Agreeing a completion date

angelasocks

Hi

Searches back and enquiries on my house sale were completed Tuesday. An admin error at the Land Registry was cleared up and Land Registry emailed my solicitor yesterday.  My solicitors said they would email my buyers solicitor today at latest.

So far so good but my last sale fell through due to buyers finances and I'm getting very jittery.  

Maybe a stupid question but how long is it reasonable to expect a completion date to be agreed now.  There is 3 people in the chain behind me I'm chain free and I'm flexible on completion date.

Thank you for reading

turnitround

Thats going to depend on the rest of the chain being in a position to proceed. Until everyone in the chain is ready to exchange contracts no completion date can be agreed.

angelasocks

Everyone behind me was waiting for me (or the Land Registry).  Or that's what my solicitor said,

fackers_2

Similar position... Driving me crazyyyy! Solicitors both blame each other... Nothing new there.

propertyrental

angelasocks said:

Everyone behind me was waiting for me (or the Land Registry).  Or that's what my solicitor said,

Then your solicitor should be able to negotiate Exchange and Completion dates with the other solicitors.

Have you instructed your solicitor as to

* what gap, if any, you want between Exchange and Completion, or 
* whether you are entirely flexible so up to the others in the chain?
* what date(s) you a) would prefer or b)will not agree to?
* whether you a) prefer or b) refuse to accept, or c) don't care, what day of the week you'd like to Complete?

Your solicitor can only negotiate dates on your behalf if you tell him what you want or don't want!
 

TheJP

Ask. your. solicitor.....

eddddy

It's often faster to use the estate agents to find an exchange date and completion date that suits everyone.

They'll usually phone back and fourth - and do some persuasion, negotiate some compromises - and hopefully get dates agreed within an hour or two. (Whereas solicitors might just send emails back and forth - which might take days.)

Then everyone in the chain can inform their solicitors what dates have been agreed.

(But be careful - because the estate agents will also try to influence dates. Typically, they'll try to persuade everyone to exchange/complete asap - because they want to get their fees asap.)


Obviously, if the solicitors aren't all ready by the chosen date, it won't happen - but you're suggesting that all the solicitors are ready now.

angelasocks

Hi

Thank you for replies - rang solicitors and EA and getting different stories. 

"It's often faster to use the estate agents to find an exchange date and completion date that suits everyone."

Thanks - tried EA but she tells me that she doesn't sort out the completion dates the solicitors do. 

Today EA said that we are waiting for buyers at the bottom of the chain to come up with a completion date after their solicitors sent contract last week. Not sure why it's taking them a week to come up with a completion date. Or even if this is the right story it changes each time I phone for an update.

I've told EA and Solicitor I don't have any preference for a completion date and should be able to go with what others want.

Honestly finding it very tough this past week worrying that someone in the chain is going to pull out.

Sorry think this more of a vent as there is very little I can but wait it out - just getting very impatient with it all. 

Thanks to anyone who read my probably very boring post.

CSI_Yorkshire

angelasocks said:

I've told EA and Solicitor I don't have any preference for a completion date and should be able to go with what others want.

Do it the other way around.  Tell your solicitor that you want to exchange on X and complete on Y, and instruct him to put those dates to the other solicitors in the chain.

Even if you really don't care, it's amazing how many people this will work with.

angelasocks

Thanks CSI - that's not a bad idea actually - worth a shot if nobody else can suggest anything

CSI_Yorkshire

angelasocks said:

Thanks CSI - that's not a bad idea actually - worth a shot if nobody else can suggest anything

If nothing else, people are more likely to come back with "no, but what about A and B?" than just saying "nope".