9 month transaction, go away Saturday and need to complete

pinkandblue1

Hi

I’ve been buying a flat and the transaction has taken 9 months. FTB, no chain. I have a lot to say but will keep it short. 

I am due to go away on Saturday for 2 weeks and then my solicitor is away for 10 days, this will take it to July.

The solicitors are currently negotiating a term that needs to be agreed before completion for the timescale that the landlord sends over the signed deed of variation. They are just going back and forth via email and i always get updated of their response at the end of the week and SHOCK it’s then the weekend. This is not acceptable. They have been so slow the whole transaction. 

What can I do here? I have told the agents it needs to be completed by Friday but they cannot do much as they can barely get through to the sellers solicitor and ours isn’t much help at all as they have a retainer of chasing once a week! There has been no urgency the whole transaction. It is now with the landlords solicitors to confirm the timescale and get back to ours but this has taken 4 days so far, 4 weeks total to discuss this last enquiry that could’ve been sorted over the phone. 

We have told them we will cut our holiday a week if we cannot complete this week but get a date set for next week, but this doesn’t seem to have helped the urgency. 

Thank you.

teaselMay

No help but I feel your pain. 4 months here, 90 mile house move imminent, but when?!

user1977

Is your holiday relevant here? You don't need to be physically there for completion to happen.

pinkandblue1

user1977 said:

Is your holiday relevant here? You don't need to be physically there for completion to happen.

We wanted to be in before our holiday to save the stress of completion and sorting insurance etc.whilst being away. And it completely ruins it as FTB not even being present to complete. We waited 9 months and never thought it would get to our holiday and we are still not in. 

BikingBud

pinkandblue1 said:

user1977 said:

Is your holiday relevant here? You don't need to be physically there for completion to happen.

We wanted to be in before our holiday to save the stress of completion and sorting insurance etc.whilst being away. And it completely ruins it as FTB not even being present to complete. We waited 9 months and never thought it would get to our holiday and we are still not in. 

Being present where to complete?

A chain of actions take place, you want to attend all of those?

If not then being in Leeds, Liverpool or Limassol it really doesn't make any difference.

It's the same as "we want to be in by Christmas", many people express that wish but is it realistic?

user1977

pinkandblue1 said:

user1977 said:

Is your holiday relevant here? You don't need to be physically there for completion to happen.

We wanted to be in before our holiday to save the stress of completion and sorting insurance etc.whilst being away. And it completely ruins it as FTB not even being present to complete. We waited 9 months and never thought it would get to our holiday and we are still not in. 

Well, sounds like you need to think it now! I would just get it complete ASAP whether or not you happen to be away when it happens.

pinkandblue1

BikingBud said:

pinkandblue1 said:

user1977 said:

Is your holiday relevant here? You don't need to be physically there for completion to happen.

We wanted to be in before our holiday to save the stress of completion and sorting insurance etc.whilst being away. And it completely ruins it as FTB not even being present to complete. We waited 9 months and never thought it would get to our holiday and we are still not in. 

Being present where to complete?

A chain of actions take place, you want to attend all of those?

If not then being in Leeds, Liverpool or Limassol it really doesn't make any difference.

It's the same as "we want to be in by Christmas", many people express that wish but is it realistic?

Ok. I was asking for advice on what we could perhaps try to get them to move faster, not a lecture. I think it’s fair that we wanted to be in before our holiday after waiting since September and paying over 5k in fees. Especially as FTB with no chain and the property is empty. A bit of empathy maybe before your judgement 

teaselMay

Have the mortgage funds been drawn down pinkandblue? Apparently that takes 5 working days. If they haven't it'll be nearer a week on Friday before it's possible even if everything sorted today

Tiglet2

pinkandblue1 said:

Hi

I’ve been buying a flat and the transaction has taken 9 months. FTB, no chain. I have a lot to say but will keep it short. 

I am due to go away on Saturday for 2 weeks and then my solicitor is away for 10 days, this will take it to July.

The solicitors are currently negotiating a term that needs to be agreed before completion for the timescale that the landlord sends over the signed deed of variation. They are just going back and forth via email and i always get updated of their response at the end of the week and SHOCK it’s then the weekend. This is not acceptable. They have been so slow the whole transaction. 

What can I do here? I have told the agents it needs to be completed by Friday but they cannot do much as they can barely get through to the sellers solicitor and ours isn’t much help at all as they have a retainer of chasing once a week! There has been no urgency the whole transaction. It is now with the landlords solicitors to confirm the timescale and get back to ours but this has taken 4 days so far, 4 weeks total to discuss this last enquiry that could’ve been sorted over the phone. 

We have told them we will cut our holiday a week if we cannot complete this week but get a date set for next week, but this doesn’t seem to have helped the urgency. 

Thank you.

Unfortunately buying a leasehold property does take time and, although 9 months is longer than the average, it is very difficult to manage other parties workloads and priorities.  Your solicitor may 'chase' but he cannot compel or force the seller's solicitor or the landlord's solicitor to respond in a timeframe that suits you or your solicitor.  Regular chasing can, in fact, cause delays purely by interrupting the workflow while spending time dealing with the chaser and not getting on with the work.

Agreeing a term for the Deed of Variation can and does take a long time because of the various parties involved.  There will be no exchange or completion until this is all agreed and signed.  It probably does seem to be slow but with many other clients/priorities to deal with, this is the way conveyancing is in England & Wales.  Solicitors won't 'sort it out over the phone'.  It has to be in writing with wet signatures.

In conveyancing terms, your holiday is not important to the other parties.  Go on your holiday and try to forget about this until you get back.  Don't cut your holiday short - it would probably be a waste of money and effort on your part and if there are still outstanding matters to sort out, it will probably take longer than a week to sort.  Solicitors work a 5 day week, with Fridays normally being taken up by completions, so in reality only 4 working days (or 28 hours in total) to spend on your purchase.

Once you have completed on the purchase in July or whenever, you will forget the time it took to get there. 

I would assume that your solicitor will leave your file in the care of a colleague while they are away, so this shouldn't impact your transaction.

pinkandblue1

Tiglet2 said:

pinkandblue1 said:

Hi

I’ve been buying a flat and the transaction has taken 9 months. FTB, no chain. I have a lot to say but will keep it short. 

I am due to go away on Saturday for 2 weeks and then my solicitor is away for 10 days, this will take it to July.

The solicitors are currently negotiating a term that needs to be agreed before completion for the timescale that the landlord sends over the signed deed of variation. They are just going back and forth via email and i always get updated of their response at the end of the week and SHOCK it’s then the weekend. This is not acceptable. They have been so slow the whole transaction. 

What can I do here? I have told the agents it needs to be completed by Friday but they cannot do much as they can barely get through to the sellers solicitor and ours isn’t much help at all as they have a retainer of chasing once a week! There has been no urgency the whole transaction. It is now with the landlords solicitors to confirm the timescale and get back to ours but this has taken 4 days so far, 4 weeks total to discuss this last enquiry that could’ve been sorted over the phone. 

We have told them we will cut our holiday a week if we cannot complete this week but get a date set for next week, but this doesn’t seem to have helped the urgency. 

Thank you.

Unfortunately buying a leasehold property does take time and, although 9 months is longer than the average, it is very difficult to manage other parties workloads and priorities.  Your solicitor may 'chase' but he cannot compel or force the seller's solicitor or the landlord's solicitor to respond in a timeframe that suits you or your solicitor.  Regular chasing can, in fact, cause delays purely by interrupting the workflow while spending time dealing with the chaser and not getting on with the work.

Agreeing a term for the Deed of Variation can and does take a long time because of the various parties involved.  There will be no exchange or completion until this is all agreed and signed.  It probably does seem to be slow but with many other clients/priorities to deal with, this is the way conveyancing is in England & Wales.  Solicitors won't 'sort it out over the phone'.  It has to be in writing with wet signatures.

In conveyancing terms, your holiday is not important to the other parties.  Go on your holiday and try to forget about this until you get back.  Don't cut your holiday short - it would probably be a waste of money and effort on your part and if there are still outstanding matters to sort out, it will probably take longer than a week to sort.  Solicitors work a 5 day week, with Fridays normally being taken up by completions, so in reality only 4 working days (or 28 hours in total) to spend on your purchase.

Once you have completed on the purchase in July or whenever, you will forget the time it took to get there. 

I would assume that your solicitor will leave your file in the care of a colleague while they are away, so this shouldn't impact your transaction.

Thank you for your kind response. It has made me feel better. Will just try and relax and forget about it until we are back