When to pester?

missmoose

We put an offer it on 12/12
early Jan we go papers from the estate agents detailing the seller and their solicitor so we filled out our solicitor paperwork and handed them back and paid the searches on 16/01
Rang our solicitors on 19/01 to make sure they got the payment and our papers because we dropped them off with the secretary/assistant. They had and said they had everything in order were just waiting for the contract from the sellers solicitor before they can begin searches.
Rang the estate agents, a friend told me to ask them for updates too, they seem to think that the searches have been done but I rang the solicitors again today, same case, waiting on the sellers solicitor.
When (if ever) is it okay for me to ring the EA and get them to tell the seller to kick their solicitor in to shape and get the necessary paperwork sent over?

MyOnlyPost

Firstly you need to speak to your solicitor about expected time frames and whether they think this is normal or the sellers solicitor is delaying. If solicitor thinks a nudge may be appropriate then fair enough, although my solicitor usually does his own nudging

Cakeguts

Buying a house takes time. So far you have had to wait wait about 1 month. You have at least another two to go and it could be another 4. It isn't time to try to get anyone to do anything.

KatieMossman

As someone going thorough the process of exchange for our first house which we have truly fallen in love with I would say that you are spending a life changing amount of money and you deserve to know what is going on. Pester is the wrong word but do politely inquire weekly with estate agents, solicitors and mortgage advisers. Don't be afraid to ask for explanation.

My estate agent recognises my voice the second she picks up the phone. I will be buying her flowers when this is over because shes been brilliant- but it is their job to chase and keep you informed.

TBagpuss

Do chase the agents. They can then chase your sellers solicitors and (unlike chasing your solicitor) it won't add to your costs.

You solicitor will let you know once they hear. If you are concerned by all means send your solicitor an email and say that you will be chasing via the agetns and canthey let you know as soon as they hear anything so you are not doing so unecessarily.

But it is not particualrly unusual. Your sellers may be a bit slow off the mark getting all their ID etc to their conveyancer and/or the solicitor/conbveyancer may be slow getting it your solicitor. If they are using a low-cost conveyancing farm rather than a real solicitor then you are likely to find that things will be a bit slower, as those organisations tend tohave their staff dealing with very high volumes of work so their turnaround time is slower. If you picked your own solicitor or cnveyancer primarily on price then the same is likely to be true of them.

You mightfind it helpful if you ask yor own conveyancer roughly what sort of timescale they expect, but do remember they can only control how fast they do things, not how fast your sellers or their representatives do things, so your solicitor will only be able to tell you in very broad terms what the timescale might be, not what it will be.

mimiduck

I agree with TBagpuss, chase agents when needed as it is their job to make sure the process is going on schedule. Sometimes solicitors can be a bit slow which is why most of the times agencies should chase them to make sure the sale is going according to speed.

Yes like Cakeguts said it is ony month 1 however sometimes it is good to give a kind reminder to the agent to ask how things are going as sometimes even agents might forget to get an update.