[Paul and Linda]

Whatever you do, unless you are fully in control of your chain, don't, don't get your hopes up for a quick progression from offer to completion.

5 weeks ago we got an offer, checked with everyone, who said that 4 to 5 weeks was reasonable. Right we'll plan around that.

Few days in and estate agents suddenly say, oh no, who told you that, it's taking 6 to 8 weeks at best.

2 weeks in, estate agents are saying, who told you 6 to 8 weeks, it's 8 to 12 weeks at best!

Nothing happens. about 6 things need to happen to sell

Mort application

surveyor

mortgage offer

searches

exchange and complete

but..... estate agents and everyone else seems to be able to inflate each of these simple tasks into some cissyfussian feat!

you will get told 7 to 10 days for a surveyor to come out, it ends up being 3 weeks.

Then you have to wait 2 weeks for him to submit his one page report of the glaringly obvious and downright insulting possibilities (what if the flat roof needs reparing at some point in the future.....but theres absolutely nothing wrong with it now, how dare surveyors claim to give a professional opinion when they are saying stuff like that?)

Then it sits on the desk of a builing society clerk for 3 weeks.

Then searches....oh they'll take a week, about 2 hours at the search office actually!

Then the ever so big and important exchange...as if, it's the same contract time and time again with a different name and address at the top!

So 12 weeks in, everyone has spent about 1000 pounds each on a really crap service and you finally get to book your shippers/removers.

This is completely criminal and if Tony doesn't do something significant about this procedure then he hasn't earned his pennies either.

Everybody buys and sells houses, it's what we do and how we live. Yet the process is so unregulated that it makes you go insane and prevents you from making any solid plans until someone finally says....ok when do you want to complete!

What a load of c**p.

I'm only glad that we sold our house at a massive loss, to get the offer early and get us on the flight before our 12 months runs out.

Beware!

Mr Angry....sat at work...on an industrial estate...that smells....bored....waiting to breathe some fresh air!

Oh I am also in the running for 2-3 jobs at the moment, so I don't relish tring to tag them along for the next 2 months until we arrive!

[RobDickinson]

The annoying thing is you can do it all in a week or so if everyone cooperates.

Housebuying/selling in the UK is an expensive overcomplicated mess.

Had to laugh a surveyor moved in next door to my inlaws, ofcourse he done the survey himself.

Queue new drains, roof repairs, new kitchen etc all unexpected...

[Smiler]

Hey Mr Smelly/Bored/At work person

:laugh :laugh :laugh Cheer Up :laugh :laugh :laugh

YOU'RE GOING :clap :clap :clap Keep this thought in your front head

I'm sure the jobs will wait 8 weeks for you.........

You could come and sit here and try and get shipping co's to quote. ARGHHHH

Deborah

[Cardiff Irons]

Paul,

One of these days, really soon, you're going to be lying on a beach in New Zealand and you're going to think back to all the struggles, all the pain, all the frustration and you're going to reach across, take a sip of your beer and smile a very satisfied smile.

Keep the faith fella, as the Undertones once said, "It's gonna Happen" :yes

[Paul and Linda]

Thanks all, have calmed down anbit, had a cup of warm milk, calming effect yes, but now I want to go to sleep!

Cardiff.....you must now have the very best avatar in the world.

Class.

I get like this almost every thursday when the feedback I get from a badgered yet still lazy/overworked estate agent isn't what I was looking for.

Dad's in hospital at the mo in coronary care and mam's just had a leg op, so other things going on aswell.

Both should recover soon.

Thanks again.

[gil]

Sorry to hear about your mum and dad, hope they both recover quickly and fully.
We dipped our toe in the estate agent waters earlier this week, but haven't put the house up yet. There are about 4,000 other houses in our road up for sale at the mo (OK, 5), mainly all sold now, but yet another For Sale sign would start to look suspicious! Mind you, good news for the housing market that Bank of England have cut the base rate by a bit (0.25%)....
Hope your deal goes through very soon, Gil

[K&CS]

I know it's really frustrating, isn't it? We've always allowed 13 weeks for the whole process and that's what we're budgeting for this time if we ever get an offer. I wish the whole process was simpler and it does tend to send you insane!!

[marcia]

One thing we did when we sold our last house and bought this one was made sure the solicitor didn't put anything in the post - they were only two miles from our house so if there were any papers or things to sign they would ring me - I'd pick them up, find where kev was, get him to sign them and return them the same day.
:exit
This cut some things right down - you can wait a week just for a paper to get signed, by the time they've typed it monday, put it in the post , you get it weds, they receive it back thur/fri - weekend - nothing happens monday morning a bit of action!!!

We managed to complete in five weeks, but this house was empty and we left the other empty until it sold - killed us paying two mortgages but was worth it in the end.

It must be really hard for you at the moment not only trying to organise the house sale and move but then having family problems too - try and rise above the hassle and remember why you want to subject yourself to all this stress.

and that it

WILL ALL BE WORTH IT IN THE END! :nice1

[baboonworld]

4 weeks i think would be a minimum - and it can be done!

Every is so slack and they just dont realise how impatient both buyer and seller are to move on with things.

If the buyer puts pressure on the solicitors/convey. then this should also help to speed things along.

it doesnt help when one wants to arrange flights though does it!

[bob_the_engineer]

Hi All,

Just starting to put the house on the market, and the memories of the incompetence I’ve come across is springing back to my mind.

Just a couple of things I’d like to say

Paul and Linda I understand why you get so fed up with this!

The last time we bought a house, OMG !

Seller no onward chain, ready to leave ASAP.

Buyers position (us) big big deposit, mortgage approved and desperate to move in asking price offered.

Remember No Chain on either side

Over three months to complete, this was a catalogue of incompetence on the part of the financial advisors “team”, mortgage company, estate agents.
We even ended up driving from office to office trying to sort it out.
The final blow was when the mortgage didn’t come through when expected.
The problem, they sent the paperwork to the wrong solicitor. I’m amazed the seller didn’t lose patience and put the house back up for sale!

The only person who didn’t scr*w up was the solicitor.


Marcia, the point you made about going and fetching documents may seem obvious, but I didn’t do that (or think of it) and I think it’s a great idea. I’m going to do it this time?

Just a quick question now, the search that are carried out on behalf of the buyer, are these the same searches that cost two quid each and you can download them from here?

http://www.landregisteronline.gov.uk/

(Not being sarcastic, I can’t remember which searches you need)

Regards Bob

[baboonworld]

good site - i dont know the answer but wait to hear -

maybe someone who is currently selling there house could put the question to their solicitor???

[Paul]

Just a quick question now, the search that are carried out on behalf of the buyer, are these the same searches that cost two quid each and you can download them from here?

http://www.landregisteronline.gov.uk/

(Not being sarcastic, I can’t remember which searches you need)

Regards Bob

Bob

I think you'll find local area searches are needed as well which goes via your borough council and these can take a while but some do now offer it online. Our solicitor has said he will be doing ours online and only takes a day or so now

As far as speeding the process up you need to keep in regular contact with everyone buying agents, selling agents, solicitor and mortgage company - collect all paperwork by hand if possible and return ASAP and then try and chill - these things do take time, always have and always will. At least the delays won't be down to you.

The biggest problem is when agents set unrealistic exchange dates which is our current problem. Once someone has been told a date realistic or not, it is in that person's mind and anything after that is then a delay whether that was a realistic date or not!

Good luck!

[bob_the_engineer]

Hi Paul,

Thanks for that, I’ve been on the local government website to look into it.
Guess what the website isn’t working (not kidding) have to try again later.

Bob

[Kim39]

Hey Bob, just noticed your from Cheshire. Whereabouts? we have a NW meet on the 20th if your up for it, at either Tatton Park or Salt Cellar at Middlewich. Take a look at NW meet Poll and express your interest. I'm from Runcorn.

Kim

[bob_the_engineer]

Hi Kim,

We’re in Runcorn too,

Don’t think I’ll make this meet, frantically trying to sort the house so we can sell it at the mo.

I’ll hold off voting until I think we can get there, have to get to one of the NW meets, it would be a shame not to meet you all.

Bob

(Salt Cellar would get my vote :P )

[Kim39]

Hi Bob,

frantically trying to sort the house so we can sell it at the mo.


Hey we've been doing that for the last 12 months, but with no luck. Will hope things happen for you as much as for us.

Whereabouts in Runcorn are you? were down near the canal in Norton.

Kim

[bob_the_engineer]

Hi Kim,

We’re in weston village, 12 Months OMG don’t say that!

By the way, the piglet is fantastic :laugh

Bob

[isv]

I know it's really frustrating, isn't it? We've always allowed 13 weeks for the whole process and that's what we're budgeting for this time if we ever get an offer. I wish the whole process was simpler and it does tend to send you insane!!

Right now its almost impossible to get a smooth transaction. Buyers are being very wary and have an amazing selection of properties to choose from. As I and many others have discovered it is a falling market and buyers know this... Our house took 6 months from offer to completion - just keeping the chain together was the major challenge... the first time buyer at the far end kept pulling out as they'd found a better deal... to be relaced by another who also subsequently found more house for less round the corner... meanwhile we were stuck at the other end of the chain... and in the end discounts rippled all the way up the chain just to keep everything together. Cost us a drop of £45k :wah But we just wanted to get out before the market forced us to drop further and/or we would miss our chance to get to NZ.

Currently 30-40% of all agreed offers fail to complete... we were just totally relieved to sell... took a year in total.

Alan.