The NEW waiting to exchange thread...

Navigaor31

Was meant to be completing tomorrow. 
Was told in Tuesday it would no longer be happening.   Our solicitor wasn't given any reason from the top of the chain.

Now we are still waiting. Our solicitor is fab, and I feel awful chasing as she's on the ball with everything.  But I just want another date. Or at least the reason so we know whether to expect a long or short wait here. 

Frustrating thing is they only agreed to the completion date 48 hours prior to saying they couldn't do it. 

Leaving everyone in the Lurch. Just don't bother agreeing it if your not ready. What's the point.

ccfc1972

Navigaor31 said:

Was meant to be completing tomorrow. 
Was told in Tuesday it would no longer be happening.   Our solicitor wasn't given any reason from the top of the chain.

Now we are still waiting. Our solicitor is fab, and I feel awful chasing as she's on the ball with everything.  But I just want another date. Or at least the reason so we know whether to expect a long or short wait here. 

Frustrating thing is they only agreed to the completion date 48 hours prior to saying they couldn't do it. 

Leaving everyone in the Lurch. Just don't bother agreeing it if your not ready. What's the point.

It's just so frustrating, we are left in the lurch as well.
We are in the unenviable position of having to break the chain and complete on our purchase next Friday, and we still have no idea how long our purchase will take to complete after that. Can't get any answers as to when the issue might be resolved, so we cannot plan exactly what we are going to do. I didn't for a second envisage anything like this happening to us. 

Calandja

We believe our chain is all now ready to exchange, but solicitor hasn't replied or picked up the phone for 3 days now.  The whole process and dealing with solicitors is just infuriating.  I understand they're busy, but it takes 2 minutes to write a two line email.  When a chain is trying to book in removal companies, solicitors not replying for days makes everyone wound up.  Can't wait for it to be done and put this behind us.

Stand_up_Juno

rachtom84 said:

Stand_up_Juno said:

rachtom84 said:

Hello, I've been following this thread for a while but never commented..
 Our house purchase has been going on for the last 2, yes TWO YEARS and it looks like we are coming to the end finally! 
We sold our house back in June 2020 and have been living with in-laws since then (with two kids) 😩... The house we are buying is vacant, (next door to in-laws) and has been for the last two years too... Owner went into a care home then passed away early last year during the purchase process... The delays we've had have been probate, extending our shared ownship lease on our sold property, covid, sellers House not been registered and having to apply for a mortgage twice!
So glad it's finally at the end... 
Anyway.. Completion has been agreed, from both sides, on Friday 15th...however we still haven't heard from the mortgage company (Halifax) and whether they have approved the release of the money yet in time for completion... Our solicitor instructed them last friday and we sent the deposit money through then, I asked about exchange but they said they will wait to hear from Halifax before exchange... With 3 days to go does this look likely we will get the money before completion or could it be delayed even more?

I know we will wait to hear back from our solicitors but just wandered if anyone else has been through this before?

Sorry for the long post! 

Hello. I've followed but never commented either, but your post has got me writing! I honestly didn't think anyones sale could have taken as long as mine! You asked if anyone else has been through this before? Nearly, but I can't beat you (yet) as it's "only" been ONE year and ONE month since my initial offer.
My Timeline (I have nothing to sell / proceedable buyer)
Dec 2019 - My offer is accepted. My mortgage is in place. I'm ready to go.
Mar 2020 - My Sellers are struggling to find anything to buy which is frustrating but the total lack of communication from the EA is worse. 
Mar-Jun 2020 - Lockdown / property market closed and my mortgage offer has expired. 
Jun - Sep 2020 - A complete lack of communication from the Estate Agents /Sellers/their Solicitors so I start to look online at Rightmove again with a view to pulling out having waited TEN months for the Sellers to find. 
Sep 2020 - The Estate Agent calls to say the Sellers have found a house, no chain, as the owner is old and has moved out. We should complete in 8 weeks. So it's simple, I'm buying a house from people moving into a vacant house. Brilliant!
Sep 2020 - I get my second mortgage offer. 
Nov 2020 - Start of November, the end is in sight and I hope to have moved in by December. All my conveyancing is complete.
Nov 2020 - The old lady who owns the vacant house, my Sellers are buying, sadly passes away. We now have to go through probate. The Estate Agent assures  me it takes 8-12 weeks to get Grant of Probate, and it is a simple one, just one only child beneficiary, no complications.
Nov 2020 - The survey exposes some potentially expensive work but as I have now unexpectedly benefitted £6500 from the stamp duty holiday I don't negotiate further on price as I can use that extra cash. 
Jan 2020 - Absolutely no updates from anyone regarding the progress of the Probate and right now I'm on the verge of pulling out. The only thing that keeps me there is the fact that it's taken so long and we may now be so close. However the EA tells me that my Sellers can't even get hold of their own Solicitors (who are slow at the best of times) and the Estate Agent acting on behalf of the probate seller is not apparently able to provide an update either. ARRRRGHGHH! 
My current mortgage offer expire mid March and IF this process means I miss out on the Stamp Duty holiday then I will ask for that amount to be deducted from the sale price. Non negotiable.  Otherwise I'll pull out. 

RachTom - I feel your pain with two kids and no home of your own for this amount of time.  Extra "pain points" for living NEXT DOOR to the house you're buying all this time. As we have  a similar situation with someone in the chain passing away, how long did the Probate take, was it a complicated one (lots of beneficiaries) or straightforward?  Is it any clearer for you that you can exchange or not on Friday 15th?  Good luck. This process is such a nightmare!

Wow. I feel for you too... We have had an awful experience with the lack of communication, also with the sellers solicitors... Luckily we know the sellers (daughters) and have been able to keep in contact directly the whole way through.. I suggested they make a complaint as they were adament it was us with the delays! .. Our purchase/sale did officially start in April 2019 when the daughter showed us round the empty house (also needs alot of decorating and modernisation) and it's a perfect house for us and the only house we could find in our budget (was still looking on Rightmove up until now😂)
so the probate I think only took 3 months from what I remember. we found out owner passed away in start of Feb 19 and we had confirmation of probate granted may 30th (although no one actually informed us of her passing, we found out by a friend in the house next door!)
If you can chase your solicitors/land registry ask the sellers conveyencer for the probate to be expedited as its holding up a sale etc... Obviously if you are really keen on the house..

Regarding our exchange/completion tomorrow.. I will be emailing the solicitors if I haven't heard by lunch time, to see if they have managed to get hold of the sellers solicitors to exchange! .. Bank has already agreed on the money to be released so guess our solicitor will get that today or tomorrow?

We have bought a house before (11 years ago) and had a mortgage but I can't for the life of me remember how the process works!
Google and this forum have been very helpful 😂

Keep me updated😊

If I can bring a positive to the whole experience, it's that I chose to use an Online Conveyancer and it has been fantastic with easy to follow progress online and zero issues with communication. Likewise, I've been looking on Rightmove in fits of fury, but when you find a box ticker, it seems futile to pull out when you're "so close" all the time. That sounds more promising about the Probate "only" taking 3 months (which is nothing let's face it!) By my estimation we could have that done by mid Feb and with mine and my Sellers Conveyancing done, nearly there surely... (earths tectonic plates shift and swallow my house into a giant hole). 

Same, I haven't bought or sold since 2008 (and now I remember why!)

Meanwhile I'm still waiting for an update and yes I'll keep you posted (although I warn you it's taken so long we could end up pen pals). Like wise please let me know when you MOVE!
Edit: To add I don't know about you, but my friends seem to think I'm some sort of idiot who can't manage a simple house move, "It only took us 3 months blah blah". Give me a break!

Drawingaline

Spoke to EA today, buyers solicitors are reviewing the answers to the enquiries, so fingers crossed we can exchange asap for completion on 27th.

No idea how removal companies are managing with all the uncertainty and no exchanges until the day before completion and completion dates being changed because exchange hasn't happened. We booked our removals before Xmas for 27th Jan and we took the last van available!!!

Navigaor31

ccfc1972 said:

Navigaor31 said:

Was meant to be completing tomorrow. 
Was told in Tuesday it would no longer be happening.   Our solicitor wasn't given any reason from the top of the chain.

Now we are still waiting. Our solicitor is fab, and I feel awful chasing as she's on the ball with everything.  But I just want another date. Or at least the reason so we know whether to expect a long or short wait here. 

Frustrating thing is they only agreed to the completion date 48 hours prior to saying they couldn't do it. 

Leaving everyone in the Lurch. Just don't bother agreeing it if your not ready. What's the point.

It's just so frustrating, we are left in the lurch as well.
We are in the unenviable position of having to break the chain and complete on our purchase next Friday, and we still have no idea how long our purchase will take to complete after that. Can't get any answers as to when the issue might be resolved, so we cannot plan exactly what we are going to do. I didn't for a second envisage anything like this happening to us. 

Yep. We are in no rush (bar mortgage offer expiring etc) .
But not knowing if it's a simple paperwork issue...or if a someone needs a whole new mortgage offer...is frustrating. 
Don't even care for a date...just to know if it's gonna be next week...or next month kind of vibes.

rachtom84

Stand_up_Juno said:

rachtom84 said:

Stand_up_Juno said:

rachtom84 said:

Hello, I've been following this thread for a while but never commented..
 Our house purchase has been going on for the last 2, yes TWO YEARS and it looks like we are coming to the end finally! 
We sold our house back in June 2020 and have been living with in-laws since then (with two kids) 😩... The house we are buying is vacant, (next door to in-laws) and has been for the last two years too... Owner went into a care home then passed away early last year during the purchase process... The delays we've had have been probate, extending our shared ownship lease on our sold property, covid, sellers House not been registered and having to apply for a mortgage twice!
So glad it's finally at the end... 
Anyway.. Completion has been agreed, from both sides, on Friday 15th...however we still haven't heard from the mortgage company (Halifax) and whether they have approved the release of the money yet in time for completion... Our solicitor instructed them last friday and we sent the deposit money through then, I asked about exchange but they said they will wait to hear from Halifax before exchange... With 3 days to go does this look likely we will get the money before completion or could it be delayed even more?

I know we will wait to hear back from our solicitors but just wandered if anyone else has been through this before?

Sorry for the long post! 

Hello. I've followed but never commented either, but your post has got me writing! I honestly didn't think anyones sale could have taken as long as mine! You asked if anyone else has been through this before? Nearly, but I can't beat you (yet) as it's "only" been ONE year and ONE month since my initial offer.
My Timeline (I have nothing to sell / proceedable buyer)
Dec 2019 - My offer is accepted. My mortgage is in place. I'm ready to go.
Mar 2020 - My Sellers are struggling to find anything to buy which is frustrating but the total lack of communication from the EA is worse. 
Mar-Jun 2020 - Lockdown / property market closed and my mortgage offer has expired. 
Jun - Sep 2020 - A complete lack of communication from the Estate Agents /Sellers/their Solicitors so I start to look online at Rightmove again with a view to pulling out having waited TEN months for the Sellers to find. 
Sep 2020 - The Estate Agent calls to say the Sellers have found a house, no chain, as the owner is old and has moved out. We should complete in 8 weeks. So it's simple, I'm buying a house from people moving into a vacant house. Brilliant!
Sep 2020 - I get my second mortgage offer. 
Nov 2020 - Start of November, the end is in sight and I hope to have moved in by December. All my conveyancing is complete.
Nov 2020 - The old lady who owns the vacant house, my Sellers are buying, sadly passes away. We now have to go through probate. The Estate Agent assures  me it takes 8-12 weeks to get Grant of Probate, and it is a simple one, just one only child beneficiary, no complications.
Nov 2020 - The survey exposes some potentially expensive work but as I have now unexpectedly benefitted £6500 from the stamp duty holiday I don't negotiate further on price as I can use that extra cash. 
Jan 2020 - Absolutely no updates from anyone regarding the progress of the Probate and right now I'm on the verge of pulling out. The only thing that keeps me there is the fact that it's taken so long and we may now be so close. However the EA tells me that my Sellers can't even get hold of their own Solicitors (who are slow at the best of times) and the Estate Agent acting on behalf of the probate seller is not apparently able to provide an update either. ARRRRGHGHH! 
My current mortgage offer expire mid March and IF this process means I miss out on the Stamp Duty holiday then I will ask for that amount to be deducted from the sale price. Non negotiable.  Otherwise I'll pull out. 

RachTom - I feel your pain with two kids and no home of your own for this amount of time.  Extra "pain points" for living NEXT DOOR to the house you're buying all this time. As we have  a similar situation with someone in the chain passing away, how long did the Probate take, was it a complicated one (lots of beneficiaries) or straightforward?  Is it any clearer for you that you can exchange or not on Friday 15th?  Good luck. This process is such a nightmare!

Wow. I feel for you too... We have had an awful experience with the lack of communication, also with the sellers solicitors... Luckily we know the sellers (daughters) and have been able to keep in contact directly the whole way through.. I suggested they make a complaint as they were adament it was us with the delays! .. Our purchase/sale did officially start in April 2019 when the daughter showed us round the empty house (also needs alot of decorating and modernisation) and it's a perfect house for us and the only house we could find in our budget (was still looking on Rightmove up until now😂)
so the probate I think only took 3 months from what I remember. we found out owner passed away in start of Feb 19 and we had confirmation of probate granted may 30th (although no one actually informed us of her passing, we found out by a friend in the house next door!)
If you can chase your solicitors/land registry ask the sellers conveyencer for the probate to be expedited as its holding up a sale etc... Obviously if you are really keen on the house..

Regarding our exchange/completion tomorrow.. I will be emailing the solicitors if I haven't heard by lunch time, to see if they have managed to get hold of the sellers solicitors to exchange! .. Bank has already agreed on the money to be released so guess our solicitor will get that today or tomorrow?

We have bought a house before (11 years ago) and had a mortgage but I can't for the life of me remember how the process works!
Google and this forum have been very helpful 😂

Keep me updated😊

If I can bring a positive to the whole experience, it's that I chose to use an Online Conveyancer and it has been fantastic with easy to follow progress online and zero issues with communication. Likewise, I've been looking on Rightmove in fits of fury, but when you find a box ticker, it seems futile to pull out when you're "so close" all the time. That sounds more promising about the Probate "only" taking 3 months (which is nothing let's face it!) By my estimation we could have that done by mid Feb and with mine and my Sellers Conveyancing done, nearly there surely... (earths tectonic plates shift and swallow my house into a giant hole). 

Same, I haven't bought or sold since 2008 (and now I remember why!)

Meanwhile I'm still waiting for an update and yes I'll keep you posted (although I warn you it's taken so long we could end up pen pals). Like wise please let me know when you MOVE!
Edit: To add I don't know about you, but my friends seem to think I'm some sort of idiot who can't manage a simple house move, "It only took us 3 months blah blah". Give me a break!

That's good about your side of conveyancing... Hopefully probate can be granted soon...
I've just had an email from my solicitors to say they have recieved the mortgage advance from the bank in time for completion tomorrow... Sellers solicitors emailed to say "the file is in the process of undergoing final file review to enable them to proceed" (not sure what they are)
And I need to email them tomorrow morning to give authority to exchange and complete tomorrow!
Eeek... Do you think 6am is a resonable time to email 😂

mm1985

Ok so our solicitor has confirmed the 20th to us over the phone. We have confirmation of the 20th from our buyers solicitors, does this mean their buyers (bottom of the chain) have also confirmed the 20th with them? Or should I be chasing this? I know our EA is trying to get in touch with buyers EA to chase but they’re not great so should I not bank on the 20th until we have heard from solicitors at bottom of chain? 

Charl1706

Just got a call from the solicitors today, all the enquiries and searches are fine. We have a completion date of the 27th of January and they’ll send us the papers to sign next week.

Drawingaline

Charl1706 said:

Just got a call from the solicitors today, all the enquiries and searches are fine. We have a completion date of the 27th of January and they’ll send us the papers to sign next week.

Not buying my house are you? 😱😉😂 We are planning on 27th for completion (as our mortgage offer expires on 29th) and our buyers solicitors were reviewing all our replies and searches yesterday 🤷😂