Solicitors

DBoy1

Hi all,
I'm a FTB and apparently very close to exchanging contracts. Deposit was sent late last week, at the same time as signed contracts being posted.
Yesterday everyone was trying to get hold of my solicitor, including me, but we all sent to voicemail and they didn't get back to us. This was at around midday. It seems the up-chain solicitors all wanted to exchange yesterday, but no one can get hold of mine.
Was thinking it over last night, and our solicitor has only seen 1 bank statement for address verification and hasn't checked that we have buildings insurance in place as per the lender's requirement, so I am wondering if we really are close to exchanging, and beginning to doubt our solicitor. It's our first time, so we don't really know the process. Is this kind of thing usual?

csgohan4

is it an estate agent referred Solicitor?

AnotherJoe

DBoy1 wrote: »

Hi all,
I'm a FTB and apparently very close to exchanging contracts. Deposit was sent late last week, at the same time as signed contracts being posted.
Yesterday everyone was trying to get hold of my solicitor, including me, but we all sent to voicemail and they didn't get back to us. This was at around midday. It seems the up-chain solicitors all wanted to exchange yesterday, but no one can get hold of mine.
Was thinking it over last night, and our solicitor has only seen 1 bank statement for address verification and hasn't checked that we have buildings insurance in place as per the lender's requirement, so I am wondering if we really are close to exchanging, and beginning to doubt our solicitor. It's our first time, so we don't really know the process. Is this kind of thing usual?

Panicking first time buyers ? Tardy solicitors? Yep.

FWIW if your solicitor was unavailable yesterday, they'd be unavailable to everyone that called them, so the fact that multiple people found them unavailable is no more significant than that one person did. Maybe it was the office xmas party?

Let us know what happens today when the solicitor recovers from their hangover.

DBoy1

is it an estate agent referred Solicitor?

No it's one that we found online. Up to now we've thought they've been really good.
Hopefully it's just what AnotherJoe said. although I think the receptionist might have known if it was the office party... anyway, fingers crossed for today

chanz4

maybe he has other clients to deal with also?

davidmcn

DBoy1 wrote: »

our solicitor has only seen 1 bank statement for address verification

Had they asked for more?

and hasn't checked that we have buildings insurance in place as per the lender's requirement

You need insurance in place at exchange (solicitor doesn't need to check that, it's your problem). The lender needs insurance in place for completion. If the place burns down before the lender has handed over their money, it's not their problem! Solicitors don't always check anyway (even though they should).

As for solicitor not returning midday messages to them, hardly unusual - all it takes is a succession of long phone calls/meetings, having to get some things in the day's post etc and that's your afternoon gone.

rtho782

Our solicitor never checked our buildings insurance.

DBoy1

Had they asked for more?

No, but I remember hearing that they usually check 3 months as a minimum for money laundering checks.. maybe that's wrong.

You need insurance in place at exchange (solicitor doesn't need to check that, it's your problem). The lender needs insurance in place for completion

Of course, that makes sense. Like I said we're completely new to this, so thanks for the info.

Our solicitor never checked our buildings insurance.

I just thought that was a standard thing, because the solicitor is also acting for the lender.

Anyway, I'll wait until this afternoon and perhaps try again.

AnotherJoe

... OK so what happened?

G_M

Only your solicitor can tell you how near exchange you are and what is outstanding.

Beware Christmas - I'd check your last email or two from the solicitor which will probobly explain what date they are stopping work and what date they re-start. Many will stop any day from today onwards until after New Year........