Frustrated

Blotto17

I’m in the buying process. Nearly three months in. No chain on either side. I think my solicitor has recently come back from annual leave so I think there is a backlog - I got that info from the estate agent. When I email the solicitor I just get an automated reply saying - experiencing a high volume of emails etc etc. 
I’m just frustrated by how long it’s taking. I can deal with the time but it’s the lack of communication on top of that also. If I could just get some correspondence saying we are working through it and give me some kind of time period for me to hear from them again or completion or whatever. Just feel like I’ve been ghosted. I was hoping to be able to give two months notice to my landlord for the flat I’m renting but now I just want to get this sale over the line asap. If I have to live in both places for two months so be it. Apparently the sellers are getting impatient also and after a purchase that almost happened last year (but eventually ended falling through) I’m scared of them getting ticked off - last year the sellers put their house back on the market again as they said I was taking too long. I just don’t understand why communication isn’t more of a priority for solicitors. Never used one ever in my life. Probably won’t be using them again for years to come but it’s a very unsettling experience. Could do with a lot of support, reassurance, guidance but instead I get silence. A phone call the other week got me speaking to a receptionist who was just reading basic info off a computer. She was kind of shutting me down and eager to end the phonecall. I probably sound really rude and entitled but just feel in limbo at the moment. It’s scary as well as my deposit is very large (it is to me anyway) Been asking for details of how to send this and when to send it, but still nothing. Is this the norm and is there anything I can do that moves things along without ticking anyone off? 

MyRealNameToo

Why did you choose this solicitor firm? The amazing feedback about great communication from close friends that have used them? The fact they were cheap? The estate agent recommended them?

How are you paying them? A fixed fee or by the hour? Was a case in the paper a few months ago of a woman paying her solicitor by the hour who was shocked when she got the bill and had been charged for each of the emails they'd been exchanging talking about Xmas plans etc (there had been dozens of them not the normal 1 and a reply)


Different firms are different. Fixed price they tend to want to minimise the effort time it takes them because they arent going to be paid more if they give you monthly, weekly, daily or hourly updates. Those that are at the cheaper end of the price spectrum tend to need to be able to do more concurrent cases to earn the same as those charging 50% more and so each case gets less attention on any given day. 


Timelines are hard to predict because you are very dependent on the speed of the other party and often things are Chinese whispers as you speak to your sol, he speaks to the other sol, they speak to their client, they then speak to your solicitor and they then speak to you. Each of those steps are potentially an email that goes into the bottom of the pile. 


We did go budget with our last purchase but the plus side was that there was a portal so could see what was happening, could see when messages had been read etc. Still frustrating when you go a couple of days and there's no activity shown but at least you could see they were still awaiting X and that they had chased them a few days ago and knowing they were budget prices weren't expecting them to be the quickest firm in the world. 

Blotto17

The solicitor was recommended by a friend actually who said they were “good”. I saw a few reviews online that said something similar so I recruited them straight away on the day the offer was accepted. Someone once told me whatever you have to do yourself - do it fast as the process can take so long, do as much as you can to make it go faster. 

I paid an initial fee of a few hundred pounds and then the rest will be paid at the end. 

As far as I know the ball is very much in my solicitors court at the moment. The sellers are ready to move out and straight into their new build. Their solicitors have given mine everything they have requested. 

I’d just like to get some idea of where we’re up to. I haven’t done anything all summer. Just making myself available for whatever needs doing with this as and when. 

TheJP

Unfortunately it takes as long as it takes. The solicitor will have a number of clients to get through as well as you, id rather they focused on doing the work than replying to emails. Id also prefer they were diligent than rushing to get it through quickly.

The process as a whole is frustrating, i find its always best to focus on the things you can control and be patient with the stuff that isnt.

Blotto17

Is there any point in phoning to give a “gentle nudge”? 

 I’ve heard stories about it taking six months, which sounds like a nightmare for me. I’d have to renew my contract for my flat if this were to happen. 

user1977

Blotto17 said:

I’d have to renew my contract for my flat if this were to happen. 

Why not just let it become a periodic tenancy? Even if your landlord is keen to kick you out, that doesn't happen quickly.

Blotto17

There’s only two options where I live - 6 months and 1 year. 

anselld

Blotto17 said:

There’s only two options where I live - 6 months and .

I have just completed on a zero chain sale - very nearly six months.  No major issues except for the added bureaucracy of leasehold.  Solicitors are all as bad as each other when it comes to driving progress and communication and unfortunately their remit does not include reassurance and counselling for clients so most people find it a painful experience.

Blotto17

Isn’t their profession one that’s being earmarked for being taken over by Artificial Intelligence? I can only hope.
Can’t believe it can be up to 6 months 🤦‍♂️

BungalowBel

Blotto17 said:

Is there any point in phoning to give a “gentle nudge”? 

 I’ve heard stories about it taking six months, which sounds like a nightmare for me. I’d have to renew my contract for my flat if this were to happen. 

We had a chain-free sale (just a first-time buyer for the flat and we were not buying anything) .  I am sorry to have to tell you that the conveyancing took six months. 

 HOWEVER....like most flats, it was leasehold and they usually take longer than freehold, as the lease has to be considered as well as the title;
and our solicitor left the practice halfway through the proceedings (didn't inform us) and we had a month of not being able to contact anyone, until a new solicitor phoned us.  

Hopefully your conveyancing will be sorted soon, but there is not a lot you can do other than ring them every week to see what, if any, progress has been made.

It is nerve-wracking, I know.  Good luck!

Myci85

It is a painfully slow and frustrating process, but unfortunately not one you can control, so if you want to try and minimise stress, make peace with the fact it will take as long as it takes, and start to think up back up plan, e.g. discussions with your landlord about how you may need a periodic tenancy for a few months. The fact they only offer 6 or 12 months doesn't take away from the fact that if you don't accept one of them, and don't give notice, it would automatically become a periodic tenancy. 
With our purchase our solicitor only communicated with us when needed, but I would send an email probably fortnightly to check in on progress. It felt like nothing was happening as couldn't see it, and then suddenly we were talking about dates for completion. So you may find that it is radio silence and then all of a sudden everything will be ready to go. If you're not already, channel your energy into packing.