The NEW waiting to exchange thread...

crumblylancashire

Becksina said:

Well we are still waiting. We were told we’d complete this week (simultaneous exchange and completion) but Accord mortgage are basically auditing everything both conveyances have done before issuing funds. Has anyone else used Accord Mortgages had this? Our solicitor was NOT happy about this as there’s now a minimum 7 working day period for Accord to review all the work, meanwhile we are all packed and have been all week. 

On top of that is the worlds most frustrating buyer, who has cut our internet off this week by setting her own up so I can’t work and have to take annual leave, has had workmen sent to my house despite not even having exchanged yet and has had all her mail redirected here and expects me to take it to hers constantly. Losing the will to live. I had to sit in all day yesterday with 2 toddlers to wait for a workman she said was coming who never showed up, she didn’t even say thanks! 

I’m more excited to complete just to be done with them to be honest. The magic of the house has gone now it’s dragged on so long 

Oh, that's a worry - we're using Accord and hoping to exchange next Friday... sigh

ZappyBoy

Becksina said:

Well we are still waiting. We were told we’d complete this week (simultaneous exchange and completion) but Accord mortgage are basically auditing everything both conveyances have done before issuing funds. Has anyone else used Accord Mortgages had this? Our solicitor was NOT happy about this as there’s now a minimum 7 working day period for Accord to review all the work, meanwhile we are all packed and have been all week. 

On top of that is the worlds most frustrating buyer, who has cut our internet off this week by setting her own up so I can’t work and have to take annual leave, has had workmen sent to my house despite not even having exchanged yet and has had all her mail redirected here and expects me to take it to hers constantly. Losing the will to live. I had to sit in all day yesterday with 2 toddlers to wait for a workman she said was coming who never showed up, she didn’t even say thanks! 

I’m more excited to complete just to be done with them to be honest. The magic of the house has gone now it’s dragged on so long 

We used Accord, they are fair but very very thorough, so doesn't surprise me they are auditing more.
As for your buyer, crikey that is some next level entitlement there. The petty side of me would write return to sender on their mail . And workmen shouldn't be coming to your house unless agreed by you so don't entertain that nonsense. 
Hopefully it all gets sorted for you, best of luck.

Becksina

ZappyBoy said:

Becksina said:

Well we are still waiting. We were told we’d complete this week (simultaneous exchange and completion) but Accord mortgage are basically auditing everything both conveyances have done before issuing funds. Has anyone else used Accord Mortgages had this? Our solicitor was NOT happy about this as there’s now a minimum 7 working day period for Accord to review all the work, meanwhile we are all packed and have been all week. 

On top of that is the worlds most frustrating buyer, who has cut our internet off this week by setting her own up so I can’t work and have to take annual leave, has had workmen sent to my house despite not even having exchanged yet and has had all her mail redirected here and expects me to take it to hers constantly. Losing the will to live. I had to sit in all day yesterday with 2 toddlers to wait for a workman she said was coming who never showed up, she didn’t even say thanks! 

I’m more excited to complete just to be done with them to be honest. The magic of the house has gone now it’s dragged on so long 

We used Accord, they are fair but very very thorough, so doesn't surprise me they are auditing more.
As for your buyer, crikey that is some next level entitlement there. The petty side of me would write return to sender on their mail . And workmen shouldn't be coming to your house unless agreed by you so don't entertain that nonsense. 
Hopefully it all gets sorted for you, best of luck.

Glad there’s some good talk about Accord then! Their timescales have been horrid with us but seem to be great with a lot of posters here! 

We’ve said no more workmen and to cancel the redirect so we will see! 

dramaticat

dramaticat said:

Finally able to post here, but in confusion and stress rather than the excitement I expected to feel.

August 2020  Put my house on the market, after thinking about doing so for three years. I’ve been viewing properties over the same period and saw the house I’m interested in buying at around the same time.

October 2020  After not a lot of interest in my house, received an offer that was too low.

October 2020  Offer increased by £15,000 and also declined.

October 2020  Offer increased by £30,000 – £20,000 off asking price. Delayed accepting because some good friends wanted to buy my house were struggling to sell theirs, and they had some more viewings booked. Unfortunately, they still haven’t sold.

October 2020  Offered 7.5% under the asking price for the house I’m interested in, which reflected what I considered to be a fair price in comparison to other things on the market. Declined, giving a figure that would be accepted that was just over my budget.

19 October 2020  Third viewing of house with a builder to discuss various options. We notice strong musty smell in a particular area, although no signs of damp visible. I get permission for an independent damp survey.

26 October 2020  Viewed a second house I was keen to view for a second time. Arranged this for a couple of days after the first viewing, during which time they accepted an offer.

11 November 2020     Damp survey carried out. No damp, and surveyor couldn’t smell anything! I raise my offer by £15,000, which is still £15,000 below the price the seller wants.

16 November 2020  Offer declined and house price is reduced by £25,000 on the estate agent listing.

As background, I have been intending to move for three years after my husband died. Just as I was going to contact estate agents in 2017, my neighbour put in a planning application to build houses in what was his parking area at the end of his garden, which is opposite my house. House selling put on hold while he made three applications before the final one was accepted, and then started to build. Didn’t think it would be a good idea to try and sell while living opposite a building site and portaloo! Then decided to try an take advantage of the stamp duty holiday.

I am also looking to move in a very restricted area – the same village. I have good friends here and I still feel I need their support – so not many properties to choose from. I realise this is a problem of my own making.

I now feel depressed and am questioning the wisdom of selling my house and having to rent while I wait for a suitable house to come on the market. There was a flurry of activity in the summer, but only two of the houses were right for me. I lost out on one and can’t agree a price on the other. I’m lucky that I can put my stuff into storage and stay with a friend for a few months while I either buy a house or look for something to rent – and it’s good not to have to rush into anything. But I’m now scared the market will dry up with the effects of lockdown and I’ll be stuck renting for ever. On the other hand, it wasn’t that easy to sell this house, and if I don’t sell now, I might not be able to if something I like does come up for sale.

Having said I can’t afford the house I like, it’s more that I don’t want to afford it. If I paid the price asked for, I’d wonder why I was getting only £30,000 more for my much bigger house and whether it was a wise move to make financially. I could end up with around £1,000 – and if we don't get the transaction done by 31 March next year, I'd have to pay to move. This all started out as a downsizing exercise that was meant to release a bit of equity as I work towards retirement!

I’m going to spend the evening eating ice cream.

Quite a lot to update on my journey.

The house I wanted to buy was taken off the market a couple of weeks after my final offer and hasn't reappeared.

January 2021 I learn that my buyer is funding the purchase of my house through the sale of two properties. One had completed; one fell through in January. I gave him two weeks to put it back on the market, and luckily he sold again very quickly. It seems that his original estate agent was lying to him and everyone about the length of the original chain – we all thought it was being bought by someone with nothing to sell! Needless to say, he changed estate agents.

February 2021 Nothing much coming on the market in my very small search area, so I start packing up stuff that I want to take with me when I move in with my friend. The rest is going into storage.

27 February 2021 Said friend has been nagging me to get more exercise, so I go out for a walk with her, only to fall off a stile and break my leg! Have to wait 8 days for an operation and now face 5 or 6 weeks of not being able to put weight on it. I tell my solicitor and estate agent there's no way I can move until I can use the leg again in some form – my friend's house isn't suitable for someone with this type of disability :-) Luckily there are still queries to be answered at the bottom of my buyer's new chain. This delay shouldn't affect that chain in any case, since he is not living in the house being sold. The only concern is when his mortgage offer expires.

March 2021 A very suitable house in my search area comes on the market. With no immediate hope of being able to view, I get my friend to book a viewing – she has been doing viewings with me, so knows what I'm looking for. There's also a video tour, which is helpful, and the estate agent selling my house is happy to do the negotiating for me. Well, potentially buying a house you've never seen seems to be fairly unremarkable in the crazy world I live in at the moment! :-)

Caz_Mnaz

Blimey that's quite a journey!!!! Sorry to hear about your leg....will your friend be able to video call you from the viewing? 

Insomniac101

naomibm said:

our hideous buyer is coming round this eve with a damp meter. depsite already having money off...im sure hes looking for more. im sure we could have exchanged this week and hes been putting it off. im not sure i can cope with more stress of haggling....any advice?

When the now buyers put in a cheeky offer, and we know it's cheeky, way below market value (£30-40k), but we'd fallen through twice already and needed to move quick to secure the house we wanted. We said to them/EA, if we accept this bid we are not going to negotiate any further when and if they have surveys etc done, they can use the money they saved on fixing any problems.  And true to their word, they didn't even send a surveyor as they knew we were not going to budge. 

Insomniac101

@dramaticat - this whole process is too slow and frustrating and I can't wait for it to be over.  Our flat went on the market Jan 2020, and when I finally saw light at the end of the tunnel, as we were supposed to exchange last Friday, we've been pushed back again.... the buyers solicitors asking more questions...

naomibm

Insomniac101 said:

naomibm said:

our hideous buyer is coming round this eve with a damp meter. depsite already having money off...im sure hes looking for more. im sure we could have exchanged this week and hes been putting it off. im not sure i can cope with more stress of haggling....any advice?

When the now buyers put in a cheeky offer, and we know it's cheeky, way below market value (£30-40k), but we'd fallen through twice already and needed to move quick to secure the house we wanted. We said to them/EA, if we accept this bid we are not going to negotiate any further when and if they have surveys etc done, they can use the money they saved on fixing any problems.  And true to their word, they didn't even send a surveyor as they knew we were not going to budge. 

we really should have said this when we reduced the price for them...but i was concerned they would then think there was something wrong with the property....and i dont think there is (to our knowledge anyway). he is now saying he wants a full structural survey...which to me seems really bad as we were just about to exchange and weve already given thousands off. he is a surveyor himself and would have seen the defects he is talking about months ago. im unsure there is any truth in what hes saying or if he even plans on ever buying it or just stringing us along! its been so stressful...the place we are buying still havent found anywhere and are moving into rented for us. i think we may just say...exchange or we put it back on the market...we sold it relatively quickly...within a fortnight...and hopefully the people we arebuying from will wait for us. any advice peeps? trying to move in a  pandemic with 2 children under 5 is stressful enough, without this horrid buyer. 

crumblylancashire

Becksina said:

ZappyBoy said:

Becksina said:

Well we are still waiting. We were told we’d complete this week (simultaneous exchange and completion) but Accord mortgage are basically auditing everything both conveyances have done before issuing funds. Has anyone else used Accord Mortgages had this? Our solicitor was NOT happy about this as there’s now a minimum 7 working day period for Accord to review all the work, meanwhile we are all packed and have been all week. 

On top of that is the worlds most frustrating buyer, who has cut our internet off this week by setting her own up so I can’t work and have to take annual leave, has had workmen sent to my house despite not even having exchanged yet and has had all her mail redirected here and expects me to take it to hers constantly. Losing the will to live. I had to sit in all day yesterday with 2 toddlers to wait for a workman she said was coming who never showed up, she didn’t even say thanks! 

I’m more excited to complete just to be done with them to be honest. The magic of the house has gone now it’s dragged on so long 

We used Accord, they are fair but very very thorough, so doesn't surprise me they are auditing more.
As for your buyer, crikey that is some next level entitlement there. The petty side of me would write return to sender on their mail . And workmen shouldn't be coming to your house unless agreed by you so don't entertain that nonsense. 
Hopefully it all gets sorted for you, best of luck.

Glad there’s some good talk about Accord then! Their timescales have been horrid with us but seem to be great with a lot of posters here! 

We’ve said no more workmen and to cancel the redirect so we will see! 

Accord were very quick with out first mortgage offer, and when that went belly up, they moved it to the new place - got a valuer out, and approved it within the week.  So, no complaints so far, just hope they don't spend ages now to release funds.

dramaticat

Caz_Mnaz said:

Blimey that's quite a journey!!!! Sorry to hear about your leg....will your friend be able to video call you from the viewing? 

Yes, she will and has been briefed about the things I want to know that you can't get from photos/estate agent video walk-through.

Insomniac101 said:

@dramaticat - this whole process is too slow and frustrating and I can't wait for it to be over.  Our flat went on the market Jan 2020, and when I finally saw light at the end of the tunnel, as we were supposed to exchange last Friday, we've been pushed back again.... the buyers solicitors asking more questions...

In this instance, I'm grateful that the process is taking such a long time!