Offer me some perspective please?

kezzygirl

We've had an offer accepted on our new home on 11th October. Mortgage in place, survey done and searches returned last week. Contract pack received a couple of weeks ago,which our solicitor has yet to look at and submit enquiries. I spoke to her early last week and she said searches are back and title stuff and she will report on them towards the end of the week. I have received nothing since,and spoke to her this morning. She said she has not yet had chance to look at these and report. She also said she has not yet received any enquiries for our sale. I have spoken to our buyer and her solicitor has in fact submitted enquiries. 

I guess my question is,I feel like im pestering our solicitor but feel like things aren't moving as quick as I'd like. It took 2 weeks for them to set up the account and confirm our requirements despite me submitting them same day, and uploading all of the documents needed for the sale and purchase. 

Are my expectations too high?

SameOldRoundabout

Yes. That is moving incredibly quickly as it is, I wouldn’t be pestering her yet, as you know the market is still crazy and solicitors have many clients to deal with! I think you’re expecting far too much for a sale and purchase only 5 weeks in. Give it until Friday to check at least now, ideally Monday. They’re aware of you and what you need and they should get round to it in due course. 

You are only completing 2 transactions. Your solicitor keeping track of many, many more. 

sheffield_soldier

Just pester them and don't feel bad. You are paying them!

I am buying currently and my solicitor gets a call twice a week. Always nice, polite but firm that I want to get things moving quickly. Don't give them too much time because they will happily sit on it and use that.

TripleH

Yes.

It is very frustrating when, like us, you sound on the ball and expect others to match your efforts.

Sadly all you can do is turn around all your tasks ASAP.

It might also be that your buyer has submitted enquiries by post which will take time to process or their enquiries could be very basic like the name of the firm selling your property.

MsACam

Depends how much you’re paying - you get what you pay for with conveyancers. Mine reviews all enquiries/emails within 2 days but he’s not a fixed fee but charges about £250 per hour. Seems fair when you think it doesn’t all go to him (there’s overheads like professional insurance, office, secretary etc to pay for). I don’t really understand why people budget so little for legals on house buying - the surveyor pops round for an hour or so and charges £1k to write up a report within a timeframe they want, and the report is v often repeating stuff as they do so many such reports. And yet a conveyancer who is on the project for months is expected to do many hours of work - and money laundering checks for the big amounts of cash - for similar price. 

Our vendors’ conveyancer has never responded faster than within 2 weeks - and has also given wrong legal advice. But they’re cheap as chips. 

The conveyancing process is really not that complex - it’s just smoke and mirrors. “Title” can be downloaded by you within 2 mins off the land registry website for £3 - sellers just need to confirm it’s correct. Building regs and planning permission can be viewed online for free (you might have to create a free account first). The list of initial enquiries is standard (as there’s a template). Then there’s a template for the contract and property info form/fittings and contents form.

In short - You do deserve a better service but only if you’re paying for it. 

Snookie12cat

kezzygirl said:

We've had an offer accepted on our new home on 11th October. Mortgage in place, survey done and searches returned last week. Contract pack received a couple of weeks ago,which our solicitor has yet to look at and submit enquiries. I spoke to her early last week and she said searches are back and title stuff and she will report on them towards the end of the week. I have received nothing since,and spoke to her this morning. She said she has not yet had chance to look at these and report. She also said she has not yet received any enquiries for our sale. I have spoken to our buyer and her solicitor has in fact submitted enquiries. 

I guess my question is,I feel like im pestering our solicitor but feel like things aren't moving as quick as I'd like. It took 2 weeks for them to set up the account and confirm our requirements despite me submitting them same day, and uploading all of the documents needed for the sale and purchase. 

Are my expectations too high?

Call her and email her as much as you like - its her job to deal with your case and she might get so sick of you that she does it sooner just to get you off her back ha ha ha.

I speak to mine every week to ask where they are and ask them to chase things that are not moving. I also speak to the buyer and then relay info from her solicitor back to mine to call them out on things they havent done but said they have! She loves me I am sure. 

TheJP

If you pester them too much then the time they allocate to your case lessens due to the time needed to respond to the pestering. There is also a chance that the solicitor will rush your case at your request and make a mistake or miss something that you may later wish had been picked up on (obviously not from a negligence POV).

Your case by the sounds of it has progressed further than most at this stage. The searches are pretty key in ensuring that what you are buying doesn't have any risks associated, from this your solicitor will then compile a list of enquiries to better understand anything from a legal standpoint that could cost you in the future. Not something i would want my solicitor to rush.

Snookie12cat

TheJP said:

If you pester them too much then the time they allocate to your case lessens due to the time needed to respond to the pestering. There is also a chance that the solicitor will rush your case at your request and make a mistake or miss something that you may later wish had been picked up on (obviously not from a negligence POV).

Your case by the sounds of it has progressed further than most at this stage. The searches are pretty key in ensuring that what you are buying doesn't have any risks associated, from this your solicitor will then compile a list of enquiries to better understand anything from a legal standpoint that could cost you in the future. Not something i would want my solicitor to rush.

This is a good point. I will add that I am one week in and my sellers solicitor wont reply and confirm she is even acting for her and no one has done anything apart from me in applying for a mortgage (I cant get the val as the seller has covid). Its going to be a long sale and purchase I can tell now.

The author has done well getting everyone so far in 5 weeks.

canaldumidi

bear in mind that you have just one (or maybe two if buying & selling) conveyancings ongoing. And you're emotionally involved in them.

Your solicitor by contrast has a (figurative) pile of case files on his desk, which he is juggling and managing the most productive way possible. He will be balancing working through them to a limited extent by turn, but more often by priority (eg is Exchange expected this week?, or is a specific action needed?).

Yes, if you pester, he might pull out your file, update himself on it, and, if relevant, take some action. But if he does that for evry client he'll be forever re-prioritising files! And forever reviewing/updating himself rather than actually doing what needs doing, so all clients get slowed down.

Solicitors tend to only contact their clients when they either have questions, or somethig to report. Spending time telling clients "Yes we're working on it" or 'We're waiting for X", or "We did Y last Tuesday" is a waste of their time.

I would only pester if either a critical date is approaching eg Exchange, or there's a significant delay, which does not appear to be the case here.

Sadly the introduction some decades ago of the competitive market into conveyancing, and the associated reduction in fees, means the 'personal service' and time available for friendly weekly chats, has gone.

kezzygirl

I appreciate your responses,Thank-you.  I guess I'm just hoping she will stick to her word I.e. report as she said she would. Also,if she answers the enquiries this will allow the buyers solicitor to progress also. I appreciate that there are many other cases she is juggling,she just seems so laid back with no sense of urgency! 

TheJP

kezzygirl said:

I appreciate your responses,Thank-you.  I guess I'm just hoping she will stick to her word I.e. report as she said she would. Also,if she answers the enquiries this will allow the buyers solicitor to progress also. I appreciate that there are many other cases she is juggling,she just seems so laid back with no sense of urgency! 

This stuff takes time, compiling enquiries based on searches and other factors cant be rushed as the solicitor has a duty of care to ensure what you are buying is actually what you think you are buying and that the property doesn't have a flood risk, contaminated land, mine shaft proximity etc.

Answering enquiries also takes time as they need to check various things based on what has been raised they then pass onto you anything that only you have an answer for. 

The solicitor could be doing this for half a dozen other cases some of whom may be pestering them as well. As mentioned to be at this stage at week 5 is great however you may have another 7 weeks to go if certain questions from the enquiries (both ends) take longer to answer or there are issues that need to be rectified and satisfied.