Buying a leasehold flat is such a horrible experience.

somerandomusername

Albermarle said:

Depending on the questions, you should probably be using the estate agent for a lot of this.

This is the type of thing the estate agent is paid 1% or 1.5% of the selling price to do - it's called "sales progression"

When a family member bought a house recently, the Vendors EA had someone specifically to do this job of sales progression. It helped a lot in getting quick answers to non legal questions.

Yeah there is a "sales negotiator" who acts as a go between but sometimes even they need to contact the management company or the vendors solicitor who then relays back etc. There's just a whole lot of middle men involved. 

Would be a lot more efficient if the seller and the buyer used the same solicitor, not just the same company, but the same actual solicitor person. I think that would streamline the process a lot more. Also management companies should be required by law to hand over the pack within 7 days. 

MyRealNameToo

somerandomusername said:
I think that would streamline the process a lot more. Also management companies should be required by law to hand over the pack within 7 days. 

You pretty much can't because there is no way the same solicitor can advise both parties without being conflicted. 

In principle you can get a lawyer to act as transaction counsel but that means no actual advice to either party and again no lender is going to go for that. 

Take for example monies due on the service charge... your solicitor should mention about withholding some of the amounts to be paid to cover the services rendered but not yet paid for if it's done in arrears. Their solicitor is certainly not going to suggest that and will have done their client a favour if your solicitor misses it. If you had one solicitor acting for both should they mention it or not? Contracts are normally model terms but same goes with any term negotiations, whose interest would a transaction solicitor represent? You have your own each because they will only have to consider your interests not the other parties, if they can totally screw them over thats fine. 

subjecttocontract

How quick can it be done ???
Hope for the best, expect the worst, over expectation is only likely to disappoint.
The more questions you ask, the longer the process will take.
You have no control over the various parties required to progress to completion.
Good luck.

Albermarle

Would be a lot more efficient if the seller and the buyer used the same solicitor, not just the same company, but the same actual solicitor person.

I would rather be patient and wait, than not to be sure that my solicitor would not be compromised in this way.

somerandomusername

Albermarle said:

Would be a lot more efficient if the seller and the buyer used the same solicitor, not just the same company, but the same actual solicitor person.

I would rather be patient and wait, than not to be sure that my solicitor would not be compromised in this way.

Sure, but aren't solicitors bound by law and stuff to do everything as it should be? Like if a solicitor advised the seller to do something silly to favour the buyer, the solicitor would risk being sued. 

But anyway yeah I guess having independent solicitors is probably better for neutrality.