How long to wait for sale?

Salvazan

I posted about this issue a while ago but its still going on and I'm getting more anxious...

I want to buy a flat as soon as possible. My offer on a leasehold flat was accepted about 5 months ago in February. Since then my solicitor has been requesting documents from the seller's solicitor. So far my solicitor has received some, but not all the documents, so the sale still can't go ahead. I've been waiting for this sale for nearly 5 months.

Is it suspicious that its taking so long? My fear is that the seller is instructing his solicitor NOT to provide the documents in order to deliberately prevent the sale to me. Maybe they are having second thoughts on selling. Maybe they anticipate they will get higher offers soon, or a buyer has already made a higher offer for some future date.

If so, they wouldn't want me to know this because if I did know I would cancel. They would want to keep me as a 'plan B' safety measure in case their other plans don't work out. The seller is being represented by an estate agent who are of course telling me they aren't aware that it's being deliberately delayed.

I want to buy a flat as soon as possible. I have so far spent 5 months waiting for this sale, plus solicitor fee and valuation fee.

How do I know if I'm wasting my time with this flat? I have found another flat that I could make an offer on. How long should I wait before canceling and making an offer on a different flat?

jojo9239

Have you spoken to your solicitor about this they really should be chasing this for you or even the estate agents?

cashbackproblems

Of course its suspicious i can't believe you have waited this long, these documents would have been transferred by a serious seller in a matter of days.

The vendor is messing around for reasons not relevant to you

Find something else

Salvazan

I have pestered my solicitor and they say they are chasing it up. But all my solicitor can do is request and wait. My solicitor says its not that suspicious, as the paper work for lease hold apartments usually takes longer than with other property types.

Should I trust my own solicitor?

ellie27

This sounds ridiculous. I would have walked away a couple months ago, sorry if thats not what you wanted to hear.

skintpaul

give seller / their sols a week to provide ALL docs needed or pull out. They have had plenty time to arrange.

Hoploz

You need to find out exactly what is missing. It could be paperwork they are awaiting from elsewhere, or they could be doing something like getting planning permissioon that was missing, for example. Or something else out of the sellers hands. Having said that, 5 months is a very long time and most things can be sorted out in that time.
Probate sale?

Kitten868

Give them a week deadline or lose the sale. If there's a genuine reason they'll confess or get their finger out. Good luck xxx

Tygermoth

Hi Op did you ever hear from your buyer and the sale go through?

I popped in to see my sols just to pick up a copy of the searches - sol mentioned that though we are nigh on 6 weeks down the line and only a few weeks to the sellers requested exchange date the sellers have not provided a thing (except the conf of sale) - nada. nothing.

all our side is done, mortgage/deposit/searches/survey the whole shebang - we moved super fast as they were so adamant that they wanted an eight week turn around.

Originally they were super keen and hassling us - an email the day we offered advising that we must commit to the exchange on a specific date (which sol says its unlikely we can make now as there is not enough time) - but literally not heard a peep since.

Even their EA is ignoring our polite once a week chaser emails (and a request to have a viewing to measure up)

*i don't know why but i have the feeling that they tried to offer down on the house they were buying - after brexit - and they lost the purchase because of it. I think we are being hung onto while the look elsewhere - thats fine we are saving like loons so any delay is more money in the bank - but i would rather be told.

Salvazan

Still no response from the seller or their solicitor. I would be very surprised if this sale happened. 5 months is ridiculously long. They have obviously decided not to sell and decided not to tell me. Totally wasted my money and 5 months of my time.

I was hoping with Brexit a few weeks ago they might decide to sell before prices possibly drop, but apparently not.

I'm searching for a different flat to buy. However, I won't cancel this one until my offer is accepted on somewhere else. No reason to cancel before then.

Hoploz

WHat does the EA say?

I assume you are looking at other properties with the same agent.