Slow solicitor or is this normal?

mortgage_noob

Hi all,
Just looking to get a bit of a sense check on my situation and whether I need to be chasing my solicitor, whether this is totally normal, or whether I should change to another conveyancer.
I'm buying my first home and the timeline is below.  Essentially, we're one month since the offer was accepted, chain free but it doesn't seem like our solicitor has started reviewing any of the paperwork we sent.  The survey is complete and the mortgage offer has been received.

• 11 May - offer accepted

• 12 May - solicitor confirmed she'd do our conveyancing and we passed her details to the estate agent

• 25  May - hadn't heard anything so I called the solicitor for an update, she said she hadn't got the sales memo.  I chased the EA and the solicitor said she'd open our file and sent a basic new client form we returned the same day. 

• 27 May - sales memo received. solicitor said she was opening the file

• 1 June - solicitor sent over a load of attachments for us to complete, proof of funds etc etc (nothing in the body of the email just the attachments!), 

• 3 June - sent back all the documents. sent over money for searches also sent email to confirm payment with attached survey results including recommendations for the solicitor. Vendor said everything is up to date with his solicitor. 

• 7 June - we sent over another document to support proof of funds ( letter from parent for small gift approx 8% of our deposit). Solicitor responded saying she couldn't access it so could we resend, but didn't respond to any of our questions about whether the other documents were fine and when we should have a video call to verify identity

• 8 June - we emailed to say our mortgage had been approved and she would receive the offer in the post

• 10 June - called for an update and to ask if she needed anything from us or from the vendors solicitor. She said she's not had a chance to look at anything, asked us if we'd sent any money for the searches.

I know we're still early in the process but I'm finding the lack of communication a bit difficult, if she'd even just give a general update or indicative timelines that would be great but I'm just emailing things over with no feedback at all. 

Would appreciate your thoughts and guidance, we don't have a chain so I'm keen to progress ASAP  but am I being unreasonable and do I just need to chill out?

Tiglet2

You've only just started this process so indicative timelines are not possible.

Your solicitor may only have just received the draft contract pack from the seller's solicitors.  This would need to be reviewed before any further progress, so any update (if any) is likely to be minimal.  Often they wait until you have passed their ID checks and they've looked at the forms you've sent them before they start any work on your file.

There are probably lots of people ahead of you trying to complete before the end of the stamp duty deadline, so your transaction will not be prioritised in front of theirs.

Is this an expensive solicitor or cheap as chips one?

mortgage_noob

Yeh, I do understand she also needs info from the vendors solicitors, and we did ask her if that was the case or if she'd already received the draft contract. It was at that point that she told us she hadn't looked at anything and would have to check.

I'd be fine waiting if I we were just kept up to date although I am concerned about her not having actioned anything

Cost is £1500 + hourly rates (£250)  if any additional work is required. We had cheaper quotes so I don't think she's that cheap.

Sazzy1253

We have a really similar time frame. Offer put in on the 11/5. We exchange in two weeks but we’re really lucky to be in an area that searches are taking less time and we have no chain. Very similar price solicitor to ours. Maybe give them 2 weeks and check in again? 

mortgage_noob

As far as I'm aware our searches haven't been started and the solicitors haven't looked at the documents we sent over. Fortunately the searches are only 2 weeks in our area so that's good. I can't believe you're offered the same day as us and you're already talking about exchanging!

TBG01

I'm just emailing things over with no feedback at all. 

Because a lot of it doesn't come with instant feedback.

• 1 June - solicitor sent over a load of attachments for us to complete, proof of funds etc etc (nothing in the body of the email just the attachments!), 

By your own admission there was "a load of attachments". Those documents need reviewed. That isn't instant. 

• 7 June - we sent over another document to support proof of funds ( letter from parent for small gift approx 8% of our deposit). Solicitor responded saying she couldn't access it so could we resend, but didn't respond to any of our questions about whether the other documents were fine and when we should have a video call to verify identity

Was this a document requested from the Solicitor or did you/your parents just go ahead and send it? If the latter it's likely to be simply filed away because it's not what the Solicitor requires. Gifts come along with a whole load of extra work. A letter saying so simply isn't enough, which you find out if you weren't jumping the gun. 

• 8 June - we emailed to say our mortgage had been approved and she would receive the offer in the post

And? The likelihood is they received their copy at the same time. 

mortgage_noob

yes totally understand all the above. The main issue is just comms. As I say I'd be fine if she'd replied and said thanks I'll review these and come back to you but honestly it seems like she doesn't read our emails as she never replies to the queries she just responds with stuff like 'brill'.

Re the gift - the gift was declared in the forms we returned and the evidence required was outlined on the form so we sent it through, along with bank statements, ID etc. I don't believe this is jumping the gun.

I was a bit concerned  when we called and asked if she had received the contract from the vendors solicitor and she said she didn't know because she hadn't looked at anything.  I guess we have to accept its the norm but it's frustrating when the poster above offered the same day/ chain free FTB (same situation) and is way further along in the process.

C_N_

We're FTB going into a chain free house and our offer was accepted on 6th April. Requested searches on 14th May as we were waiting on our Mortgage offer and are still waiting for those back, our Solicitor is using a 3rd party which apparently slows it all right down! Compared to waiting for the mortgage though its far less stressful! 

I think you just have to accept these things take time and to chase them up weekly if you don't hear anything. In the early stages there isn't much else you can do. 

FtbEmz

We completed yesterday. We had no chain and our new property was marketed as ‘immediate vacant possession’. From viewing to completion it took 11 weeks. We exchanged and completed on the same day. Our searches came back quickly but I know other areas have weeks and weeks of backlog so it very much depends on how long that takes too. Solicitors are always slow and vague (ours was). Keep emailing them, don’t feel like you’re hassling them, but obviously be polite!

CLJ2986

We offered end of Feb, and still waiting on a no chain purchase. Our mortgage offer took forever but in that time searches were completed. It came through 28th April and we aren't even discussing dates yet as apparently there are outstanding enquiries and she's just going through proof of funds. 

mortgage_noob

Thanks all - 
I will ask for an update next week. I'd just like to know if we've got the draft contract so we can get the searches ordered. Once that's done I'll feel like we've made progress.
Good luck with your purchase  @CLJ2986