The NEW waiting to exchange thread...

CBat

I've got a mortgage offer with Santander which was approved in October. It's valid until March and I'm hoping to complete in Feb. Has anyone had experience with Santander- when the time comes, are they likely to do any more checks ahead of releasing the funds?

greensalad

All fingers crossed for some good news for me please. I've had a shocker Christmas period losing my rag over our purchase/move.

FTB offer accepted early July. Chain complete late July. We had everything completed and signed early October but the rest of the chain (only two above us) have lagged. In October/November we discussed with our vendor that we really needed to get moving and they agreed that everything should be ready for an early December exchange, but wanted to move early Jan. Fine by us. Discussed with chain exchange pre-Christmas and complete 10th January and all happy with that, but the solicitors above us have just lagged and lagged. Absolutely atrocious. Then our vendor went on holiday. Couldn't get in contact with anyone. Needless to say I was so depressed pre-Christmas not being able to speak to anyone and no idea where we were. 

Offices have all been closed over Christmas so obviously 10th for completion isn't happening as we've not even exchanged. Still don't understand what the holdup is. Vendor spoke to us privately and told us to not expect to complete 10th (which we already knew) but also said we should be careful about our end-of-tenancy date 24th January too because they doubt we'll be ready to complete by then. Ughhhhh. Why? So now we're having to worry about not having a home come the end of the month because our tenancy completes.

Tomorrow I'm going in all guns blazing and pushing everyone to do something. I don't even know what the hold up is. But I've moved on from tears into just rage about why nothing is happening.

RS2OOO

Stress levels similar to the poster above.

But having gone through Christmas constantly thinking about the sale/purchase (can't really not think about it when living out of boxes), I'm somewhat not looking forward to this week through fear of bad news.

One thing I have decided on is not to chase anyone this week. Solicitor and progressor said my file will be main priority for this week so If there's going to be any news it will find its way to me.

KandP711

I am another that can join the list of high stress levels. I have been following this thread since the summer. 

We have a small chain: our buyers- us - empty house we are buying.
We started this process in July and house sold on first day of viewings. However we lost these buyers when we was ready to exchange due to “work needing done on the skirtings”. So house went back on the market in early November and sold first day of viewings again. All has moved very quickly our new buyers are not in a chain, we are now all at ready to exchange until the 23rd December when our new buyers decided they wanted builders quotes done for  works that had showed on their building survey (that they had on first week of December). Builders Quotes come back considerably less then there’s, and we have offered £3.5k off the house price and will go to £5k tooo get things moving along. There response to the reduced price was that the survey also suggested possible asbestos and they would like specialist investigations. We feel the new buyers may be gazundering us, and we are close to stating exchange in the next two weeks or we’re withdrawing from the sale.
We are at the point that we are happy to walk away from the sale and remain in our home, the housing market has completely changed to the two times previously we have moved! 

Needed to vent!
good luck to all waiting for good news this week fingers crossed to us all! 

Laurelii

KeepOnKnitting said:

Moneybear said:

My mortgage offer expires in a couple of months time. Is it worth reminding EA and solicitors to try to push everyone else along?

I think it will do no harm to say to everyone that you want to complete by that date. Just check with your solicitor that it is realistic.

could i email the estate agents we got the house from and do the same or would that be seen as me being rude? if i just explain our mortage offer expires in 7 weeks 

boldaslove

Hey all, thought I’d join this thread again after a few failed house purchase attempts over a couple of years   we’re FTBs and it’s a cash purchase. We started looking in 2019 and had had a few obstacles along the way - really hoping this year is our year!

9/10/21 - viewed house. Put offer in same day. No chain above or below  
11/10 - offer accepted. Solicitors instructed.
5/11 - survey completed
15/12 - searches back

We had a brief moment of excitement where we thought we could exchange before Christmas but our solicitor brought us back down to earth when they talked us through the outstanding enquiries. The main issue is an improvement grant the seller took out some years ago to adapt parts of the house - this came from the council and we don’t know how much it was or if it needs paying back. Apparently it could run up to 30K! So that made us put the brakes on pretty sharpish. We’re now waiting on the council to provide this information and I’m just hoping they’re desperate for money and will get back to the solicitors quickly!

BF and I are trying so hard to relax about it. I can’t believe how stressful it’s been. I never want to move again after this 

greensalad

RS2OOO said:

Stress levels similar to the poster above.

But having gone through Christmas constantly thinking about the sale/purchase (can't really not think about it when living out of boxes), I'm somewhat not looking forward to this week through fear of bad news.

One thing I have decided on is not to chase anyone this week. Solicitor and progressor said my file will be main priority for this week so If there's going to be any news it will find its way to me.

I feel you on the boxes front. Luckily we have the space, but the dining room is stacked high with boxes and I'm getting to the stage now where we need to get rid of furniture (drinks cabinet, TV bench, dressing table, bedside tables) but also don't want to live without them for too long if this drags on!

So I'm just slowly decluttering everything out of them that we don't need or use. After Christmas all the glassware has been packed away except for some old wine glasses that will get binned plus a singular whiskey glass for my OH! Think we're gonna need it after all this drama! I'll be sipping direct from the bottle of gin I guess...

RS2OOO

Laurelii said:

KeepOnKnitting said:

Moneybear said:

My mortgage offer expires in a couple of months time. Is it worth reminding EA and solicitors to try to push everyone else along?

I think it will do no harm to say to everyone that you want to complete by that date. Just check with your solicitor that it is realistic.

could i email the estate agents we got the house from and do the same or would that be seen as me being rude? if i just explain our mortage offer expires in 7 weeks 

I'd say to get on the phone to the Sales Progressor at the EA and make it clear your Mortgage offer expires on X date and if Completion doesn't happen by that dat there is a risk you may not be able to get another suitable mortgage. 

Laurelii

Moneybear said:

My mortgage offer expires in a couple of months time. Is it worth reminding EA and solicitors to try to push everyone else along?

Mine expires in just a little over 7 weeks. im extremly worried we wont complete in time, im done on my side and i think our seller is , i think were waiting on our sellers seller..... fml 

charlotteo1988

We are up against the clock. Decided just before Xmas that the property we had almost completed on but the chain was still getting longer to cut our loses and start again with another property. So searches are to be back for the new property by end of this week. 

Valuation and hopefully mortgage offer back next week. 

Our buyers mortgage offer runs out 15th January so they are asking for one month extension so we need to complete by the 11th February 5 weeks Friday!!! 

No contract pack yet but again hoping to be sent this week so enquiries can start to be asked. 

Fingers crossed everyone has reenergised and are on the ball. 

Already emailed my solicitor just to remind her 11th feb deadline and to send anything she has over to us.