We’d like to remind Forumites to please avoid political debate on the Forum.

This is to keep it a safe and useful space for MoneySaving discussions. Threads that are – or become – political in nature may be removed in line with the Forum’s rules. Thank you for your understanding.

PLEASE READ BEFORE POSTING: Hello Forumites! In order to help keep the Forum a useful, safe and friendly place for our users, discussions around non-MoneySaving matters are not permitted per the Forum rules. While we understand that mentioning house prices may sometimes be relevant to a user's specific MoneySaving situation, we ask that you please avoid veering into broad, general debates about the market, the economy and politics, as these can unfortunately lead to abusive or hateful behaviour. Threads that are found to have derailed into wider discussions may be removed. Users who repeatedly disregard this may have their Forum account banned. Please also avoid posting personally identifiable information, including links to your own online property listing which may reveal your address. Thank you for your understanding.
📨 Have you signed up to the Forum's new Email Digest yet? Get a selection of trending threads sent straight to your inbox daily, weekly or monthly!
The Forum now has a brand new text editor, adding a bunch of handy features to use when creating posts. Read more in our how-to guide

Buying a house with Probate granted

Hi. I put an offer down on a house about 6 months ago and soon after the offer was accepted we found out that probate had not been applied for. Long story short after 6 months of waiting we were told about 3 weeks ago that it had been granted and we would start seeing some movement. My own house is sold and we should be exchanging next week. However, I am now in a situation whereby I am having to move into rented because the house I want to buy has not even started with the conveyencing process. I was told 3 weeks ago that although probate was granted they had to request the title deeds from the bank as the house was not registered? I haven’t heard anything more. No documents have been sent to my solicitor (not even fixtures and fittings) I don’t know what I should do! I thought that after probate things would start to move but they haven’t. I have now seen a house a few doors down which has completed all probate which the agent told me took a year to sort out. I am thinking of pulling out and putting offer on this one but am worried I might end up in the same position ! Help! Also the house down the road have confirmed that they all papers ready, cheaper and has more potential however I don’t know if it worth the risk! Anyone else had a similar experience?? Should I hang on for the land registry papers? Or do they also end up taking months to come through?

Comments

  • HHarry
    HHarry Posts: 1,036 Forumite
    Part of the Furniture 1,000 Posts Name Dropper
    The Land Registry issue will depend on what historic paperwork (deeds) is available.

    If it's all in order it won't take very long, and will have little effect on the process.

    If it's not, the Sellers will have to pull together evidence of the ownership of the property to satisfy Land Registry is all in order. And that may not be quick.
  • Tom99
    Tom99 Posts: 5,371 Forumite
    1,000 Posts Second Anniversary
    Is the house down the road already registered?
    Why not put in an offer on this house if you think it is a better buy and decide what to do only if your offer is accepted?
  • AdrianC
    AdrianC Posts: 42,189 Forumite
    Eighth Anniversary 10,000 Posts Name Dropper
    Tiddles124 wrote: »
    I was told 3 weeks ago that although probate was granted they had to request the title deeds from the bank as the house was not registered?
    No great surprise there - it just means it's been in the same ownership since the 80s or before. Which is not uncommon among the demographic whose houses are being sold via probate...
    I haven’t heard anything more. No documents have been sent to my solicitor (not even fixtures and fittings) I don’t know what I should do! I thought that after probate things would start to move but they haven’t.
    Just because things aren't coming through to you yet doesn't mean they aren't moving.
    I have now seen a house a few doors down which has completed all probate which the agent told me took a year to sort out. I am thinking of pulling out and putting offer on this one but am worried I might end up in the same position ! Help! Also the house down the road have confirmed that they all papers ready, cheaper and has more potential however I don’t know if it worth the risk!
    They'll be at the same stage of the game as this one - everything starting from more-or-less zero, but no great roadblocks from here on in.
    Anyone else had a similar experience?? Should I hang on for the land registry papers? Or do they also end up taking months to come through?
    The deeds may never turn up. Then there's a process for registering.

    https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/first-registration-of-title-where-deeds-have-been-lost-or-destroyed
  • babyblade41
    babyblade41 Posts: 3,967 Forumite
    Part of the Furniture 1,000 Posts Name Dropper Photogenic
    Check on LR to make sure the other house has been registered first and then decide .
  • Hi there, conveyancing should have been running in parallel with the probate application so probate is no excuse for the long delay. The title deeds issue could have been getting sorted at the same time.
    I just exchanged on my purchase on a probate house and the application ran alongside the conveyancing, so once probate was granted, it was only a couple of weeks until we were in a position to exchange.
    My next door neighbour had a similar issue as you're having but she was selling her father's house who passed away. Her solicitor hadn't even applied for probate for the first 3 months so the whole process took forever. Then they discovered the house wasn't registered.
    Put it this way, this all started in January and they still haven't moved out!
  • kinger101
    kinger101 Posts: 6,769 Forumite
    Part of the Furniture 1,000 Posts Name Dropper
    If it were me, I'd either renegotiate the price on price (a) or buy house (b).
    "Real knowledge is to know the extent of one's ignorance" - Confucius
  • Thanks everyone. I did a search and the second house is all registered which falls in line with what the agent said. The original house is not showing up as per the issue. I agree that things should still be moving along parallel so that we could be in a position to exchange but as it stands we haven’t got anything through. So with both properties I would be looking at 6 weeks min

    I am going to put in an offer for house B today and see what happens.
  • getmore4less
    getmore4less Posts: 46,882 Forumite
    Part of the Furniture 10,000 Posts Name Dropper I've helped Parliament
    There should have been nothing stopping them progressing the paperwork for the sale while waiting for probate.

    Executor* powers come from the will and they could have had everything ready for exchange during the waiting period, they could have even exchanged but not recommended for various reasons just needing the grant to complete the sale.



    * that assumes "probate" has been used in the correct context of will with named executors and not the generic.

    Even if it is letters of administration most institutions cooperate with prospective administrators to allow progression of the application for a grant.


    Leave the current place in limbo don't spend another penny till the administrators get their act together.

    Keep looking and if there is something close by might as well investigate that while waiting.
  • Bossypants
    Bossypants Posts: 1,286 Forumite
    Tenth Anniversary 1,000 Posts Name Dropper
    Tiddles124 wrote: »
    Also the house down the road have confirmed that they all papers ready, cheaper and has more potential however I don’t know if it worth the risk!

    Beware of falling into the 'sunk cost' fallacy. The time you have spent waiting is not coming back, and it does nothing to take away the rist from your currently purchase. Right now, it looks like the two are basically equal, in that no real conveyancing work has begun, so there is risk of issues cropping up with either one. Looking at it objectively, as of right now, the second house is more appealing in every way, so there is really no reason at all for you to keep pursuing the worse option just because you've mentally 'committed' to waiting on it.
This discussion has been closed.
Meet your Ambassadors

🚀 Getting Started

Hi new member!

Our Getting Started Guide will help you get the most out of the Forum

Categories

  • All Categories
  • 353.6K Banking & Borrowing
  • 254.2K Reduce Debt & Boost Income
  • 455.1K Spending & Discounts
  • 246.7K Work, Benefits & Business
  • 603K Mortgages, Homes & Bills
  • 178.1K Life & Family
  • 260.7K Travel & Transport
  • 1.5M Hobbies & Leisure
  • 16K Discuss & Feedback
  • 37.7K Read-Only Boards

Is this how you want to be seen?

We see you are using a default avatar. It takes only a few seconds to pick a picture.