The NEW waiting to exchange thread...

lillypoo

good luck to you too insomniac
we were originally supposed to complete yesterday
then we were supposed to exchange yesterday
now i will be chasing solicitors right along side you

i am so fed up with this process ... it feels like 120mph then 30 mph then 120 mph then stalling on an upward slope....
dont know which bit was worse, the frantic packing when given a very close completion date or the sitting around in an empty house now everythings in storage and NOTHING seeming to happen

ah well .... lets hope we all have at least some information and good news later today. 

lillypoo

ps ...does anyone else feel really guilty for chasing solicitors ad estate agents? i KNOW theyere working for me yet i feel like im being a nuisance on the rare occasions i phone anyone.

Drem1992

FTB here, we're still fairly early on in the process compared to most of you!
Timeline

18/02- offer accepted

18/02- mortgage application made to NatWest

20/02- solicitors instructed

11/03- mortgage application rejected by NatWest 😭
11/03- mortgage application made to Halifax

17/03- mortgage approved by Halifax 🥳
22/03- home buyers survey will happen

Solicitors are waiting for survey to be completed before they start their searches. 
Have been trying to work out a possible timeline for when this will all be done but I realise that's almost impossible at this stage. I'm itching to move in and get decorating! We're very lucky to be first time buyers in a rental where we only have to give 4 weeks notice, and our vendor is moving into rental, so once all the paperwork and legal bits are done we shouldn't have to wait too long to move in.
Anyone else spending too much time on Pinterest/Instagram planning out the DIY jobs and browsing furniture online? 😂

Emily

Sunsaru

lillypoo said:

ps ...does anyone else feel really guilty for chasing solicitors ad estate agents? i KNOW theyere working for me yet i feel like im being a nuisance on the rare occasions i phone anyone.

Yup!!! I alway start with "I'm so sorry to harass you..."

Caz_Mnaz

Sunsaru said:

lillypoo said:

ps ...does anyone else feel really guilty for chasing solicitors ad estate agents? i KNOW theyere working for me yet i feel like im being a nuisance on the rare occasions i phone anyone.

Yup!!! I alway start with "I'm so sorry to harass you..."

Nope, I always just email /call my solicitor with 'don't suppose we've heard anything H' and he normally replies with 'nope I've heard chuff all from the chain' 😂 I love him he's great

And I don't even have to chase my buying and selling agents as they ring once a week with updates or confirm no news.

Feel very lucky after hearing some people's experiences! 

Sunsaru

Drem1992 said:

Anyone else spending too much time on Pinterest/Instagram planning out the DIY jobs and browsing furniture online? 😂

Emily

FTB here too, completing today. 
I've had a spreadsheet with costs and links from about a week after instructing my solicitors in Jan. Furniture, white goods, beds.  I must have had 6 or 7 viewings to date taking tradesmen or just my tape measure round.
This process can get stressful at times so it's good to focus on the funs bits.

Sunsaru

Caz_Mnaz said:

Sunsaru said:

lillypoo said:

ps ...does anyone else feel really guilty for chasing solicitors ad estate agents? i KNOW theyere working for me yet i feel like im being a nuisance on the rare occasions i phone anyone.

Yup!!! I alway start with "I'm so sorry to harass you..."

Nope, I always just email /call my solicitor with 'don't suppose we've heard anything H' and he normally replies with 'nope I've heard chuff all from the chain' 😂 I love him he's great

And I don't even have to chase my buying and selling agents as they ring once a week with updates or confirm no news.

Feel very lucky after hearing some people's experiences! 

It's only my solicitor and MA that I've had to chase. The selling agent has been nothing short of world class.

dungabeagle

Have been trying to work out a possible timeline for when this will all be done but I realise that's almost impossible at this stage. I'm itching to move in and get decorating! We're very lucky to be first time buyers in a rental where we only have to give 4 weeks notice, and our vendor is moving into rental, so once all the paperwork and legal bits are done we shouldn't have to wait too long to move in.
Anyone else spending too much time on Pinterest/Instagram planning out the DIY jobs and browsing furniture online? 😂

Emily

I am probably... a month ahead of you in the process (Offer accepted on the 1st February but mortgage offer granted on the 10th February) & we have just started to talk dates! Provisionally we are aiming for the 23rd April to move! I know that a lot of things can vary place to place (we are in the north east) but we are in a similar position of currently renting & buying off sellers who are moving into rented accommodation & by my count we are looking at 81 days from offer to completion - hopefully! 

It might be worth having a look at how long searches in your area are taking, it’s been linked in this thread before but googling “searchflow personal search turnaround” should give you an idea (it should take you to a list of different council areas and timescales- I’m still a newbie so it won’t let me post a direct link!)
Ours is only around 8 working days but some places are creeping up to 45+ days for searches to be returned. 

I keep going through phases of planning out everything ... then realising that I really can’t commit to anything until we are in... then planning out everything all over again!

Drem1992

dungabeagle said:

It might be worth having a look at how long searches in your area are taking, it’s been linked in this thread before but googling “searchflow personal search turnaround” should give you an idea (it should take you to a list of different council areas and timescales- I’m still a newbie so it won’t let me post a direct link!)

Ours is only around 8 working days but some places are creeping up to 45+ days for searches to be returned. 

Thank you so much I didn't know about this, our area says 6 working days which sounds amazingly short! Hopefully won't have to wait too long!

Natbag

flyingv said:

So sorry some of you are having the wait from hell.  Really hope you all get good news soon and that you'll all be on the move and surrounded by boxes in your new homes!
An update from me:

24/09 - flat went on the market - loads of viewings and a couple of (very) low-ball offers from investors
21/12 - reduced the price
13/01 - accepted an offer just under the revised price from a relocation company paying cash who want a 12-week completion (yikes!)
13/01 - instructed solicitor
19/01 - hand-delivered what felt like an entire forest of paper back to the solicitor's office
28/01 - draft contracts sent to buyer's solicitor

19/02 - spoke to EA who told me all was progressing well, searches had been requested and enquiries raised with my solicitor
12/03 - spoke to EA again, all searches are back except the LA search and responses to enquiries have been received.  LA search is due back on 23rd March. 
Hopefully once the LA search is back that will be it and we can start thinking about dates.  Exciting!

You're at a similar stage and timeline to me, we have all our searches back but can't proceed until both sets of buyers have theirs back - one due today and one next week I'm told. Hoping to get my solicitor to update me on the enquiries, as I'm under the impression they are mostly done but for any last-minute ones off the back of the searches, and I want to start talking about dates now because I really need to push this ahead due to our current living situation and there are six parties who need to agree. Urgh!