Buyer going abroad for 1 month

Slips36

my house buyer is going abroad for 1 month, he is going on 10th February. I’m very close on the sale side and on the purchase the solicitor have received replies to the enquires. All the searches and mortgage offer is done. 
My solicitor is fairly slow I’m thinking of offering extra £200 to get exchange done by end of January or before the buyer goes abroad on 10th February. My main concern is waiting for the buyer to come back from abroad on 10th March and then rushing to get completion done before the stamp duty deadline. 
What shall I do?

JGB1955

I'm not sure there is any need for either party to physically be around for either exchange or completion...that's why they have a solicitor acting for them. When I sold last year I only visited my solicitor to supply my I.D.

Thrugelmir

Slips36 said:

My solicitor is fairly slow I’m thinking of offering extra £200 to get exchange done by end of January 

More importantly what's still required to complete the transaction?  Your solicitor isn't in control over the speed of events. 

MaryNB

JGB1955 said:

I'm not sure there is any need for either party to physically be around for either exchange or completion...that's why they have a solicitor acting for them. When I sold last year I only visited my solicitor to supply my I.D.

Just make sure you don't exchange while he's away with the completion date set for after he arrives back, just in case he can't get back into the country in time for completion. Only exchange while he's away if the house is empty and the EA has the keys. 
 

davidmcn

MaryNB said:

JGB1955 said:

I'm not sure there is any need for either party to physically be around for either exchange or completion...that's why they have a solicitor acting for them. When I sold last year I only visited my solicitor to supply my I.D.

Just make sure you don't exchange while he's away with the completion date set for after he arrives back, just in case he can't get back into the country in time for completion. Only exchange while he's away if the house is empty and the EA has the keys.

Only a problem if the buyer is simultaneously selling and can't complete his sale without being there in order to move out - otherwise completion of the OP's sale can happen without the buyer being around.

Grumpy_chap

Slips36 said:

My solicitor is fairly slow I’m thinking of offering extra £200 to get exchange done by end of January or before the buyer goes abroad on 10th February.

Are you proposing to offer the £200 to the Solicitor to work with greater urgency, or to the buyer for early exchange?

Either way, I can't see that you are offering nearly enough to be a meaningful incentive.

Slips36

The solicitor is painfully slow and his assistant rarely replies to emails. They are on digital move platform but they very slow to update the online system. I’m selling and buying  total legal cost is around £1680. The local solicitors costs were around £2800.
The sale side is almost ready for exchange and on the purchase the enquires needs to be reviewed. 
The EA emailed on Tuesday and informed the buyer wants to complete by 26th January has he is going abroad for one month. The purchase house is empty.
What will be reasonable amount to offer to get my solicitor to work urgently so has to get to exchange before the buyer goes abroad on 10th February?

MaryNB

davidmcn said:

MaryNB said:

JGB1955 said:

I'm not sure there is any need for either party to physically be around for either exchange or completion...that's why they have a solicitor acting for them. When I sold last year I only visited my solicitor to supply my I.D.

Just make sure you don't exchange while he's away with the completion date set for after he arrives back, just in case he can't get back into the country in time for completion. Only exchange while he's away if the house is empty and the EA has the keys.

Only a problem if the buyer is simultaneously selling and can't complete his sale without being there in order to move out - otherwise completion of the OP's sale can happen without the buyer being around.

Stupid me. Between reading the first post and writing mine my brain switched buyer with seller. 

davidmcn

Slips36 said:

What will be reasonable amount to offer to get my solicitor to work urgently so has to get to exchange before the buyer goes abroad on 10th February?

It would be reasonable to offer to pay the fee they originally quoted - solicitors should expect to work within the timescales which arise during the course of the transaction.

Thrugelmir

Slips36 said:

What will be reasonable amount to offer to get my solicitor to work urgently so has to get to exchange before the buyer goes abroad on 10th February?

To focus on your case at the expense of others. You would have to agree to a time charge basis. That's open ended. 

Grumpy_chap

Slips36 said:

I’m selling and buying  total legal cost is around £1680. The local solicitors costs were around £2800.

This is entirely your choice of Solicitor.
The bitterness of poor service lingers long after the sweetness of low price is forgotten.

Slips36 said:

What will be reasonable amount to offer to get my solicitor to work urgently so has to get to exchange before the buyer goes abroad on 10th February?

So, you want to ask the Solicitor to prioritise your case over and above the work of other Clients?
If so, you should offer a blank cheque and be prepared to meet the costs of at least the extra £1,120 plus 50% of the stamp duty you would stand to save plus any compensation the Solicitor would need to pay to other Clients for failing to meet obligations plus whatever figure the Solicitor chooses to pluck from thin air for dealing with an awkward Client.  
In return for agreeing those costs, there will be no guarantee but the solicitor will only be committed to best endeavours.  Acceleration instructions are rarely enforceable.

Maybe it would be better to simply ask the Solicitor to make every reasonable endeavour to achieve exchange before 10th February and explain your concerns about that date not being achieved.  Of course, I am sure the whole of your chain also wants to achieve completion to avoid the stamp duty holiday ending.  So does the rest of the whole UK housing market.  You'll need to explain to everyone why you are somehow more special than all of them combined.