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Hi All,
So after all the looking we've had an offer accepted! Now for the fun and games, what have people learnt from their own move? Any top tips on making life easier greatly appreciated!
Thanks
Jon
So after all the looking we've had an offer accepted! Now for the fun and games, what have people learnt from their own move? Any top tips on making life easier greatly appreciated!
Thanks
Jon
In reply to Jonshef:
Phone your solicitors daily to find out progress, find out what you can be doing, and mostly to remind them you're going to be a nuisance if they don't prioritise your sale / purchase. Drop e-mails to both lots of estate agents every two or three days letting them know what you're doing and where you're at and politely asking questions about possible dates from either side (if you're in the middle of the chain that is). That way you avoid folk chasing you all the time and are on the front foot not the back foot!!! Mind you, I'm not the one in the hurry, I have a vendor of the house I'm buying to reassure that I'm doing everything I can (I am, it's him that's held onto paperwork needed by his solicitor for 5 weeks).
Phone your solicitors daily to find out progress, find out what you can be doing, and mostly to remind them you're going to be a nuisance if they don't prioritise your sale / purchase. Drop e-mails to both lots of estate agents every two or three days letting them know what you're doing and where you're at and politely asking questions about possible dates from either side (if you're in the middle of the chain that is). That way you avoid folk chasing you all the time and are on the front foot not the back foot!!! Mind you, I'm not the one in the hurry, I have a vendor of the house I'm buying to reassure that I'm doing everything I can (I am, it's him that's held onto paperwork needed by his solicitor for 5 weeks).
In reply to Jonshef:
Get your survey done quickly, if there are problems you want to know now, not a month or so down the line when you have racked up legal fees. Don't rely on the mortgage valuation report, it is NOT a survey.
Get your survey done quickly, if there are problems you want to know now, not a month or so down the line when you have racked up legal fees. Don't rely on the mortgage valuation report, it is NOT a survey.
In reply to Jonshef:
Just notes from my own experiences, by no means inclusive...!
Make sure that they're not leaving you a loft full of junk. It took me 2 days to clear all the rubbish out of ours.
Was your offer conditional upon the results of a full structural survey?
Don't assume that the vendors estate agents or solicitors are beavering away in the background, even if they are getting paid handsomely to do so. Check on progress every few days, and ask precisely where any hold ups are.
Make sure you know how long it takes to access any personal finances being used, including checking that you still have all online passwords, card readers etc. As an excercise transfer £10 from each and every account you will use into your current account. Check on daily limits for fee-free transfers.
Bin your junk before you pack and move. Give away or sell your stuff you don't want. Start now and you might have much less stuff to move.
If it's an old terrace or semi, look and make sure attached houses have their own power cables coming in. If not, does it loop off from your distribution board? Is the live cable to next door a hazard in your loft? Pretty unlikely to be a problem....?
Do all opening windows actually open and close smoothly?
Just notes from my own experiences, by no means inclusive...!
Make sure that they're not leaving you a loft full of junk. It took me 2 days to clear all the rubbish out of ours.
Was your offer conditional upon the results of a full structural survey?
Don't assume that the vendors estate agents or solicitors are beavering away in the background, even if they are getting paid handsomely to do so. Check on progress every few days, and ask precisely where any hold ups are.
Make sure you know how long it takes to access any personal finances being used, including checking that you still have all online passwords, card readers etc. As an excercise transfer £10 from each and every account you will use into your current account. Check on daily limits for fee-free transfers.
Bin your junk before you pack and move. Give away or sell your stuff you don't want. Start now and you might have much less stuff to move.
If it's an old terrace or semi, look and make sure attached houses have their own power cables coming in. If not, does it loop off from your distribution board? Is the live cable to next door a hazard in your loft? Pretty unlikely to be a problem....?
Do all opening windows actually open and close smoothly?
In reply to Jonshef:
Dont get emotionally attached to your future home, it could v well fall through!
Dont get emotionally attached to your future home, it could v well fall through!
In reply to Jonshef:
Don't believe a word the estate agents or the vendor's solicitor tells you. I had one tell me that my solicitor was holding things up because he hadn't yet contacted the vendor's solicitor. The problem was that my solicitor, a good friend, had forwarded me the reply he'd got from them when he contacted them week earlier. I also had an estate agent tell me someone wasn't in the office that day when 10 min earlier I'd spoken to said person at the office.
Don't believe a word the estate agents or the vendor's solicitor tells you. I had one tell me that my solicitor was holding things up because he hadn't yet contacted the vendor's solicitor. The problem was that my solicitor, a good friend, had forwarded me the reply he'd got from them when he contacted them week earlier. I also had an estate agent tell me someone wasn't in the office that day when 10 min earlier I'd spoken to said person at the office.
In reply to Jonshef:
Phoning anyone daily and being a nuisance is more likely to piss them right off than it is to encourage them to do a good job for you.
Having said that, and as noted above, there are many different people involved, two lots of conveyancers, estate agents, sellers, buyers and so it's only natural to want to push things along a bit.
Any decent firm will keep you up to date and honestly answer questions and give you a rough idea of who it is that might be slowing the process down.
Phoning anyone daily and being a nuisance is more likely to piss them right off than it is to encourage them to do a good job for you.
Having said that, and as noted above, there are many different people involved, two lots of conveyancers, estate agents, sellers, buyers and so it's only natural to want to push things along a bit.
Any decent firm will keep you up to date and honestly answer questions and give you a rough idea of who it is that might be slowing the process down.
In reply to Jonshef:
1. You will pay 30% over the odds for "original features" like fireplaces and coving. Where as if you are prepared to living in a house with less street appeal, you can obtain 30% more living space.
2. Following on from point 1, we have found houses built in the 60's and 70's to be more spacious and more generously and thoughtfully laid out than earlier or later houses.
3. I have yet to figure out what you are supposed to do with a box room so small you can't even fit a bed in.
4. I am yet to figure out how people make use of those "over the garage" extensions where you end up with a long thin room precisely one bed wide.
5. Large Victorian houses can be drafty and lose their heat very quickly = expensive to heat in the winter.
6. It is a minefield!
Good luck.
1. You will pay 30% over the odds for "original features" like fireplaces and coving. Where as if you are prepared to living in a house with less street appeal, you can obtain 30% more living space.
2. Following on from point 1, we have found houses built in the 60's and 70's to be more spacious and more generously and thoughtfully laid out than earlier or later houses.
3. I have yet to figure out what you are supposed to do with a box room so small you can't even fit a bed in.
4. I am yet to figure out how people make use of those "over the garage" extensions where you end up with a long thin room precisely one bed wide.
5. Large Victorian houses can be drafty and lose their heat very quickly = expensive to heat in the winter.
6. It is a minefield!
Good luck.
Post edited at 08:23
In reply to gethin_allen:
I would say don't believe what any estate agent tells you. Good advice that. And if you can make personal contact with the vendor things will go much more smoothly.
> Don't believe a word the estate agents or the vendor's solicitor tells you.
I would say don't believe what any estate agent tells you. Good advice that. And if you can make personal contact with the vendor things will go much more smoothly.
In reply to Jonshef:
Whatever dates and times are given to you, it will take longer than this. So just expect it to all take at least 6 months.
Sort things out now and give stuff away, so things like books, old packets of saffron that you have had for years etc, why move such stuff?
Whatever dates and times are given to you, it will take longer than this. So just expect it to all take at least 6 months.
Sort things out now and give stuff away, so things like books, old packets of saffron that you have had for years etc, why move such stuff?
In reply to Jonshef:
Oh - don't do anything radical to the garden for a year, so that you can see what comes up over that time.... (unless, of course, the garden is currently all slabs and gravel...)
Oh - don't do anything radical to the garden for a year, so that you can see what comes up over that time.... (unless, of course, the garden is currently all slabs and gravel...)
In reply to Ffion Blethyn:
Yup, those advocating the 'phone up every day and be a nuisance' strategy are really not going to be doing themselves any favours. The notion that such tactics will magically prioritise your sale is just daft, you will be treated no different to the two dozen or so other sales that are in progress at that time. You will just be seen as that pain in the arse loon who has no idea about the house buying process. Also, entering into proceedings with ‘all solicitors and estate agents are lying scumbags’ attitude is not useful either. Like any industry you get mostly good folk being dragged down by a few unscrupulous cowboys. The purchase process is ponderously slow, even when everyone on board is being proactive and there are no unforeseen hitches. A good agent / solicitor will forward on any developments and keep you in the loop as to what is going on. Also be aware that after a sale has been agreed the estate agent at best can probably grease the wheels a bit in terms of moving things along but he/she is not in a strong position to start demanding action from solicitors/vendors/buyers.
This is from an ex estate agent and someone who just completed on a purchase last week.
> Phoning anyone daily and being a nuisance is more likely to piss them right off than it is to encourage them to do a good job for you.
> Having said that, and as noted above, there are many different people involved, two lots of conveyancers, estate agents, sellers, buyers and so it's only natural to want to push things along a bit.
> Any decent firm will keep you up to date and honestly answer questions and give you a rough idea of who it is that might be slowing the process down.
Yup, those advocating the 'phone up every day and be a nuisance' strategy are really not going to be doing themselves any favours. The notion that such tactics will magically prioritise your sale is just daft, you will be treated no different to the two dozen or so other sales that are in progress at that time. You will just be seen as that pain in the arse loon who has no idea about the house buying process. Also, entering into proceedings with ‘all solicitors and estate agents are lying scumbags’ attitude is not useful either. Like any industry you get mostly good folk being dragged down by a few unscrupulous cowboys. The purchase process is ponderously slow, even when everyone on board is being proactive and there are no unforeseen hitches. A good agent / solicitor will forward on any developments and keep you in the loop as to what is going on. Also be aware that after a sale has been agreed the estate agent at best can probably grease the wheels a bit in terms of moving things along but he/she is not in a strong position to start demanding action from solicitors/vendors/buyers.
This is from an ex estate agent and someone who just completed on a purchase last week.
In reply to Jonshef:
It will cost more than you expect.
There will probably be some hidden problem in the house you buy that will be expensive to fix
It will cost more than you expect.
There will probably be some hidden problem in the house you buy that will be expensive to fix
In reply to Jonshef:
Spend the money on a reputable, LOCAL, solicitor. Not a conveyancing firm. Don't use firms that offer no sale, no fee. It's a massive conflict of interest.
The process from offer to exchange and completion is done FOR YOU and to PROTECT YOU. It is not done to annoy you. Engage in the process, read the stuff you get sent and ask about ANYTHING that you don't understand. You can get your fingers burnt buying houses and it can cost a LOT of money. Why rush?
Don't buy a leasehold unless the lease is over 125 years. Preferably 999 years. Check the lease very, very carefuly and make sure you know all the costs. Don't accept anything that involves co-operation from neighbours (maintenance, rights of way etc) Actually, don't buy as leasehold.
If there's any dodgy covenants in the freehold/leasehold, sort them out NOW and get the vendor to pay or share the cost.
Always think about reselling. You might be willing to accept it, but everything that isn't perfect affects resale. Fix it now, be fussy.
Don't be afraid to lose the house and don't send good money after bad.
Estate agents are no longer relevant to your sale. They've done their overpriced, unnecessary job, now it's the solicitors job. Ignore any chasing or pressure to move quickly. Deal solely with your solicitor and ask all queries and requests to go through them.
Your welcome.
Spend the money on a reputable, LOCAL, solicitor. Not a conveyancing firm. Don't use firms that offer no sale, no fee. It's a massive conflict of interest.
The process from offer to exchange and completion is done FOR YOU and to PROTECT YOU. It is not done to annoy you. Engage in the process, read the stuff you get sent and ask about ANYTHING that you don't understand. You can get your fingers burnt buying houses and it can cost a LOT of money. Why rush?
Don't buy a leasehold unless the lease is over 125 years. Preferably 999 years. Check the lease very, very carefuly and make sure you know all the costs. Don't accept anything that involves co-operation from neighbours (maintenance, rights of way etc) Actually, don't buy as leasehold.
If there's any dodgy covenants in the freehold/leasehold, sort them out NOW and get the vendor to pay or share the cost.
Always think about reselling. You might be willing to accept it, but everything that isn't perfect affects resale. Fix it now, be fussy.
Don't be afraid to lose the house and don't send good money after bad.
Estate agents are no longer relevant to your sale. They've done their overpriced, unnecessary job, now it's the solicitors job. Ignore any chasing or pressure to move quickly. Deal solely with your solicitor and ask all queries and requests to go through them.
Your welcome.
In reply to Cú Chullain:
There is no need for it to be notoriously slow if there are no unforeseen hitches. We went from offer acceptance to completion on my current house in about 4.5 weeks. This tome included a full structural survey. By coincidence no estate agents were involved with either end of the transaction.
Yes. Can I as a buyer please change my vendor's estate agents?
As far as I can tell the vendors estate agent's only task is to be a communication chanell between the various parties involved. I now ask for confirmation that every message has been received, after they passed a phone message of mine on by email, then did nothing for a week whilst waiting for a reply. After phone calls from me to them at +3 and +6 days, they phoned the vendor, got instant replies, and found that the vendor is old and doesn't really use their email.
It only takes a few weeks of pointlessly wasted time here and there to make a process ponderously slow. For this reason I now phone or email after 3 days of apparent inactivity to find out what the hold up is.
> The purchase process is ponderously slow, even when everyone on board is being proactive and there are no unforeseen hitches
There is no need for it to be notoriously slow if there are no unforeseen hitches. We went from offer acceptance to completion on my current house in about 4.5 weeks. This tome included a full structural survey. By coincidence no estate agents were involved with either end of the transaction.
> A good agent / solicitor will forward on any developments and keep you in the loop as to what is going on.
Yes. Can I as a buyer please change my vendor's estate agents?
As far as I can tell the vendors estate agent's only task is to be a communication chanell between the various parties involved. I now ask for confirmation that every message has been received, after they passed a phone message of mine on by email, then did nothing for a week whilst waiting for a reply. After phone calls from me to them at +3 and +6 days, they phoned the vendor, got instant replies, and found that the vendor is old and doesn't really use their email.
It only takes a few weeks of pointlessly wasted time here and there to make a process ponderously slow. For this reason I now phone or email after 3 days of apparent inactivity to find out what the hold up is.
Post edited at 09:23
In reply to Jonshef:
Just remembered a brilliant piece of advice. When you get your mortgage, you will have to get a valuation survey done. However, at this point you may be offered a homebuyers survey or you can do your own. Don't bother with the home buyers survey. We were informed that if doesn't look in the loft, under the floorboards or cover electricals or gas. My thoughts were "What does it cover?"
Do you get a full survey? Depends on the state of repair of the house I guess? We didn't.
Just remembered a brilliant piece of advice. When you get your mortgage, you will have to get a valuation survey done. However, at this point you may be offered a homebuyers survey or you can do your own. Don't bother with the home buyers survey. We were informed that if doesn't look in the loft, under the floorboards or cover electricals or gas. My thoughts were "What does it cover?"
Do you get a full survey? Depends on the state of repair of the house I guess? We didn't.
In reply to Jonshef: Personally I think it's worth getting a full survey done, if only for peace of mind.
Although it didn't find anything major (except a problem with the drains costing £1000 to fix)it has given us a tick list of things which need doing over the next few years.
Make sure you stay in constant contact with your solicitors. There is a fine line between harassing them and being helpful, but it's really important you keep things moving.
Just make sure you are always polite on the phone to avoid pissing them off. Good luck!
Although it didn't find anything major (except a problem with the drains costing £1000 to fix)it has given us a tick list of things which need doing over the next few years.
Make sure you stay in constant contact with your solicitors. There is a fine line between harassing them and being helpful, but it's really important you keep things moving.
Just make sure you are always polite on the phone to avoid pissing them off. Good luck!
In reply to AlisonSmiles:
If you did this shit to me your sale/purchase would go to the bottom of my substantial pile of work. A lot of time is spent waiting for documents/enquiries to go to the other side's solicitor, which they have to relay to their client and then back to us. I don't need you calling me every day for me to tell you the same thing: we're waiting for the other side.
> Phone your solicitors daily to find out progress, find out what you can be doing, and mostly to remind them you're going to be a nuisance if they don't prioritise your sale / purchase.
If you did this shit to me your sale/purchase would go to the bottom of my substantial pile of work. A lot of time is spent waiting for documents/enquiries to go to the other side's solicitor, which they have to relay to their client and then back to us. I don't need you calling me every day for me to tell you the same thing: we're waiting for the other side.
In reply to Jonshef:
Just a couple of points:
1. Pay someone to handle all the legal stuff and to do the arguing.
2. See point #1.
Just a couple of points:
1. Pay someone to handle all the legal stuff and to do the arguing.
2. See point #1.
In reply to wintertree:
No.
Once solicitors are involved the E/A's job is over. They get paid to market and find a buyer for the property, nothing more. They like to pretend they are involved with the legal process by phoning us and annoying us with requests for updates but they really don't need to (which if they don't get they then phone all the clients involved and our client and tell them all to phone us to find out what the 'delay' is).
Probably justifies their fees of 1% sale price whereas solicitors we're not getting anywhere near that.
> Can I as a buyer please change my vendor's estate agents?
No.
Once solicitors are involved the E/A's job is over. They get paid to market and find a buyer for the property, nothing more. They like to pretend they are involved with the legal process by phoning us and annoying us with requests for updates but they really don't need to (which if they don't get they then phone all the clients involved and our client and tell them all to phone us to find out what the 'delay' is).
Probably justifies their fees of 1% sale price whereas solicitors we're not getting anywhere near that.
In reply to ByEek:
Re the survey, I was about to say almost the same. We had the full survey through the mortgage. Absolutely useless. Didn't spot damp, they didn't even get a ladder out. It did tell us where the nearest shops were though - useful. So, I'd say get the minimum possible with the mortgage, the valuation or whatever, and then get a separate survey if you want one, where you can talk to the surveyor, make specifc requests, have some follow up, etc. Having had a 'full' survey, I am not sure what it added over a Home-buyers.
Re the survey, I was about to say almost the same. We had the full survey through the mortgage. Absolutely useless. Didn't spot damp, they didn't even get a ladder out. It did tell us where the nearest shops were though - useful. So, I'd say get the minimum possible with the mortgage, the valuation or whatever, and then get a separate survey if you want one, where you can talk to the surveyor, make specifc requests, have some follow up, etc. Having had a 'full' survey, I am not sure what it added over a Home-buyers.
In reply to Jonshef:
Have a really really good look around yourself, the survey doesn't pick up on a lot of the things you will actually have to fix to have a nice habitable house, mostly it just focuses on the stuff that keeps it standing.
If one patch of plaster is cracked and hollow the rest of it is at the very least thinking about falling down.
Under every job you identify there are at least two more pressing jobs lurking.
Everything you didn't test or try while inspecting the place will be broken, this is just sod's law in action.
Every crack and suspicious stain has a story to tell, they're worth looking into.
Unfortunately, much of this stuff you can only do properly once it's yours to dig about in.
jk
Have a really really good look around yourself, the survey doesn't pick up on a lot of the things you will actually have to fix to have a nice habitable house, mostly it just focuses on the stuff that keeps it standing.
If one patch of plaster is cracked and hollow the rest of it is at the very least thinking about falling down.
Under every job you identify there are at least two more pressing jobs lurking.
Everything you didn't test or try while inspecting the place will be broken, this is just sod's law in action.
Every crack and suspicious stain has a story to tell, they're worth looking into.
Unfortunately, much of this stuff you can only do properly once it's yours to dig about in.
jk
In reply to Nick Harvey:
Agreed. I think one needs to be wary of full surveys too since the gist seems to be about the surveyor covering their arse. My mate's survey had statements like "Loft space contained wood that may have woodworm or death watch beetle." Well come on - I have just paid for an expert. Does it have woodworm or not?
Agreed. I think one needs to be wary of full surveys too since the gist seems to be about the surveyor covering their arse. My mate's survey had statements like "Loft space contained wood that may have woodworm or death watch beetle." Well come on - I have just paid for an expert. Does it have woodworm or not?
In reply to all:
Thanks for all the replies, the knowledge of UKC is always a help!
I'm a little wary of phoning the EA/solicitors too much, as people have said i don't know if that would push us to the bottom of the pile!
From what I understand the real fun starts now!
thanks again
Jon
Thanks for all the replies, the knowledge of UKC is always a help!
I'm a little wary of phoning the EA/solicitors too much, as people have said i don't know if that would push us to the bottom of the pile!
From what I understand the real fun starts now!
thanks again
Jon
Plus, the Rule of Square Problems (which I invented):
The number of problems you indentify on first viewing is the square root of the number of problems you identify on second viewing
The number of problems you identify on second viewing is the square root of the number of problems you end up with
The number of problems you indentify on first viewing is the square root of the number of problems you identify on second viewing
The number of problems you identify on second viewing is the square root of the number of problems you end up with
In reply to Jonshef:
Surveys are vaguely useful for haggling otherwise mostley a waste of money.
Get a plumber to check the boiler, drains etc, lots of them provide this service now for house buyers. I got a builder friend to check the structure with me and being qualified that way looked at the electrics myself. My Mum is a lawyer (property) and I used the legal firm everyone in her office uses so I got money back on the estimate charges and everything done by return of post.
The thing to balance against all of this and issues that might be turned up is do you want the house and how much do you want it. Many sales fall through because people niggle over the most trivial things or make silly demands. The more information you have as a buyer and seller the better able you will be to say either "O.K whatever" or "Get stuffed".
Good luck with it all.
Toby
Surveys are vaguely useful for haggling otherwise mostley a waste of money.
Get a plumber to check the boiler, drains etc, lots of them provide this service now for house buyers. I got a builder friend to check the structure with me and being qualified that way looked at the electrics myself. My Mum is a lawyer (property) and I used the legal firm everyone in her office uses so I got money back on the estimate charges and everything done by return of post.
The thing to balance against all of this and issues that might be turned up is do you want the house and how much do you want it. Many sales fall through because people niggle over the most trivial things or make silly demands. The more information you have as a buyer and seller the better able you will be to say either "O.K whatever" or "Get stuffed".
Good luck with it all.
Toby
In reply to Jonshef:
Don't get me wrong, I've worked in my current office for 8 years as of today's date (8 years exactly!) and we welcome calls for updates from our clients, since it's part of what we're paid for. Having said that if you call and I tell you that we're waiting to hear from the other side, or we're waiting for your mortgage offer or your search to come back in, I tell you we'll call you back when the situation changes. We don't expect people to call every single day after we've patiently explained that when we hear something, we'll call you to inform you.
The clients who do the above are a pain in the arse. They tend to be people who think they can help speed things up or help the legal process along by phoning daily, when they simply can't. The only thing you can do to speed things up is reply to our letters and emails ASAP.
Fortunately the case management system we use lets clients log on online and view their progress and see what we're waiting for. We also automatically send texts/emails when we hit certain stages, like getting a contract in on a purchase or exchanging, so that helps alleviate the amount of people who call daily.
Edit: the other major pain is when there's a couple who are buying or selling a property who don't communicate with each other, particularly if their jobs are demanding. By this I mean we get a call from Mr. early in the morning and spend 20mins explaining everything to him, and then get a call from Mrs. in her lunch hour and have to explain the whole thing all over again.
> I'm a little wary of phoning the EA/solicitors too much, as people have said i don't know if that would push us to the bottom of the pile!
Don't get me wrong, I've worked in my current office for 8 years as of today's date (8 years exactly!) and we welcome calls for updates from our clients, since it's part of what we're paid for. Having said that if you call and I tell you that we're waiting to hear from the other side, or we're waiting for your mortgage offer or your search to come back in, I tell you we'll call you back when the situation changes. We don't expect people to call every single day after we've patiently explained that when we hear something, we'll call you to inform you.
The clients who do the above are a pain in the arse. They tend to be people who think they can help speed things up or help the legal process along by phoning daily, when they simply can't. The only thing you can do to speed things up is reply to our letters and emails ASAP.
Fortunately the case management system we use lets clients log on online and view their progress and see what we're waiting for. We also automatically send texts/emails when we hit certain stages, like getting a contract in on a purchase or exchanging, so that helps alleviate the amount of people who call daily.
Edit: the other major pain is when there's a couple who are buying or selling a property who don't communicate with each other, particularly if their jobs are demanding. By this I mean we get a call from Mr. early in the morning and spend 20mins explaining everything to him, and then get a call from Mrs. in her lunch hour and have to explain the whole thing all over again.
Post edited at 11:16
In reply to Jonshef:
Based on my purchase last year, if things are stalling as mine were at the vendors solicitors, and you are not in a position to contact them directly, the vendores EA may be usefull if the solicitors are local.
After 2 months of waiting for 1 piece of paperwork, I managed to persuade the EA to walk up the road to the vendors solicitors (I didnt have any contact details that were working) and give them a kick up the bum. Paperwork arrived at my solicitors 2 days later.
Threatening to pull out of the sale can be a usefull stick, but you need to be prepared to do it and they need to know it. And by then, I was. But dont make a mountain out of a molehill.
Gavin
Based on my purchase last year, if things are stalling as mine were at the vendors solicitors, and you are not in a position to contact them directly, the vendores EA may be usefull if the solicitors are local.
After 2 months of waiting for 1 piece of paperwork, I managed to persuade the EA to walk up the road to the vendors solicitors (I didnt have any contact details that were working) and give them a kick up the bum. Paperwork arrived at my solicitors 2 days later.
Threatening to pull out of the sale can be a usefull stick, but you need to be prepared to do it and they need to know it. And by then, I was. But dont make a mountain out of a molehill.
Gavin
In reply to gavster2405:
If you're buying a property you can't speak to the seller's solicitors, the same applies the other way around as well, as a vendor you can't speak to the purchaser's solicitors. Under Law Society rules as solicitors we're not allowed to speak to a client represented by another firm.
If a client represented by the solicitors on the other side of the transaction phones us we have to tell them we can't speak to them and we're supposed to hang up on them and then inform their solicitors so they can tell you off. You have to contact us via your own solicitor.
If you're buying a property you can't speak to the seller's solicitors, the same applies the other way around as well, as a vendor you can't speak to the purchaser's solicitors. Under Law Society rules as solicitors we're not allowed to speak to a client represented by another firm.
If a client represented by the solicitors on the other side of the transaction phones us we have to tell them we can't speak to them and we're supposed to hang up on them and then inform their solicitors so they can tell you off. You have to contact us via your own solicitor.
Post edited at 11:42
In reply to Removed User:
That sounds like a very useful system! Which firm is it? PM me if you need to
> Fortunately the case management system we use lets clients log on online and view their progress and see what we're waiting for. We also automatically send texts/emails when we hit certain stages, like getting a contract in on a purchase or exchanging, so that helps alleviate the amount of people who call daily.
That sounds like a very useful system! Which firm is it? PM me if you need to
In reply to Removed User:
Is sounds like your lot are on the ball. Sadly this is far from always the case. When we bought our house our solicitor was frequently caught out as being the cause of delays and were generally useless and unhelpful. So how do you tell whether you have a proactive solicitor or a lazy arse? So maybe it's best to assume the latter and make them persuade you that they're the former?
Is sounds like your lot are on the ball. Sadly this is far from always the case. When we bought our house our solicitor was frequently caught out as being the cause of delays and were generally useless and unhelpful. So how do you tell whether you have a proactive solicitor or a lazy arse? So maybe it's best to assume the latter and make them persuade you that they're the former?
In reply to Jonshef:
You must know someone who has just moved. Get a recommendation. A good solicitor should have no bones about fielding phone calls from jumpy clients. It is their job after all!
> I'm a little wary of phoning the EA/solicitors too much, as people have said i don't know if that would push us to the bottom of the pile!
You must know someone who has just moved. Get a recommendation. A good solicitor should have no bones about fielding phone calls from jumpy clients. It is their job after all!
In reply to Jonshef:
I bought a house recently and by far the most useful thing we did was to get on speaking terms and swap numbers with the vendors after the finer points of the offer were agreed. We did it by asking for a viewing once offer accepted and speaking to them face to face about potential dates. It was helpfull when solicitors/agents were giving conflicting info or were pretending to be out of the office. It cuts out some of the reliance on the agents to be open about what the other party is doing. Also means seller and vendor can unite to chase solisitors about the same thing.
From initial offer to completion was 81 days! no chain on either side though so that helped.
I bought a house recently and by far the most useful thing we did was to get on speaking terms and swap numbers with the vendors after the finer points of the offer were agreed. We did it by asking for a viewing once offer accepted and speaking to them face to face about potential dates. It was helpfull when solicitors/agents were giving conflicting info or were pretending to be out of the office. It cuts out some of the reliance on the agents to be open about what the other party is doing. Also means seller and vendor can unite to chase solisitors about the same thing.
From initial offer to completion was 81 days! no chain on either side though so that helped.
In reply to Jonshef:
Get quotes from a few removals firms. Check if they charge a standing time fee i.e. if there is a delay in getting the keys for the place you are moving in to and they have to wait around with all your stuff on their van. Once you have the quotes make sure they are available on the potential moving dates.
As has been said, mortage lender surveyors are awful. They do the bare minimum and then write weasel words to make sure they aren't liable. Get a decent builder to take a look at the place or an independent surveyor.
Be prepared to pay for some annoying indemnity insurances to cover things that will never happen but that your buyer insists on. They aren't expensive in the grand scheme but are annoying.
Get quotes from a few removals firms. Check if they charge a standing time fee i.e. if there is a delay in getting the keys for the place you are moving in to and they have to wait around with all your stuff on their van. Once you have the quotes make sure they are available on the potential moving dates.
As has been said, mortage lender surveyors are awful. They do the bare minimum and then write weasel words to make sure they aren't liable. Get a decent builder to take a look at the place or an independent surveyor.
Be prepared to pay for some annoying indemnity insurances to cover things that will never happen but that your buyer insists on. They aren't expensive in the grand scheme but are annoying.
In reply to Jonshef:
"I'm a little wary of phoning the EA/solicitors too much, as people have said i don't know if that would push us to the bottom of the pile!"
It would be very unprofessional of them to push you to the bottom of the pile as such, they will just process your conveyancing work at the same rate as all their other clients. They will just think you are a prick and avoid your calls until they have something different to tell you.
"I'm a little wary of phoning the EA/solicitors too much, as people have said i don't know if that would push us to the bottom of the pile!"
It would be very unprofessional of them to push you to the bottom of the pile as such, they will just process your conveyancing work at the same rate as all their other clients. They will just think you are a prick and avoid your calls until they have something different to tell you.
In reply to Jonshef:
Not learned from house moves but from a recent experience with a very cold bedroom over the garage:
If the decor in the new house is ghastly and you just know you're going to have to redecorate, get a builder in and get a quote for dry-lining every outside wall and taking down all upstairs ceilings and refitting with a thick layer of Kingspan. This kind of operation is cheaper the more you do, is quick and easy and certainly less stress and hassle than trying to redecorate every room. You can set up extractors, lights, sockets and plumbing the way you want them and end up with effectively a virgin house that you can finish and decorate the way you want it. I'd be willing to bet this is also cheaper than spending many years laboriously redecorating room by room. Once the skim has dried you can move in and with the extra insulation you've given the house your heating bills will be miniscule, the house will be dryer, quieter, cleaner and less draughty. It will be about 5" smaller inside though.
Having seen the effect of dry-lining with modern standards of insulation in a cold room with three outside walls I won't ever pisspot around redecorating again; I'll go and stay with rellies and give a builder two weeks to get the whole place lined.
Not learned from house moves but from a recent experience with a very cold bedroom over the garage:
If the decor in the new house is ghastly and you just know you're going to have to redecorate, get a builder in and get a quote for dry-lining every outside wall and taking down all upstairs ceilings and refitting with a thick layer of Kingspan. This kind of operation is cheaper the more you do, is quick and easy and certainly less stress and hassle than trying to redecorate every room. You can set up extractors, lights, sockets and plumbing the way you want them and end up with effectively a virgin house that you can finish and decorate the way you want it. I'd be willing to bet this is also cheaper than spending many years laboriously redecorating room by room. Once the skim has dried you can move in and with the extra insulation you've given the house your heating bills will be miniscule, the house will be dryer, quieter, cleaner and less draughty. It will be about 5" smaller inside though.
Having seen the effect of dry-lining with modern standards of insulation in a cold room with three outside walls I won't ever pisspot around redecorating again; I'll go and stay with rellies and give a builder two weeks to get the whole place lined.
Post edited at 13:19
In reply to Jonshef:
We got so fed up with our solicitors that we ended up turning up in person at their office and not leaving till they had written whatever letter they had invented as being vital to the process and then driving round to our buyers with it. The final piece of melodrama went something like this. Solicitor "you cant give Mr X the keys until some more unnecessary paperwork has cleared" Me "Ive just done it mate" Solicitor "You can`t do that!" Me "Bye"
We got so fed up with our solicitors that we ended up turning up in person at their office and not leaving till they had written whatever letter they had invented as being vital to the process and then driving round to our buyers with it. The final piece of melodrama went something like this. Solicitor "you cant give Mr X the keys until some more unnecessary paperwork has cleared" Me "Ive just done it mate" Solicitor "You can`t do that!" Me "Bye"
In reply to Rigid Raider: Roughly how much did it cost per room? I've heard you have to take up floor boards between floors to insulate the walls in between the joists so you don't get cold spots and damp build up too. If we have to re-plaster our house it is something I might consider.
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