Searches on new purchase

Smarty_pants

Morning folks

I need some clarification please. I'm getting conflicting information and need to know what is correct.

I informed my solicitors of a property that I had put in an offer (and was accepted) on 5 August providing her with the address and details of estate agents.

Exchange was suppose to be by 31 August and I have been phoning her constantly to see if the contract pack from the vendors solicitors has arrived (only arrived yesterday) and is there anything I could do to speed up matters.

I went into the office yesterday and it transpires that no searches or enquiries have been carried out. She informed me that she was unable to do any such work until she received the contract pack. Is that true because I've been told she could have instigated these searches once she had received the information from the estate agents and got the address.

My hands are tied and there is nothing I can really do. I'm nervous that the purchaser of my house will get tired of this dragging on so long.

Any advice and information, as always, will be greatly appreciated.

micheleen

I had an offer accepted on the 9th Aug, sent £120 advance to my solicitor for the searches, and as soon as I got the survey done and confirmed to her that I would proceed she said she'd start the searches off the next morning.
The only other thing she wanted was the sellers property information form which she'd aready got from the sellers solicitor.

Sounds like your solicitor 'forgot' to do them or doesn't know what their doing IMHO

Doozergirl

you're right, they can carry out searches straight away - most solicitors will ask for the search fees up front in case the sale falls through and you don't cough up.

Does your solicitor charge up front? If she didn't, maybe she wants to see evidence of the sale happening before risking her own money (silly idea, as things can still fall through and it takes longer, as you're learning). You are looking at another two weeks possibly for the searches to come back now.

There are people here who know more than me about what you can do or say to your solicitor now!

Lemoncurd

We sent payment for our searches straight away but our solicitor still wanted to wait for the contract from the vendor first as well. Maybe some prefer to do it this way but you would have thought knowing your requirements they would have explained this and made more of an effort.

Smarty_pants

Thanks for all your responses.

Its very frustrating because I paid her the requested money weeks ago but I've been the one chasing the estate agents re vendors and my brokers (doing, I think, solicitors work).

If only she had been upfront and told me she was doing absolutely nothing instead of being vague and only when I go into the office she decides to "fess" up that nothing has been done.

Once this house deal goes through, I definitely AM NOT moving again, unless my lottery numbers come up and I pay cash and money is no problem