Who to be chasing when buying a house?

firsttimebuyer29rp

Hi all,

We’re FTB and are in a chain of 4 properties. 

We put our offer in mid-Feb and have been ready a few weeks (to be fair it happened a lot quicker than I expected). 

In order of houses in the chain:
1 (top of chain) - Last we heard a couple of weeks back there were enquiries going on. 

2 - Damp & timber survey took place early last week with enquiries still going on. 

3 (our sellers) - Ready 
4 (us) - Ready 

My question is I have been using the estate agents managing the sale of the house we’re buying to get updates. Our solicitors don’t really want to know but have chased updates (and given very vague responses) when we have asked, but who’s ultimately responsible for chasing the chain and proactively keeping us updated?

Is anyone actually responsible for this or is it an added benefit if you get an estate agent and solicitor who feed back all the updates?

I know I’m being very impatient so I do keep telling myself it’s actually going quite quick, but it feels like any time I ask anyone for updates (which is usually weekly as I wouldn’t know anything otherwise), I get vague responses or sometimes no responses at all. It may be entirely normal to be fair, it’s all new to me!

I just wasn’t sure if this is within anyone’s role to be keeping parties informed or if once you’re ready you just sit and wait until you get the news that everyone’s ready to exchange? 

Marky4040

Well this is the issue with chains isn't it, each of the process are not going at the same pace. Personally i would never enter into a chain of four people, thats got stress written all over it.

The solicitors will just give vague answers becasue they can only go as fast as the other parties are answering or supplying documentation.

The only people who can apply pressure are the different parties estate agents.

teaselMay

Yours has been pretty quick I think. I'm buying and started conveyancing about the same time as you. Shared ownership and so just me buying from a housing association, no chain, new build house. I've currently absolutely no idea when we're likely to be able to complete. I've only asked once and at that point got a no idea in solicitor speak response, which was fair enough tbh.

eddddy

firsttimebuyer29rp said:

My question is I have been using the estate agents managing the sale of the house we’re buying to get updates. 

Good estate agents will progress the sale...

i.e. each estate agent will 'chase' their own seller and buyer, and they'll keep in touch with other estate agents in the chain.

But some estate agents are better than others at doing this (and some estate agents don't do it at all - especially ones who get paid in advance.)

Plus some sellers/buyers will 'fib' to estate agents about progress, and some estate agents will add a positive 'spin'...

... and sometimes one estate agent will add a layer of positive spin when talking to another estate agent, then that estate agent will add another layer of positive spin.

So you have to use your judgement to gauge how much you believe the feedback you get from your estate agent.



(FWIW, in the past, I contacted another estate agent lower down the chain to discuss progress. They were very helpful, and contradicted a lot of what my own estate agent had told me. But I guess some estate agents might not do this - citing GDPR etc.)

TheJP

firsttimebuyer29rp said:

Hi all,

We’re FTB and are in a chain of 4 properties. 

We put our offer in mid-Feb and have been ready a few weeks (to be fair it happened a lot quicker than I expected). 

In order of houses in the chain:
1 (top of chain) - Last we heard a couple of weeks back there were enquiries going on. 

2 - Damp & timber survey took place early last week with enquiries still going on. 

3 (our sellers) - Ready 
4 (us) - Ready 

My question is I have been using the estate agents managing the sale of the house we’re buying to get updates. Our solicitors don’t really want to know but have chased updates (and given very vague responses) when we have asked, but who’s ultimately responsible for chasing the chain and proactively keeping us updated?

Is anyone actually responsible for this or is it an added benefit if you get an estate agent and solicitor who feed back all the updates?

I know I’m being very impatient so I do keep telling myself it’s actually going quite quick, but it feels like any time I ask anyone for updates (which is usually weekly as I wouldn’t know anything otherwise), I get vague responses or sometimes no responses at all. It may be entirely normal to be fair, it’s all new to me!

I just wasn’t sure if this is within anyone’s role to be keeping parties informed or if once you’re ready you just sit and wait until you get the news that everyone’s ready to exchange? 

I think you are being impatient, enquiries can take a month or two to finalise due to the people being asked the questions to take the time to answer, the solicitor to review and report back to the client and then the client to deliberate and be satisfies/ask for more detail. On top of everyone also having life happen around them and also managing their own sale/purchase.

If you are ready, its just a waiting game until the chain is complete and ready.

TheJP

eddddy said:

(FWIW, in the past, I contacted another estate agent lower down the chain to discuss progress. They were very helpful, and contradicted a lot of what my own estate agent had told me. But I guess some estate agents might not do this - citing GDPR etc.)

Be careful with this approach as you could upset people by 'interfering' in someone elses business, i know i wouldnt be happy if someone further down/up the chain had contacted my EA about my sale/purchase. I also would not be happy with my EA either.

eddddy

TheJP said:

eddddy said:

(FWIW, in the past, I contacted another estate agent lower down the chain to discuss progress. They were very helpful, and contradicted a lot of what my own estate agent had told me. But I guess some estate agents might not do this - citing GDPR etc.)

Be careful with this approach as you could upset people by 'interfering' in someone elses business, i know i wouldnt be happy if someone further down/up the chain had contacted my EA about my sale/purchase. I also would not be happy with my EA either.

I'm not sure that's logical.

Every seller, every buyer and every EA in the chain wants the sale to complete - so everyone will be pleased about anyone doing anything to move the chain forward or hold the chain together.

EAs up and down the chain talk to each other - they don't reply to each other with "it's none of your business".


In my case, the EA I spoke to was really happy to talk to me. I gave her first-hand info about what was happening up the chain (about delays), which she could pass on to her seller/buyer.

I imagine she was pleased that she could reassure her seller/buyer with details about the delay, and perhaps the seller/buyer would think  "Wow - that EA is really on the ball, she's got detailed info on progress higher up the chain." 

TheJP

eddddy said:

TheJP said:

eddddy said:

(FWIW, in the past, I contacted another estate agent lower down the chain to discuss progress. They were very helpful, and contradicted a lot of what my own estate agent had told me. But I guess some estate agents might not do this - citing GDPR etc.)

Be careful with this approach as you could upset people by 'interfering' in someone elses business, i know i wouldnt be happy if someone further down/up the chain had contacted my EA about my sale/purchase. I also would not be happy with my EA either.

I'm not sure that's logical.

Every seller, every buyer and every EA in the chain wants the sale to complete - so everyone will be pleased about anyone doing anything to move the chain forward or hold the chain together.

EAs up and down the chain talk to each other - they don't reply to each other with "it's none of your business".


In my case, the EA I spoke to was really happy to talk to me. I gave her first-hand info about what was happening up the chain (about delays), which she could pass on to her seller/buyer.

I imagine she was pleased that she could reassure her seller/buyer with details about the delay, and perhaps the seller/buyer would think  "Wow - that EA is really on the ball, she's got detailed info on progress higher up the chain." 

I agree with asking your EA to pursue the chain but i wouldnt do it personally, it can muddy the waters and knowing people some dont like it if it isnt done via the instructed channels.

The OP has already been told there are outstanding enquiries and information regarding a survey. They just have to be patient, contacting all the EAs involved for an update isnt going to speed up the process. 

Albermarle

TheJP said:

eddddy said:

TheJP said:

eddddy said:

(FWIW, in the past, I contacted another estate agent lower down the chain to discuss progress. They were very helpful, and contradicted a lot of what my own estate agent had told me. But I guess some estate agents might not do this - citing GDPR etc.)

Be careful with this approach as you could upset people by 'interfering' in someone elses business, i know i wouldnt be happy if someone further down/up the chain had contacted my EA about my sale/purchase. I also would not be happy with my EA either.

I'm not sure that's logical.

Every seller, every buyer and every EA in the chain wants the sale to complete - so everyone will be pleased about anyone doing anything to move the chain forward or hold the chain together.

EAs up and down the chain talk to each other - they don't reply to each other with "it's none of your business".


In my case, the EA I spoke to was really happy to talk to me. I gave her first-hand info about what was happening up the chain (about delays), which she could pass on to her seller/buyer.

I imagine she was pleased that she could reassure her seller/buyer with details about the delay, and perhaps the seller/buyer would think  "Wow - that EA is really on the ball, she's got detailed info on progress higher up the chain." 

I agree with asking your EA to pursue the chain but i wouldnt do it personally, it can muddy the waters and knowing people some dont like it if it isnt done via the instructed channels.

The OP has already been told there are outstanding enquiries and information regarding a survey. They just have to be patient, contacting all the EAs involved for an update isnt going to speed up the process. 

If your EA is proactive, then I agree it would be best to not be contacting other EA's.
However if nothing seems to be happening, no updates etc I would be tempted to take matters in my own hand and start contacting other EA's in the chain.

m0bov

Just let each person chase the next one down, let 3 chase two, they know their sale is at risk it the progress stalls. Just ask 3's EA for updates as and when.