The NEW waiting to exchange thread...

Insomniac101

Drem1992 said:

Natbag said:

Drem1992 said:

Out of curiosity how long did it take everyone's solicitors to receive the contract pack? 
We had our offer accepted on the 18th Feb, since then we've completed all the solicitors paperwork at our end, had our mortgage offer through (which the solicitors have also received) and had a home buyers survey done (report will be with us on Monday). I was expecting once we've got our survey report through and checked it's all ok that we should be able to give the solicitors the go ahead to start searches this week. However I had an email from the solicitors confirming they've received everything at our end, but they mentioned that they haven't received the contract pack? I was surprised as we're 5 weeks into the process I would have thought they should have had this before now?
Is it worth me chasing this up myself with the seller/EA/or seller's solicitors and if so which one do I approach?

Depends what they mean by that. The final report pack for your purchase with contracts won’t be with you until all of the searches and enquiries are complete. You can see my timeline in my signature to give you an idea of the length of the process for me. 

This is what they said in their email:
 I am awaiting the Contract pack but as soon as I receive this I can commence with the searches.
So sounds like something they need to have pre-searches?

I think when they say contract pack it's the F&F Forms and Property Information Forms.  

We had our sale memo issued 5th November, and received those forms 7th December, this is the date our solicitors sent off for searches - we had to pay disbursements fee (approx £400 to get this started).

Tiglet2

Drem1992 said:

Out of curiosity how long did it take everyone's solicitors to receive the contract pack? 
We had our offer accepted on the 18th Feb, since then we've completed all the solicitors paperwork at our end, had our mortgage offer through (which the solicitors have also received) and had a home buyers survey done (report will be with us on Monday). I was expecting once we've got our survey report through and checked it's all ok that we should be able to give the solicitors the go ahead to start searches this week. However I had an email from the solicitors confirming they've received everything at our end, but they mentioned that they haven't received the contract pack? I was surprised as we're 5 weeks into the process I would have thought they should have had this before now?
Is it worth me chasing this up myself with the seller/EA/or seller's solicitors and if so which one do I approach?

Chase the seller/EA.  You can not speak to the seller's solicitors as you are not their client and they have no contract with you.

Tiglet2

Drem1992 said:

Natbag said:

Drem1992 said:

Out of curiosity how long did it take everyone's solicitors to receive the contract pack? 
We had our offer accepted on the 18th Feb, since then we've completed all the solicitors paperwork at our end, had our mortgage offer through (which the solicitors have also received) and had a home buyers survey done (report will be with us on Monday). I was expecting once we've got our survey report through and checked it's all ok that we should be able to give the solicitors the go ahead to start searches this week. However I had an email from the solicitors confirming they've received everything at our end, but they mentioned that they haven't received the contract pack? I was surprised as we're 5 weeks into the process I would have thought they should have had this before now?
Is it worth me chasing this up myself with the seller/EA/or seller's solicitors and if so which one do I approach?

Depends what they mean by that. The final report pack for your purchase with contracts won’t be with you until all of the searches and enquiries are complete. You can see my timeline in my signature to give you an idea of the length of the process for me. 

This is what they said in their email:
 I am awaiting the Contract pack but as soon as I receive this I can commence with the searches.
So sounds like something they need to have pre-searches?

This is right at the beginning of the process. 

Your solicitor needs the seller's solicitor to send over the draft contract pack.  The seller's solicitor has to send out the Fixtures & Fittings form, the Property Information Form and the Leasehold Information Form to the seller to complete and return, along with any associated guarantees/certificates that they may have for any work done on the property.  The seller also needs to pay some monies so that their solicitor can download the title and associated documents from the Land Registry.  Once the seller's solicitor has these, they will draft the contract and send it, along with all the other documentation mentioned, to your solicitor.  Once your solicitor has the pack, they then read through everything and have to "approve" the contract and then can begin to raise enquiries based on the information received.  Although your solicitor can order searches before receiving the contract pack, many of them do not because they do not want to order searches based on an address given to them by you or the EA, which could be a waste of money for you if they order searches for the incorrect address.  They like to see the title for confirmation of the correct address.  Also, there is little point in starting the legal work until it has been confirmed (by receipt of the draft contract pack) that the seller has instructed their solicitor.

3or4magpies

03.20 on Sunday morning and I can't sleep for worrying about completion tommorow. Got 4 kids who will be at school and hoping we get the keys and can start moving in before we get them back from school around 3.45pm. We have a short chain FTB, our buyer, us, vacant possession.  What time would I expect to get the keys? Solicitor drew down funding on Friday...

Insomniac101

@3or4magpies 5.30am - wish I had moving to worry about! 

If all goes well you tend to get the keys around noon time, time shifted a little per transaction.  Eg first completion 12, then the money from that completion passes on 12.30, then the next.... but all subject to the banks and solicitors working

3or4magpies

Insomniac101 said:

@3or4magpies 5.30am - wish I had moving to worry about! 

If all goes well you tend to get the keys around noon time, time shifted a little per transaction.  Eg first completion 12, then the money from that completion passes on 12.30, then the next.... but all subject to the banks and solicitors working

Thanks @Insomniac101 that helps, so maybe 1-2pm if we're lucky. I've been googling as couldn't sleep- so many 'gory stories' about late completions and things going wrong. Need to breathe and calm down. Packers didn't come yesterday, so should be here today at 12:30. 

tooldle

It could be a lot earlier. When i sold my parents property a few years back it was all done just after 9am. In the past i’ve heard 45-60 mins per transaction.

Caz_Mnaz

Don't worry I'm house 7 in our chain so I'm half expecting not completing on time at all... That's when the day actually comes that is, if it comes at all 😂

I'm sure it will run smoothly 🙂

Wren14

When we completed on our current house we didn't get the keys until 3pm and that was us as FTB and the seller going into rented!
We moved the following day as it was too late to start moving things by that point. We won't have that luxury this time though as the FTB will obviously want the keys to our current place! 

3or4magpies

Thanks All.
@Caz_Mnaz it'll come, don't worry (then you'll be like me, worrying before I even know if there's something to worry about)
@tooldle I really hope this happens for us, even keys at 12-1pm would be spot on
@Wren this is what I'm worried about, with 4 kids needing teatime, not in yet and needing bed at a reasonable time as school next day, plus paying extra money to the removals people I expect