

Samsonite1

Bossworld wrote: »

Thanks both, that's put my mind at ease. Hopefully we'll start to get some more stuff back soon from the one we're buying.

There is no harm in chasing (your solicitor) regularly by asking for updates - they often do things quicker if you chase. I expect the EAs will start chasing everyone at some point (yourself included) when they sniff the chance of setting an exchange date.

Bossworld

Samsonite1 wrote: »

There is no harm in chasing (your solicitor) regularly by asking for updates - they often do things quicker if you chase. I expect the EAs will start chasing everyone at some point (yourself included) when they sniff the chance of setting an exchange date.

Cheers, I sent an email yesterday morning, have to see if/when they come back to me.

I know it's a daft question and possibly a 'how long's a piece of string' as it will vary by company, but the solicitors gave a full breakdown of what the 'standard fee' included, and then a list of extras that may arise. I notice they charge a standard fee of around £6 for a 3 minute email. Am I likely to incur this charge for chasing it, or would it only relate to an email that genuinely requires an action?

Samsonite1

Bossworld wrote: »

Cheers, I sent an email yesterday morning, have to see if/when they come back to me.

I know it's a daft question and possibly a 'how long's a piece of string' as it will vary by company, but the solicitors gave a full breakdown of what the 'standard fee' included, and then a list of extras that may arise. I notice they charge a standard fee of around £6 for a 3 minute email. Am I likely to incur this charge for chasing it, or would it only relate to an email that genuinely requires an action?

That is a good question - it would worry me that they charge for every email and probably phone call too - I have not seen this with any firms I have used for conveyancing. While this is normal for every day solicitor/lawyer work, conveyancing is normally fixed fee. You may want to check and make sure what you will get charged for as a 6 month process is going to involve a lot more communication and you will essentially pay more the longer it goes on. I am actually a bit shocked if they do charge for every communication. If their fees are low then it may work out ok...

Bossworld

Samsonite1 wrote: »

That is a good question - it would worry me that they charge for every email and probably phone call too - I have not seen this with any firms I have used for conveyancing. While this is normal for every day solicitor/lawyer work, conveyancing is normally fixed fee. You may want to check and make sure what you will get charged for as a 6 month process is going to involve a lot more communication and you will essentially pay more the longer it goes on. I am actually a bit shocked if they do charge for every communication. If their fees are low then it may work out ok...

I'm sure you can appreciate there's a certain irony that there's a half chance asking for clarification would invoke the email fee :rotfl:

Had a quick look through the docs and it's probably OK:

We anticipate the total cost of this transaction to be X.

This figure includes our fixed basic fee of X, our administration fee of X in respect of a telegraphic transfer, and X for disbursements.

...

Our basic fee covers all routine steps in this transaction, but specifically excludes any items referred to in our Additional Charges Menu.

We shall advise you if it becomes necessary to incur any additional costs, disbursements or telegraphic transfers, before they are incurred.

On the Charges Info Sheet, it shows 'Updating you as to the progress of the transaction' as being included under the basic fee.

I guess part of the concern on communication stems from the fact I never received any kind of response to my email at the start of this month (confirming the land registry boundaries). These are enlightened times we live in, so I assumed I was OK to reply via email rather than by letter - their standard Ts & Cs state that they can communicate with ourselves via email.

I guess it may come down to personal style - I do tend to over-confirm things via email myself. They were reasonably quick to reply to emails when they were first suggested as a conveyancing solicitor (was also recommended by a couple of folk at my work so not too worried about their ability).

Samsonite1

Bossworld wrote: »

I'm sure you can appreciate there's a certain irony that there's a half chance asking for clarification would invoke the email fee :rotfl:

Had a quick look through the docs and it's probably OK:



On the Charges Info Sheet, it shows 'Updating you as to the progress of the transaction' as being included under the basic fee.

I guess part of the concern on communication stems from the fact I never received any kind of response to my email at the start of this month (confirming the land registry boundaries). These are enlightened times we live in, so I assumed I was OK to reply via email rather than by letter - their standard Ts & Cs state that they can communicate with ourselves via email.

I guess it may come down to personal style - I do tend to over-confirm things via email myself. They were reasonably quick to reply to emails when they were first suggested as a conveyancing solicitor (was also recommended by a couple of folk at my work so not too worried about their ability).

I expect it is fine then - they would not get much business if they operated too differently to others in terms of hidden charges. You do tend to find that things will go quiet at times and even the most innocuous things can drag on for weeks. I would definitely email for updates a couple of times per week at a minimum. I always find that no matter how quick I am and on top of things, one or other EA starts shouting down the phone for me to do things quicker - I am often tempted to tell them where to go, so reverting to emails can be safer!

Bossworld

Samsonite1 wrote: »

I expect it is fine then - they would not get much business if they operated too differently to others in terms of hidden charges. You do tend to find that things will go quiet at times and even the most innocuous things can drag on for weeks. I would definitely email for updates a couple of times per week at a minimum. I always find that no matter how quick I am and on top of things, one or other EA starts shouting down the phone for me to do things quicker - I am often tempted to tell them where to go, so reverting to emails can be safer!

Thank you. Gave our estate agent that we're selling through a call and they've advised the buyer's mortgage survey has come back fine, so that's a relief at least. He advised emailing a different partner at the law firm so will hopefully hear back soon with regards to the purchase.

Can't wait for it to all be over!

Bossworld

A slight tangent but buying - Finally received some documentation with regards to purchasing from the solicitor, I make that three weeks since we put our offer in. Their docs state 8 weeks from the return, so looks like late August at the earliest now From reading through it all looks like generic stuff, so I genuinely don't know why it's taken 3 weeks to get these out to us, and what involvement (if any) they've had with the vendor's solicitors to date.

Is most of that due to them waiting on a mortgage offer?

Having never seen a stamp duty form that'll be another £90 + VAT to get them to fill it in, plus a couple of searches (radon and flooding) adds another £30 odd. Had a scan through the SDLT form and just haven't got half the answers they'll need, even the basics like the vendor's details.

Expensive business this house buying malarky hey