So.... my offer to buy a house is accepted but the seller's solicitor is not responsive.

Misthios

Tiglet2 said:Misthios said:

sidneyvic said:

I was expecting to find you were months in, not a couple of weeks..... Patience is a virtue and the estate agent is perfectly correct these  thing take time. If you do pull out what are you going to do when next purchase takes just as long ? You will also be blacklisted by this agent and probably all his mates and may find it hard for anyone to take you seriously. Maybe do a bit of researched the average time a house purchase takes . ? 

Well I appreciate and totally understand what you re saying but you have probably miased out 2 points. A) They asked me to commit in a quick sale and be responsive before they accept my offer, they asked me for a proof of issued mortgage and not just in principle, they asked me for a proof that I have a solicitor on standby and I have provided everything. On top I have paid for a top solicitor who prioritise the case in order to meet the seller's and agent's demands. If the seller is demanding I think it's only fair to ask for some commitment on his behalf.The only thing I asked was to confirm that the seller and his solicitor are on ball to preparing the draft document. So.... Just telling me that it takes time, It's so vague when the average time to draw draft contract is about 2 weeks. Furthermore, there's no such a blasklist thing. The estate agents are legally binded to not hide offers they receive from the prospective buyers. 

Well done for being responsive as requested by your seller.  Absolutely everyone wants a "quick" sale, but the only way that happens is when the transaction is easy and everyone involved is very responsive.  No one knows if a transaction is easy until mid through the work.  If there are problems with the title, the transaction will not be quick no matter what the seller demands.

However, look at this from the other side.......

Your seller accepted your offer 7 working days ago.  Your seller instructed their solicitor.  Their solicitor would have to send out initial paperwork to get the seller signed up, a file to be opened, ID and AML checks done.  The solicitor would also send the Property Information Form and Fixtures & Contents form out to the seller to complete and return.  Once the seller's solicitor has opened the file, got the ID and AML checks done and received the paperwork back from the seller, they would need to download copies of the title and plan from Land Registry, for which they would also need the seller to put funds in the solicitor's client account.  

There is actually quite a lot of work involved in collating all the information the seller's solicitor needs in order to draft the contract and send the pack to your solicitor.  There is more work at this stage to do for the seller than the buyer.  If the seller's solicitor were to waste their time confirming to all their clients and estate agents that they are on the ball to preparing the draft contract, it would take longer still.......!

The firm I work for would struggle to do all of the above within 7 working days to be honest.  The transaction will take as long as the slowest link and you still have a long way to go.

Thank you, I appreciate it. 

Misthios

TBG01 said:

Whatever your Solicitor earns from this transaction, it won't be enough. 

You're already giving of 'one of those' client vibes and you're only two weeks into a 12 - 15 weeks transaction.

I am giving the vibe of a buyer who is responsive, committed and complied with everything the seller demanded. I am expecting something in return. 

TBG01

Misthios said:

Voyager2002 said:

Buying a house is not like picking up groceries at a supermarket.

You are engaging professionals who need to carry out checks and do things properly. This of this as like being seen in a hospital A and E department: it will take as long as it takes, and rather than complaining about it just be thankful that you will eventually receive the treatment/service that you need, so long as you are still alive at the end of the waiting period. If you don't like the way we do things in England, you are free to move to Scotland and see if life is any better there.

Ohh... Be careful... Your comment reaches closely discrimination and racism. Don't generalise the situation like "This is England, if you don't like it go elsewhere ". It's not nice at all. 

Yep, definitely one of 'those' clients 

SusieT

I have recently accepted an offer on an empty house, buyer is a landlord so no chain. The sale details were sent to me, the buyer and both out solicitors, this is my (and in your case your) confirmation that the specified solicitors are working for each of us, my solicitor will not answer queries directly from the buyer and vice versa.
I have had to fill in anti money laundering forms (for the estate agent as well as solicitor) which have to be checked. Then the simple disclosable overriding Interests form and politically exposed person questionaire. Now the fun begins, TA6, the property information form - 18 pages of information about the property, its boundaries, utilities, alterations, insurance, neighbours, parking, guarantees, boiler gas and electric checks (mine was a rental so has gas and electric certs, it is likely that the property you are buying will not be required to have these), services etc. not all questions relate to every house, but it will form the basis of the contract and documentation is needed for some of the answers. 
Fixtures and fittings form, details of what is being left in each room
Being a no chain quick sale, I expect it to complete in around 3-4 months....
You have had your confirmation that the solicitors are working for the seller, you cannot get a reply from them as they do not work for you, and will only reply to the seller, your solicitor or the estate agent. I would estimate that for a freehold house it would easily take over 2 weeks to get the forms to the seller, filled in, checked for anything missing and for the contract to be prepared from the replies - and for some questions the seller may need to visit the house in order to answer them, which again may take time.
 

[Deleted User]

Misthios said:

Voyager2002 said:

Buying a house is not like picking up groceries at a supermarket.

You are engaging professionals who need to carry out checks and do things properly. This of this as like being seen in a hospital A and E department: it will take as long as it takes, and rather than complaining about it just be thankful that you will eventually receive the treatment/service that you need, so long as you are still alive at the end of the waiting period. If you don't like the way we do things in England, you are free to move to Scotland and see if life is any better there.

Ohh... Be careful... Your comment reaches closely discrimination and racism. Don't generalise the situation like "This is England, if you don't like it go elsewhere ". It's not nice at all. 

You're reaction is uncalled for, members are giving you experiences and advice.
There is no reason, at all, to make this into a drama.

deano2099

Misthios said:
 On top I have paid for a top solicitor who prioritise the case in order to meet the seller's and agent's demands. 

I think people are still missing this bit. The reality is you probably wasted money there as the seller has not done the same. Was this specifically requested from you, or did the agent just say they wanted a "quick sale"?
Honestly a "quick sale" means 2-4 months. Had the seller paid a premium and got their solicitors to prioritise then it could probably be pushed through in 6 weeks if no issues arise but that's something that would have needed agreeing specifically. Not just a general "we want a quick sale" - that just tends to mean they don't want to be waiting about for a buyer who has to sell another property first and have the sale take 12 months.
Unless they've given you actual timescales they want to meet, and have given their own solicitors said timescales, and got them to agree to it, then "quick sale" is pretty much meaningless.
No need for you to panic unless you're in need of a very quick sale yourself. They'll have probably been taken aback by how on-it you are!

Tiglet2

deano2099 said:

Misthios said:
 On top I have paid for a top solicitor who prioritise the case in order to meet the seller's and agent's demands. 

I think people are still missing this bit. The reality is you probably wasted money there as the seller has not done the same. Was this specifically requested from you, or did the agent just say they wanted a "quick sale"?
Honestly a "quick sale" means 2-4 months. Had the seller paid a premium and got their solicitors to prioritise then it could probably be pushed through in 6 weeks if no issues arise but that's something that would have needed agreeing specifically. Not just a general "we want a quick sale" - that just tends to mean they don't want to be waiting about for a buyer who has to sell another property first and have the sale take 12 months.
Unless they've given you actual timescales they want to meet, and have given their own solicitors said timescales, and got them to agree to it, then "quick sale" is pretty much meaningless.
No need for you to panic unless you're in need of a very quick sale yourself. They'll have probably been taken aback by how on-it you are!

I don't think people have missed this bit.  The point is that if one party is slower than the rest to respond to requests, then everyone has to wait, no matter how switched on OP and their solicitor is.  OP should have understood that.