Help with solicitors

hannahvictoria

Morning,


Just wondering if anyone can help us regarding solicitors and the process.


My fiance and I are FTB using the HTB scheme. We have just reserved our first home, and are due to exchange contracts 12th July.


I sent the filled in forms over and £150 payment to the solicitors a couple of weeks ago, giving them authority to proceed with the conveyancing searches. After a week of not hearing anything, I chased them, and was told the searches were due back on the 14th July, even though I explained on the paperwork and my original email that we were due to exchange contracts on 12th July. They said they would get the searches expedited so they were done in time and that was that.


I still have no idea of what the solicitors actually do? Will they be communicating with our builder's solicitors? Do we pay our deposit to them and when? I understand its probably the norm to chase them, but as I don't know what it is they actually sort, I'm not sure what I should be chasing them for!


I have emailed them, but I just get the generic "we are very busy and aim to respond in 2 working days" so thought it may be quicker asking on here!


Any help would be appreciated!


Thanks!

Yalpsmol

How did your solicitor not know the date you were hoping to exchange? Who was it agreed with if not through the solicitor? Have they said everything else will be in order by then?

hazyjo

The process usually takes 3 months. Sounds like you need to remind people you're working to a tight timescale of probably a month (or so).


Are you using a local solicitor you can pop in to see? Hope you're not using the builder's recommended/associated solicitor, or an internet conveyancing firm.

hannahvictoria

Yalpsmol wrote: »

How did your solicitor not know the date you were hoping to exchange? Who was it agreed with if not through the solicitor? Have they said everything else will be in order by then?

Hi,


That's what I mean, on the authority to proceed forms we had to fill in the date to exchange, and on the email when I sent the forms back, I put that we were due to exchange contracts on the 12th July.
It was agreed when we reserved the house through Kier that we had 28 days to exchange. They haven't said anything at all. I don't know what it is they sort, so I don't know what needs to be in order, that's why I'm asking on here haha.

hannahvictoria

hazyjo wrote: »

The process usually takes 3 months. Sounds like you need to remind people you're working to a tight timescale of probably a month (or so).


Are you using a local solicitor you can pop in to see? Hope you're not using the builder's recommended/associated solicitor, or an internet conveyancing firm.

Hi,


They're local in the sense that they are only about 45 mins away, but not somewhere we can just pop in.

We are using the builders recommended solicitor, as again, we have never done this before so don't know any different, and we wanted to make the process as easy as possible and they already had the search packs so this seemed like the simplest option. I know 2 other people who have bought on the same development who used the same solicitors, so spoke to them before proceeding and they said everything was fine.

Thrugelmir

Providing the transaction is proceeding don't worry about the 28 day exchange period. This is to weed out timewasters.

hannahvictoria

Thrugelmir wrote: »

Providing the transaction is proceeding don't worry about the 28 day exchange period. This is to weed out timewasters.

Ah okay, so as long as our solicitors and the builders solicitors are on with what they need to be, it shouldn't matter if it goes over? I'm probably unnecessarily panicking as we still have 3 weeks left but I've no idea how long these things take!

Thrugelmir

Takes as long as it needs too. Property transactions throw up all sorts of curved balls. Has your mortgage been approved yet?

hannahvictoria

Thrugelmir wrote: »

Takes as long as it needs too. Property transactions throw up all sorts of curved balls. Has your mortgage been approved yet?

the only thing is we are having our solicitors fees paid and flooring throughout our entire house, dependent on exchange of contracts by 12th July. Yep we received our mortgage offer last Friday.

eddddy

hannahvictoria wrote: »

We are using the builders recommended solicitor, as again, we have never done this before so don't know any different, and we wanted to make the process as easy as possible and they already had the search packs so this seemed like the simplest option. I know 2 other people who have bought on the same development who used the same solicitors, so spoke to them before proceeding and they said everything was fine.

If the builder complains that the solicitor is slow, I guess you can remind the builder that you're using the solicitor they recommended.


However, as you mention, that solicitor is getting a lot of business via that builder.

So if there's a problem between you and the builder - where will the solicitor's loyalties lie?

You are paying the solicitor for just one conveyancing transaction, the builder might be referring dozens of conveyancing transactions to the solicitor.

So might the solicitor be tempted to keep the builder 'happy' so that the referrals keep coming, rather than keeping you 'happy'?


For future reference, it might be better to use a solicitor with no connection to the builder.

eddddy

hannahvictoria wrote: »

the only thing is we are having our solicitors fees paid and flooring throughout our entire house, dependent on exchange of contracts by 12th July. Yep we received our mortgage offer last Friday.

... and if they threaten not to pay for those, if exchange is after 12th July, you can threaten to walk away.

You both have negotiating power.