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Sellers have been given a completion date but we haven’t?

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Hi,
The sellers of the house we are buying have been given a completion date of 16/12/22 (next Friday) by there solicitor and are adamant this will happen. 
However when we have asked our solicitor he has advised us he cannot provide a completion date as he is still waiting for some outstanding enquiries to be answered by the sellers solicitor.

The seller has signed their contract however our solicitor won’t send us our contract until the enquiries are answered.

We desperately need a completion date as we have furniture and a bed on order and need a delivery date, however our solicitor simply will not provide us one. 

How can the sellers solicitor give them a completion date but ours can’t?

is the 16th even possible when mortgage funds still need to be requested from the lender and contracts need to be signed?
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Comments

  • elsien
    elsien Posts: 35,965 Forumite
    Part of the Furniture 10,000 Posts Name Dropper Photogenic
    edited 11 December 2022 at 3:43PM
    Any completion date is only proposed until all parties agree to it and contracts are exchanged. Contracts have not been exchanged so there is no firm completion date, whatever the seller is saying.
    Your solicitor has advised that this cannot be agreed until they have had satisfactory answers to their questions. The solicitor is carrying out due diligence on your part because it’s you stands to lose out if the information given is incomplete. 
    Has the completion date come from the estate agent by any chance?
    All shall be well, and all shall be well, and all manner of things shall be well.

    Pedant alert - it's could have, not could of.
  • MikeJXE
    MikeJXE Posts: 3,856 Forumite
    1,000 Posts Second Anniversary Name Dropper
    That maybe the completion date they are aiming for but it doesn't mean it will happen, plus you have to agree one at some point or not
  • jmre22
    jmre22 Posts: 22 Forumite
    10 Posts Name Dropper
    elsien said:
    Any completion date is only proposed until all parties agree to it and contracts are exchanged. Contracts have not been exchanged so there is no firm completion date, whatever the seller is saying.
    Your solicitor has advised that this cannot be agreed until they have had satisfactory answers to their questions. The solicitor is carrying out due diligence on your part because it’s you stands to lose out if the information given is incomplete. 
    Has the completion date come from the estate agent by any chance?
    Thanks for the reply.
    I understand where my solicitor is coming from as he needs to ensure everything is okay before he proceeds.
    However I’ve been in good contact with the seller during the sale and his solicitor has told him the 16th and insists it will complete on 16th. His solicitor is dealing with the sale and the purchase of the house he is buying and has also told the solicitor of the house he is buying the 16th too. 
    Let’s say the outstanding enquiries are answered tomorrow, is the 16th even within reason? It was to my understanding that mortgage funds can take up to 5 working days to be transferred?
  • propertyrental
    propertyrental Posts: 3,391 Forumite
    1,000 Posts First Anniversary Name Dropper
    edited 11 December 2022 at 4:13PM
    Yes it's possible, but equally it is not guaranteed.

    Ordering furniture before Exchange is always rash. The sale might even fall through.....

    The seller's solicitor may be relying on the fact that he knows he will answer the outstanding enquiries, say, tomorrow. But your S may not be satisfied by the answers. So until your solicitor confirms the 16th you cannot count on that date. 
  • MikeJXE
    MikeJXE Posts: 3,856 Forumite
    1,000 Posts Second Anniversary Name Dropper
    When you exchange contracts the completion date will be included, exchange and completion can and does happen on the same day, yes if a mortgage is involved it does take longer 
  • user1977
    user1977 Posts: 17,765 Forumite
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    jmre22 said:

    when we have asked our solicitor he has advised us he cannot provide a completion date as he is still waiting for some outstanding enquiries to be answered by the sellers solicitor.
    What are the outstanding enquiries?
  • MikeJXE
    MikeJXE Posts: 3,856 Forumite
    1,000 Posts Second Anniversary Name Dropper
    user1977 said:
    jmre22 said:

    when we have asked our solicitor he has advised us he cannot provide a completion date as he is still waiting for some outstanding enquiries to be answered by the sellers solicitor.
    What are the outstanding enquiries?
    They could be anything, mining reports, new build in your area, you name it if it is going to effect your house or your future life your solicitor wants to know 
  • diystarter7
    diystarter7 Posts: 5,202 Forumite
    1,000 Posts First Anniversary Name Dropper
    edited 11 December 2022 at 6:57PM
    Hi OP

    You  too have to agree to the completion date for it to be valid.
    Please do not worry, if you can't do that date, change it but like yourself, other side has to agree ie a mutually agreeable date.

    Thanks and I hope you are happy in your new home :)
  • user1977
    user1977 Posts: 17,765 Forumite
    10,000 Posts Seventh Anniversary Photogenic Name Dropper
    MikeJXE said:
    user1977 said:
    jmre22 said:

    when we have asked our solicitor he has advised us he cannot provide a completion date as he is still waiting for some outstanding enquiries to be answered by the sellers solicitor.
    What are the outstanding enquiries?
    They could be anything, mining reports, new build in your area, you name it if it is going to effect your house or your future life your solicitor wants to know 
    Yes, I know what enquiries are, I'm wondering whether the OP knows what specifically is outstanding.
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