The NEW waiting to exchange thread...

donutandbeer

Bubblebutt9 said:

We have agreed a completion date and all enquiries have been satisfied on our sale and purchase. So just waiting to sign contracts and exchange. What things are this point can go wrong before we exchange?  

We have agreed on a completion date four weeks ago but have only just exchanged three days ago. Our completion date is in December so perhaps there’s no rush to exchange, but we were ready to exchange since end of September and really wanted to exchange asap, unfortunately our vendor’s solicitor then took another two week to review their file and then another two weeks waiting for a redemption statement from the bank. This is a chain-free cash purchase. So anything can happen, we kept being told by our vendor’s solicitor that they are “aiming to exchange this week” for four weeks straight 😂 Hopefully your one will go smoothly! It’s possible. When we sold earlier this year there were 4 in a chain, and it was done in 12 weeks. 

Bubblebutt9

Thanks, it makes me very nervous! My solicitor said all parties were happy to complete on 30 November and we would aim to exchange in the next few days but that last Wednesday and I haven’t received the contracts as yet? 

Camboudica

So, we have all the paperwork now to exchange, but it looks like another spanner has been thrown in the works - our top priority for a property was it had to have parking, or the ability to put parking in, and the house is the only one on the street without a driveway, so we asked the vendor on day one if she had ever applied for a dropped kerb, and she said no she hadn't, but didn't see why we'd be denied permission to do so, so we made an offer and made an application to the local council /highway authority for a dropped kerb knowing it would take a few weeks or more to get a response.

Skip forward and I call the council to see how much longer it might take seeing as we look like we're near exchange of contracts, only to be told they can't give a firm commitment, but it should be in the next week or two, but she did confirm that the previous application was rejected.... on further questioning she couldn't tell me who had made that application (GDPR) but told me it was some time after 1997, which is when the vendor bought the property.... I'm so annoyed. I know things can change, and there's a chance they may say yes this time, but she's blatantly lied. Our trouble is now we think the worst, and wonder what else she's lied about.

We've decided we're not signing anything now and we'll wait until we get the response before we decide whether to move forward or not, but considering the survey also found an additional 10k+ of work that needs doing (confirmed by independent trades) if we do go ahead we'll be making a reduced offer. 

Ksw3

Wow that's awful. It's one thing to not volunteer the truth but another thing totally to lie about it! 

Did your solicitor have a view on it?

julicorn

A new week, new opportunities to exchange! How are you all getting on? 

The title of this thread has never felt more appropriate - I'm literally sat here 'waiting to exchange', on our sale that is. Everyone is ready, our solicitor is pushing the solicitor below, they're also ready and trying to chase the solicitor at the bottom of the chain, and... crickets. We shall see what happens. 

1616six

julicorn said:

A new week, new opportunities to exchange! How are you all getting on? 

The title of this thread has never felt more appropriate - I'm literally sat here 'waiting to exchange', on our sale that is. Everyone is ready, our solicitor is pushing the solicitor below, they're also ready and trying to chase the solicitor at the bottom of the chain, and... crickets. We shall see what happens. 

Pretty much the same!

No chain either side, contracts signed, our solicitor is happy everything our side is done and has contacted the vendors solicitor to find out whether they’re happy to proceed.

Just waiting on an exchange date so I can buy house insurance!

Sent the first 25k today, remaining £11.5k to go tomorrow. Scary!

sophieo16

julicorn said:

A new week, new opportunities to exchange! How are you all getting on? 

The title of this thread has never felt more appropriate - I'm literally sat here 'waiting to exchange', on our sale that is. Everyone is ready, our solicitor is pushing the solicitor below, they're also ready and trying to chase the solicitor at the bottom of the chain, and... crickets. We shall see what happens. 

My partner officially exchanged on his property on Friday and completion is tomorrow, so we spent all weekend running around like headless chickens, packing into boxes and moving out. 

For our purchase- We had a damp and timber inspection carried out on Friday. The report is to be expected but nothing too scary. We are debating whether to go back to the seller to negotiate on that. We aren't sure if we want toif it will have to go back through the mortgage underwriter and they decide to put us back through affordability checks or anything like that really... but that could be an unnecessary worry. Im not sure.

The good news- we got a call from the estate agent today on our purchase and the sellers have FINALLY filled in their sellers pack after the first was posted to the incorrect address and not flagged for weeks.  16th Sept our offer was accepted 

Little steps in the right direction.

RM_2013

julicorn said:

A new week, new opportunities to exchange! How are you all getting on? 

The title of this thread has never felt more appropriate - I'm literally sat here 'waiting to exchange', on our sale that is. Everyone is ready, our solicitor is pushing the solicitor below, they're also ready and trying to chase the solicitor at the bottom of the chain, and... crickets. We shall see what happens. 

Nothing happening here.  I have had an email from the person I deal with at the solicitor who has suggested a phone call with the solicitor to discuss our concerns to see if she can ease our worries.  😣

Camboudica

Ksw3 said:

Wow that's awful. It's one thing to not volunteer the truth but another thing totally to lie about it! 

Did your solicitor have a view on it?

I actually work for a conveyancing law firm, so everyone in the office has said wait for the response from the council/highway authority, and if they reject the application and we decide not to proceed we will discuss her covering our fees with her solicitor due to her dishonesty, as had she said right from the start we'd have been able to make a more informed decision about whether to proceed and not necessarily wasted all this time and money. 

hdh74

Argh. House sale fell through three months ago, two days before we expected to exchange. Not our sale, bottom of chain. Rest of us hung on.
New buyer found. Three weeks ago house at bottom suggested 28th Nov for completion.
10 days ago we heard all searches and surveys were done and queries answered (solicitor above bottom said they had been answered).
All chain above have been chasing regularly since. No responses on progress from bottom.
Late last Friday bottom of chain send out transfer docs.We were told all parties had agreed the date and were ready.  Us and all other parties (except bottom) went in today, expecting exchange today, tomorrow at latest.
No responses from bottom again on progress. Till half four this afternoon when they replied to solicitor above that they still have outstanding queries.
Solicitor above resent all answers last thing today.
We're supposed to complete on Monday - but nobody can make arrangements. 
Don't know what we're supposed to do now.