Nightmare conveyancing process

nkomp18

Hello all.
I'm selling my flat in London and I found cash buyers immediately - during the first couple of weeks and we started the process.

I was receiving pressure to choose the conveyancing firm that the real estate agent is cooperating with especially since my buyers signed up with them, but I chose different ones that were recommended to me by a friend. Not sure if that was a mistake.

There is no chain on my side nor on their side and there are no mortgages involved so it should be a quick sale. The flat is small, pretty and in good condition. Their money have been in a bank account waiting to be released since February.

Here is the problem. The conveyancing process is extremely slow and annoying.
The buyer's lawyers send enquiries to my lawyers about once a month that are really small and insignificant and absolutely silly. They drip feed those enquiries once a month with very long periods of silence. I haven't sold before so not sure if that's normal but we are cooperating fully, responding to everything and providing whatever certificates or things they need.

It has now been 4 months of this and today I had another shock.

Back in February, they sent a surveyor to do a survey by a company called the Randall group. Basically this guy called Randal showed up, had a very quick look around, just for 4 minutes in total and left saying that he's in a rush.
I couldn't stop laughing at how laughable the survey was and I was also feeling bad about my poor buyers paying that dude any money at all for that kind of service.

Today, 4 months later, they said that the surveyor reported that my bathroom needs renovation.
However, he didn't see the bathroom, he walked and in and out without seeing it and also the bathroom is newly renovated and absolutely immaculate so I am struggling to understand what on earth this is and where it is coming from. It's some sort of cosmic joke.
I think he's just making up stuff to justify his fee at my expense.

I am kind of annoyed so I am happy to interrupt the sale, as I don't really need to sell. On the other hand I also want to call out on the surveyor for being so unprofessional and dispute his claim completely.

Anyway, before I completely lose my cool, I wanted some advice from people who have gone through that process.
Is what I described above normal? Should I walk out, or try to reason with them somehow?

Thanks

csgohan4

Re market, the cash buyer is getting an excuse to gazunder you, plus their conveyancer is probably a cheap conveyor belt Estate agent one as well

KL0001

I’d respond with the fact that the surveyor didn’t even enter the bathroom, then give an ultimatum of say 2 weeks to exchange or you’ll put the proper back on the market.

G_M

nkomp18 wrote: »

Hello all.
I'm selling my flat in London and I found cash buyers immediately - during the first couple of weeks and we started the process.

I was receiving pressure to choose the conveyancing firm that the real estate agent is cooperating with especially since my buyers signed up with them, but I chose different ones that were recommended to me by a friend. Not sure if that was a mistake.
No. Not a mistake.
* it's a mistake usually to use the estate-agent recommended solicitor
* it's a mistake to use the same solicitor as the buyer


......The conveyancing process is extremely slow and annoying.
Agreed. What's new?

The buyer's lawyers send enquiries to my lawyers about once a month that are really small and insignificant and absolutely silly. They drip feed those enquiries once a month with very long periods of silence. I haven't sold before so not sure if that's normal

No. Seems a bit extreme.
but we are cooperating fully, responding to everything and providing whatever certificates or things they need.

It has now been 4 months of this and today I had another shock.

Back in February, they sent a surveyor to do a survey by a company called the Randall group. Basically this guy called Randal showed up, had a very quick look around, just for 4 minutes in total and left saying that he's in a rush.
I couldn't stop laughing at how laughable the survey was and I was also feeling bad about my poor buyers paying that dude any money at all for that kind of service.

Today, 4 months later, they said that the surveyor reported that my bathroom needs renovation.
However, he didn't see the bathroom, he walked and in and out without seeing it and also the bathroom is newly renovated and absolutely immaculate so I am struggling to understand what on earth this is and where it is coming from. It's some sort of cosmic joke.
not a joke. Either some kind of delaying tactic by the buyer, or a rip-off by the surveyor who concocted a survey report.....

I think he's just making up stuff to justify his fee at my expense.

I am kind of annoyed so I am happy to interrupt the sale, as I don't really need to sell. On the other hand I also want to call out on the surveyor for being so unprofessional and dispute his claim completely.
Almost impossible. He's not your surveyor. You've not seen the survey report. You've no idea what the survey really said.


Anyway, before I completely lose my cool, I wanted some advice from people who have gone through that process.
Is what I described above normal? No
Should I walk out No
, or try to reason with them somehow? No

Thanks

Give an ultimatum and deadline. If you still want to sell, put your property back on the market. If this buyer comes good, great. If you find another buyer, drop him.

nkomp18

Thanks for the notes. I'll try to be patient

TamsinC

Surely the buyers have seen the bathroom? Invite them back to have another look around and see that the bathroom is glorious. If they still haggle put the house back on the market.

eddddy

nkomp18 wrote: »

Back in February, they sent a surveyor to do a survey by a company called the Randall group. Basically this guy called Randal showed up, had a very quick look around, just for 4 minutes in total and left saying that he's in a rush.

I can't see any RICS accredited surveying firm near London with a name like that - in fact, google doesn't show up any surveying-type firms at all with a name like that.

A good estate agent should be chasing this up.
- What type of estate agent are you using?
- How much do you know about your cash buyer?

The details you give are very brief, but the tactics sound a little bit like those used by dodgy 'house buying/selling' companies.

nkomp18

Personally I have nothing to lose because I don't need to sell and both my real estate agent and my lawyers are covered by guarantees so if I don't sell, I don't lose a penny and can start the process again with someone else for free.

I can't see what they are trying to achieve by wasting their time like that.

The buyers are Hong Kong investors and they came over to see the flat in January and loved it but then flew back to Hong Kong and started the process remotely so they basically rely on their lawyers to do everything for them. They seemed keen and started the process immediately and transferred the cash in a UK bank account on the first week after agreeing on the price and all the money laundering checks passed.

I suspect they are being charged fees for all these optional surveys and processes and the lawyers are creating problems to justify all their fees.
The joke of a surveyor, Randall from "Randall Group limited" is not my concern, should be more of the buyers concern paying for such a rubbish survey.

I've decided not to get annoyed, just to give it one more month and then just interrupt the sale if the joke continues.

nkomp18

It's good to know the surveyor is not RICS accredited. Didn't know what RICS is. Maybe I can also raise that with my lawyers as well as the fact that they walked in and out without seeing the bathroom.
The buyers should know that stuff

camptownraces

RICS = Royal Institute of Chartered Surveyors