Conveyancing Direct - anyone used them?

pjs493

After lots of delays with the purchase of a property I’m selling, I’m beginning to wonder if the buyer is taking me for a ride. For context the buyer has been a long term tenant and we’ve never had any problems with anything with regards to the tenancy. They are a model tenant. When the decision was made to sell the property I gave the tenant first refusal and they jumped at the chance to buy stating they had always hoped we’d decide to sell because they love living there and it ticks all their boxes. 

Everything seemed good to begin with, if a little slow due to their work commitments. 

My solicitor has been sending stuff to the firm my buyer allegedly instructed, to discover last week that the buyer never instructed them. My solicitor is unsure why the other firm didn’t tell them sooner given that it has been several weeks since draft contracts were sent. 

Since my buyer agreed to the purchase, I’ve since viewed properties, found one I really love, had an offer accepted, had a survey done, had searches completed, and my solicitor is now making enquiries having received draft contracts. My purchase has now significantly overtaken the sale and I fear I’m at risk of losing my purchase and all the money I’ve spent so far. For context the buyer agreed to buy six weeks before my offer was accepted on my purchase. 

My buyer has since claimed they’ve had all sorts of problems with that firm not responding to emails and phone calls etc so told me they would instruct another firm. I made a few local suggestions based on reputation, etc, but they’ve instead gone in another direction (which of course is entirely their choice). 

They’ve told me they’re now using a company called Conveyancing Direct. I’ve looked them up online and they appear to have a terrible reputation. I’m worried my purchase is going to fall through and it is going to impact school starting in September, etc. My new house is hundreds of miles away so can’t I make do with a long commute for drop off and pick up while things finalise. 

In the time that has been wasted we could have completed the sale by now. I’m not sure what to do. Im worried my purchase is going to fall through. I’m also worried that if I upset the tenant and the sale doesn’t go ahead, they’ll refuse to move out. If my purchase falls through I will likely need to move into the property myself or sell it through an agent if I can get a quick sale. I have limited time left in my current accommodation and while there is some flexibility I really want the house I’m in the process of buying and need stability for my children. 

propertyrental

I've no experience of CD, but the cheaper warehouse conveyancing firms have a mixed reputation on here. 

The consensus seems to be that yes, they are cheap (but often add on extras when the final bill comes in) and as long as it's a 'normal' or straightforward sale/purchase they are fine.

But they tend to be less good if issues arise or complexities are involved. They are cheap because they treat it as tick box exercise. When a box cannot be ticked, they either lack expertise or simply take ages to resolve because 1 qualified person is overseeing dozens of tick box admin staff.

Not sure that helps you.

I'd push them for a deadline, explaining why, and say the alternative is a S21, eviction and sale on the open market. Either way (they take too long, or you decide to evict) you're going to lose your onward purchase.

eddddy

pjs493 said:

After lots of delays with the purchase of a property I’m selling, I’m beginning to wonder if the buyer is taking me for a ride. 
...
...
When the decision was made to sell the property I gave the tenant first refusal and they jumped at the chance to buy stating they had always hoped we’d decide to sell because they love living there and it ticks all their boxes. 

Even if they're not consciously "taking you for a ride", they might be clueless FTBs who need steering, or even well-meaning dreamers who "love living there" and would love to buy it, but perhaps are now finding they can't. 

If you'd been selling through an estate agent, the agent would have checked bank statements for the deposit, and checked their Mortgage AIP - did you do anything along those lines?

And the estate agent would have been phoning them every few days to chase them about instructing solicitors, applying for a mortgage etc. Again, maybe that's something you should start chasing them about.

pjs493

eddddy said:

pjs493 said:

After lots of delays with the purchase of a property I’m selling, I’m beginning to wonder if the buyer is taking me for a ride. 
...
...
When the decision was made to sell the property I gave the tenant first refusal and they jumped at the chance to buy stating they had always hoped we’d decide to sell because they love living there and it ticks all their boxes. 

Even if they're not consciously "taking you for a ride", they might be clueless FTBs who need steering, or even well-meaning dreamers who "love living there" and would love to buy it, but perhaps are now finding they can't. 

If you'd been selling through an estate agent, the agent would have checked bank statements for the deposit, and checked their Mortgage AIP - did you do anything along those lines?

And the estate agent would have been phoning them every few days to chase them about instructing solicitors, applying for a mortgage etc. Again, maybe that's something you should start chasing them about.

I have seen proof of funds. But did initially trust that they’d instructed a solicitor when they said they did and because I passed the information straight to my solicitor, I assumed all was ok. My solicitor called to say that several things they’d sent hadn’t received a response and when they called to chase the buyer’s solicitor, they said they hadn’t been instructed. 

I’ve now given the buyer a bit of a push and they’ve now instructed a well-known and reputable firm and sent proof of that to me. 

I think they’ve been trying to drag things out for whatever reason, but the threat of me telling them I might potentially having to evict them and move into the property myself has seemingly given them the push they needed to do something about it. I’ve now warned them that if things aren’t progressing properly by the end of the week, I’d have to assume they weren’t serious and move on to my other option. 

They have said that their new solicitor has been fully appraised of the issues that had with the old solicitor (it’s hard to find the truth of the story here - it could have just been a rubbish firm who weren’t actioning things, or it could have been the buyer deliberately delaying). They’ve told their new solicitor that everything is ready to go from my side, draft contracts, etc. So it’s all on them now to order searches and make enquiries etc. I’ve asked for proof that searches have been ordered by the end of the week. 

pjs493

eddddy said:

pjs493 said:

After lots of delays with the purchase of a property I’m selling, I’m beginning to wonder if the buyer is taking me for a ride. 
...
...
When the decision was made to sell the property I gave the tenant first refusal and they jumped at the chance to buy stating they had always hoped we’d decide to sell because they love living there and it ticks all their boxes. 

Even if they're not consciously "taking you for a ride", they might be clueless FTBs who need steering, or even well-meaning dreamers who "love living there" and would love to buy it, but perhaps are now finding they can't. 

If you'd been selling through an estate agent, the agent would have checked bank statements for the deposit, and checked their Mortgage AIP - did you do anything along those lines?

And the estate agent would have been phoning them every few days to chase them about instructing solicitors, applying for a mortgage etc. Again, maybe that's something you should start chasing them about.

It’s hard to know. They’ve argued they’re just a bit clueless as FTB and dropped the ball, but they’re intelligent people so even a quick google search would have helped guide them to the process. I had no idea until I did a little bit of online research. 

They have a mortgage and I’ve seen proof of funds. They’ve now instructed a well known reputable firm who have already started the process so things should hopefully move quickly now. 

I think being frank with them that if my purchase falls through I’ll have to move into the property myself has quelled any games they may have been playing because I think they genuinely want the property. I just feel they’ve been delaying for some reason. Hopefully now, the threat of losing it altogether has pushed them into action. 

I’ve asked them to send me proof that searches have been ordered by the end of the week.