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I've said this before in this forum, but I see this as one of core failings of the system in E&W; acceptance of an offer without commitment to anything other than price (and perhaps not even that).
In a Scottish sale, the price forms part of the offer and acceptance, but when a seller accepts an offer, they are also accepting;
1. An Entry Date, upon which they agree they will hand the house over to the buyer, once the price is paid
2. The inclusions and exclusions from the sale - what E&W terms the Fixtures and Fittings list
3. The terms of the contract governing the sale. These are in the form of standard contract clauses.
E&W are thrashing out 1 - 3 long after the offer has been accepted, but they should form part of the offer and acceptance - otherwise, the offer acceptance means nothing.
The OP would not be in this position if E&W adopted the same system. The Govt is making noises about increased regulation for EAs, but to my mind, that's the least of the problems.
Change the system for the most benefit.
Originally posted by googler
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Perhaps you can explain the difference between Scotland and E&W in terms of what happens at the point of "exchange" (missives in Scotland; contracts in E&W), as I am still trying to get my head around this.
Used to be (maybe still is) that in Scotland, when your offer was accepted, you were legally bound to buy (and the seller to sell). So what is the exchange of missives (in Scotland) for?