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The NEW waiting to exchange thread...

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Comments

  • Could anyone help/advise if I should start to be worried on how long my solicitor is taking to get things done?

    I'm FTB with HTB.

    19/01/19 - Offer accepted
    22/01/19 - Reservation fee paid
    22/01/19 - Solicitor Instructed - pay £400 on account
    24/01/19 - Valuation booked
    01/02/19 - Mortgage Offer / Acceptance
    07/02/19 - Broker comes back with authority to proceed from HTB scheme
    15/02/19 - Exchange date arrives and I've still not had anything from the Solicitor about searches being returned, or anything to sign?
    16/02/19 - Developers contact solicitor saying the property is now overdue on exchange
    17/02/19 - Solicitor comes back stating he's waiting on searches and should arrive by 03/03/19... it's been a whole month?
    27/02/19 - TODAY, still nothing from my solicitor, doesn't pick up the phone, returns my emails with basically no information and signs off with i'll be in touch with developments...

    Obviously being a FTB i'm starting to get a little worried... I've paid £5,000 in upgrades for the new build and just wondering if I'm worrying for nothing... Obviously contractually they're allowed to remarket the house etc?
  • Didymus
    Didymus Posts: 55 Forumite
    Fifth Anniversary 10 Posts
    reeceg353 wrote: »
    Could anyone help/advise if I should start to be worried on how long my solicitor is taking to get things done?

    I'm FTB with HTB.

    19/01/19 - Offer accepted
    22/01/19 - Reservation fee paid
    22/01/19 - Solicitor Instructed - pay £400 on account
    24/01/19 - Valuation booked
    01/02/19 - Mortgage Offer / Acceptance
    07/02/19 - Broker comes back with authority to proceed from HTB scheme
    15/02/19 - Exchange date arrives and I've still not had anything from the Solicitor about searches being returned, or anything to sign?
    16/02/19 - Developers contact solicitor saying the property is now overdue on exchange
    17/02/19 - Solicitor comes back stating he's waiting on searches and should arrive by 03/03/19... it's been a whole month?
    27/02/19 - TODAY, still nothing from my solicitor, doesn't pick up the phone, returns my emails with basically no information and signs off with i'll be in touch with developments...

    Obviously being a FTB i'm starting to get a little worried... I've paid £5,000 in upgrades for the new build and just wondering if I'm worrying for nothing... Obviously contractually they're allowed to remarket the house etc?

    I’m a FTB too, and don’t have any experience of buying new build or help to buy, but I can say that a month is not long in the world of Conveyancing. We’re on week 11 since our offer was accepted and solicitor instructed and we’re just looking to exchange this week and complete next week with any luck. I understand average is around 12 weeks when no chain is involved, but it can be much quicker or longer depending on a lot of factors.

    Hopefully someone who has been down the HTB route will be able to advise how long things took for them!
  • diggingdude
    diggingdude Posts: 2,492 Forumite
    Seventh Anniversary 1,000 Posts Name Dropper Photogenic
    Feb update

    5th Jan - View four houses, suspected two are owned by same person
    8th Jan - submit offer
    8th Jan - offer rejected, new offer submitted
    9th Jan - Call estate agent as not heard anything. Estate agents admit offer not passed on
    9th Jan - Call back, can I raise extra £500 - No, point out work needed which I likely won't do regardless
    9th Jan - offer accepted
    10th Jan - complete paperwork with solicitor, book in mortgage application for 14th
    11th Jan - pop over to house, notice randoms in driveway, panic
    12th Jan - remind estate agents to take house off market, this is done, feel better
    14th Jan - Sit through mortgage application, all looks ok
    16th Jan - print off and send stuff mortgage company wants.
    23ish Jan - mortgage all good, offer received.
    13th Feb - email my solicitor to remind they make sure the shed is left as it makes up part of the boundary.
    14th Feb - response from solicitor that they will ask re shed.
    21st Feb - receive fixtures and fittings list. Seems it took a month to get to me. Solicitors letter says still awaiting property information (so far had nothing off my solicitor including searches)
    25th Feb - drop off LISA forms for solicitor to request deposit. No one seems to know anything about my purchase, solicitor bit in today
    27th Feb - voicemail left by estate agents saying my seller is popping to their solicitors to sign the paperwork ready for exchange. (I am assuming they are trying to play a game here as I haven't even seen any real paperwork)


    Slightly bugged by this ready to exchange a message. I'm certainly not going to rush as I like this house but I don't love it, just need somewhere to live. Appreciate my solicitor seems to be taking their time and I'm in no rush myself however it's not as if this has been going on for months.
    An answer isn't spam just because you don't like it......
  • EPC has finally been done on our purchase now. Final searches came back yesterday and no concerns on the report. Our solicitor was just chasing up the last enquires. Fingers crossed we get an exchange date soon!
  • Could anyone help/advise if I should start to be worried on how long my solicitor is taking to get things done?

    I'm FTB with HTB.

    19/01/19 - Offer accepted
    22/01/19 - Reservation fee paid
    22/01/19 - Solicitor Instructed - pay £400 on account
    24/01/19 - Valuation booked
    01/02/19 - Mortgage Offer / Acceptance
    07/02/19 - Broker comes back with authority to proceed from HTB scheme
    15/02/19 - Exchange date arrives and I've still not had anything from the Solicitor about searches being returned, or anything to sign?
    16/02/19 - Developers contact solicitor saying the property is now overdue on exchange
    17/02/19 - Solicitor comes back stating he's waiting on searches and should arrive by 03/03/19... it's been a whole month?
    27/02/19 - TODAY, still nothing from my solicitor, doesn't pick up the phone, returns my emails with basically no information and signs off with i'll be in touch with developments...

    Obviously being a FTB i'm starting to get a little worried... I've paid £5,000 in upgrades for the new build and just wondering if I'm worrying for nothing... Obviously contractually they're allowed to remarket the house etc?

    Try contacting the local authority to check if the searches have been done, are in the process of being done, how long wait times are etc?
  • Thrugelmir
    Thrugelmir Posts: 89,546 Forumite
    Part of the Furniture 10,000 Posts Name Dropper Photogenic
    Feb update

    5th Jan - View four houses, suspected two are owned by same person
    8th Jan - submit offer
    8th Jan - offer rejected, new offer submitted
    9th Jan - Call estate agent as not heard anything. Estate agents admit offer not passed on
    9th Jan - Call back, can I raise extra £500 - No, point out work needed which I likely won't do regardless
    9th Jan - offer accepted
    10th Jan - complete paperwork with solicitor, book in mortgage application for 14th
    11th Jan - pop over to house, notice randoms in driveway, panic
    12th Jan - remind estate agents to take house off market, this is done, feel better
    14th Jan - Sit through mortgage application, all looks ok
    16th Jan - print off and send stuff mortgage company wants.
    23ish Jan - mortgage all good, offer received.
    13th Feb - email my solicitor to remind they make sure the shed is left as it makes up part of the boundary.
    14th Feb - response from solicitor that they will ask re shed.
    21st Feb - receive fixtures and fittings list. Seems it took a month to get to me. Solicitors letter says still awaiting property information (so far had nothing off my solicitor including searches)
    25th Feb - drop off LISA forms for solicitor to request deposit. No one seems to know anything about my purchase, solicitor bit in today
    27th Feb - voicemail left by estate agents saying my seller is popping to their solicitors to sign the paperwork ready for exchange. (I am assuming they are trying to play a game here as I haven't even seen any real paperwork)


    Slightly bugged by this ready to exchange a message. I'm certainly not going to rush as I like this house but I don't love it, just need somewhere to live. Appreciate my solicitor seems to be taking their time and I'm in no rush myself however it's not as if this has been going on for months.

    Signing the contract now means absolutely nothing. The sellers solicitor will simply hold the document ready for the appropriate time.
  • Thrugelmir
    Thrugelmir Posts: 89,546 Forumite
    Part of the Furniture 10,000 Posts Name Dropper Photogenic
    loonywitch wrote: »
    Try contacting the local authority to check if the searches have been done, are in the process of being done, how long wait times are etc?

    07/02/19 - Broker comes back with authority to proceed from HTB scheme

    Then shortly after this, the solicitor will have commenced their work in earnest. Not going to speed matters up by wasting peoples time.
  • FairyPrincessk
    FairyPrincessk Posts: 2,439 Forumite
    Part of the Furniture 1,000 Posts Combo Breaker
    edited 28 February 2019 at 8:17AM
    Hi,

    I've been lurking on this thread and now feel like I can join in. We're FTB buying a house with no chain (vendor is going to live with family I believe). I think we're getting close to an exchange date but I have no idea!

    7/1 Offer Accepted
    14/1 Solicitors instructed
    23/1 Mortgage Offer Issued
    18/2 Solicitor asks for another fee for registering the title deed as it has never been registered before (house last sold in 1980s)
    22/2 Solicitor has 'most'? searches back and sends out paperwork including fixtures and fittings form
    23/2 A few other searches follow via email, this appears to be all of them.
    24/2 Ask for clarification on forms from solicitor and for info on exchange date. Solicitor says 'we aren't there yet.'
    27/2 Signed and completed forms (contract, mortgage agreement, boundary map) send next day delivery to solicitor.

    I've left out dates for surveys etc. as these are all complete and we aren't trying to renegotiate based on their results.

    I know the solicitor is meant to be making 'enquiries' but from going through the information from the searches I don't see that there are many to make. We have window certificates where relevant.

    So, are we getting close? We're not in a time crunch, our lease lasts until early June, but I just want to know :rotfl:
  • Hi,

    I've been lurking on this thread and now feel like I can join in. We're FTB buying a house with no chain (vendor is going to live with family I believe). I think we're getting close to an exchange date but I have no idea!

    7/1 Offer Accepted
    14/1 Solicitors instructed
    23/1 Mortgage Offer Issued
    18/2 Solicitor asks for another fee for registering the title deed as it has never been registered before (house last sold in 1980s)
    22/2 Solicitor has 'most'? searches back and sends out paperwork including fixtures and fittings form
    23/2 A few other searches follow via email, this appears to be all of them.
    24/2 Ask for clarification on forms from solicitor and for info on exchange date. Solicitor says 'we aren't there yet.'
    27/2 Signed and completed forms (contract, mortgage agreement, boundary map) send next day delivery to solicitor.

    I've left out dates for surveys etc. as these are all complete and we aren't trying to renegotiate based on their results.

    I know the solicitor is meant to be making 'enquiries' but from going through the information from the searches I don't see that there are many to make. We have window certificates where relevant.

    So, are we getting close? We're not in a time crunch, our lease lasts until early June, but I just want to know :rotfl:

    you are close (er) than you were... but in my experience the time is taken when you get to the enquiry stage- ie your sol will be asking the vendors sol about the house, legal certificates etc. These questions take time to be answered depending on what type of house it is... its not always just on the searches either- have you had a survey done?
  • Nightmare day yesterday for us. Started by receiving an email from the EA saying the vendor suspects the onward chain hasn't found a property at all (suspicions raised as seemed to have disappeared off the radar) which completely contradicted info our solicitor had been given.


    Responded saying this and expressing our frustration that we're 4 months down the line and the picture is as clear as mud. Advised we would be breaking the chain to allow our sale to go through and that we would be living with family in the short term but this wasn't viable long term.


    Fast forward through stress and panic to receive a phone call from EA advising vendor had managed to speak to onward chain who explained situation but verbally mutually agreed completion of 15th March! I shall not hold my breath but currently awaiting confirmation from solicitor that 8th March agreed for our sale and 15th March agreed for purchase. As soon as contracts are exchanged, I can start ringing people to make arrangements!
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