Discussion
Guys
Im towards the end of buying a house, everything is done and i told my solicitor that i had to be in the new house by end October. This has been going on for 2 months now, no chain on either parties.
everything is done i believe but now suddenly my solicitor is asking for the building regulations and planning permission from when the house was built 9 years ago. Is this a common occurrence? surely either this should have been asked ages ago or even ifs its a valid request as the owners bought it 5 years ago, so surely anything would have been picked up then aswell
they are also asking for the corgi for the boiler and gas fire in lounge
R1-Jay said:
Guys
Im towards the end of buying a house, everything is done and i told my solicitor that i had to be in the new house by end October. This has been going on for 2 months now, no chain on either parties.
everything is done i believe but now suddenly my solicitor is asking for the building regulations and planning permission from when the house was built 9 years ago. Is this a common occurrence? surely either this should have been asked ages ago or even ifs its a valid request as the owners bought it 5 years ago, so surely anything would have been picked up then aswell
they are also asking for the corgi for the boiler and gas fire in lounge
Yes, common things to ask for and should've been asked for far earlier in the process - but as is often the way it is not asked for until the last minute. As it is, the other side should be able to shoot that info straight back over to your side.Im towards the end of buying a house, everything is done and i told my solicitor that i had to be in the new house by end October. This has been going on for 2 months now, no chain on either parties.
everything is done i believe but now suddenly my solicitor is asking for the building regulations and planning permission from when the house was built 9 years ago. Is this a common occurrence? surely either this should have been asked ages ago or even ifs its a valid request as the owners bought it 5 years ago, so surely anything would have been picked up then aswell
they are also asking for the corgi for the boiler and gas fire in lounge
8 weeks isn't unusual either - i'd say 6-8 weeks is about average.
Happened to us and nearly lost us our house purchase. Literally the day we were due to exchange we were asked some s
t about regs (which we already provided) anyway the guy we were buying off went absolutely sick and nearly pulled out. Hopefully itll all work out in the wash for you. Typical human trait I think... leave till last minute.
t about regs (which we already provided) anyway the guy we were buying off went absolutely sick and nearly pulled out. Hopefully itll all work out in the wash for you. Typical human trait I think... leave till last minute. Same thing happened to us. Didn't delay it by long in the end. As the house is newish all the planning stuff should be instantly accessible online. My girlfriends house sale was delayed a couple of days by gas certificate requests.
Conveyancers are my least favourite people. So much unnecessary fkarsing around and stress for what is 90% of the time the simplest task. Our solicitor was actually very good with both transactions, he's a miserable old git so basically bullied and patronised the others parties solicitors into doing their jobs, a very simple job which they are paid an exorbitant amount of money to complete.
Conveyancers are my least favourite people. So much unnecessary f
karsing around and stress for what is 90% of the time the simplest task. Our solicitor was actually very good with both transactions, he's a miserable old git so basically bullied and patronised the others parties solicitors into doing their jobs, a very simple job which they are paid an exorbitant amount of money to complete. Are you buying with a mortgage, or for cash?
The council can't do anything about breaches of PP or BR now - too long's passed - and whether you insist on CORGI paperwork for the gas is entirely down to you. BUT... if there's a mortgage, then the solicitor isn't just your solicitor - he's also acting for your lender, who may have their own requirements for paperwork i-dotting and t-crossing.
At the end of the day, the solicitor's job is to make sure that you're buying what you think you're buying, and that there's no legal issues that can come back and bite you.
The council can't do anything about breaches of PP or BR now - too long's passed - and whether you insist on CORGI paperwork for the gas is entirely down to you. BUT... if there's a mortgage, then the solicitor isn't just your solicitor - he's also acting for your lender, who may have their own requirements for paperwork i-dotting and t-crossing.
At the end of the day, the solicitor's job is to make sure that you're buying what you think you're buying, and that there's no legal issues that can come back and bite you.
REALIST123 said:
It s just your solicitor justifying and/or building his bill or if you're on a not very high fixed deal, then he's just fitting you in when he can. Don't make the mistake of thinking that he's remotely interested or committed to your transaction.
Par for the course I'm afraid.
Nonsense, a solicitors main ambition is to get a file finished and closed,why on earth would they create more work for themselves n a fixed fee; as said above its highly likely that a low level staff member at the lenders has decided they want an extra box ticked.Par for the course I'm afraid.
The secret is to make sure you or your estate agent contact the solicitor every three days or so. By getting them on the phone the file is now at the top of the pile. Make attendance notes of every phone call so you can say, "searches went out on september 26th, are they back". If the conveyancer knows you are on the ball and note every call you will get a good quick service.
Whatever you do NEVER use one of the online call centre bucket shop conveyancing companies, your transaction will go in slow motion with many stupid questions being asked by people who don't understand the answers when given them.
Rangeroverover said:
Whatever you do NEVER use one of the online call centre bucket shop conveyancing companies, your transaction will go in slow motion with many stupid questions being asked by people who don't understand the answers when given them.
I've seen that sort of comment lots of times but it never makes sense to me - you'd think it would be in their interest to push things through as quickly as possible.I'm probably wrong about this but solicitors seem to be work in a sort of sequential mode - they send an enquiry out then file it away until an answer comes. Then do the next step, etc.
The problem is the system they use, imagine one solicitor with 25 unqualified assistants, suppose something comes up from enquiries; two "proper" solicitors can agree a solution as they understand the issues over maybe indemnity insurance. Now imagine the same conversation between a solicitor and a call centre type person whose manual says "you must do X" CC person cannot make a decision, cannot take a view so eventually you get to stalemate. Eventually much like a complaint procedure the real solicitor at the call centre might actually see the file and make a decision.
We have had ridiculous demands such as cavity wall information requested for a cob house, or my favourite "how many keys have been cut during your ownership"
Every estate agents nightmare is a chain with Bellendcolouredbricks.com and any conveyancer with "easy in their name.
One day online will work, for now just avoid them like the plague
We have had ridiculous demands such as cavity wall information requested for a cob house, or my favourite "how many keys have been cut during your ownership"
Every estate agents nightmare is a chain with Bellendcolouredbricks.com and any conveyancer with "easy in their name.
One day online will work, for now just avoid them like the plague
Sheepshanks said:
I've seen that sort of comment lots of times but it never makes sense to me - you'd think it would be in their interest to push things through as quickly as possible.
I'm probably wrong about this but solicitors seem to be work in a sort of sequential mode - they send an enquiry out then file it away until an answer comes. Then do the next step, etc.
1. Yes it is in our interests to push things through as quickly as possible.I'm probably wrong about this but solicitors seem to be work in a sort of sequential mode - they send an enquiry out then file it away until an answer comes. Then do the next step, etc.
2. You are part right. As a rule once all the papers are in you can go though them in one hit and deal with any issues. Sadly it is rare that you actually get all the papers in one hit. Some sellers seem to think that they can take a month to complete a property information form or a contents form and it will have no impact on timescales. Sometimes there is a question which you need to ask and only once you have the answer can you move forward as the answer will dictate one of 4 (or more) courses of action.
As a rule i try to be ready as soon as possible once all the papers are in as it is easier to be the one saying you are ready than the one saying that you aren't. Sometimes though you will go through a couple of hundred pages of information and raise questions that then take a month to get the answers to. By that time you may not feel that you still have sufficient retained knowledge and notes to go immediately on receipt of the papers and so go through things again - it can take 1-2 hours for a leasehold property to do that and you have to find the time to deal with that.
One thing I would absolutely say is ignore the poster who suggested that you get on the phone every 2 or 3 days. One of the things that is holding us back so much at the moment is e-mail. It is so easy for a client to pop off an email on the evening/lunch break without any idea of the implications. Stop what you are doing, read e-mail, pull out file, consider information and reply, reply, start what you are doing again. Even with the most efficient of systems and simple enquires that is at least a 10 minute hole in your day, often more like 15 and sometimes 5. Now imagine that you have 50 'live' files that you are working on on a weekly basis. Then add in the agent calls for an update (stop, check file, report back, put file back, get head back into work you were doing). and joy of joys the mortgage advisers minion calling every week.
It might sound weird (and i fully embrace the need and benefits of always keeping your client in the loop and up to date) but the matters that go through the fastest are the ones with a real local solicitor or a FILEX (some ILEX, but not all and the odd LC) on the other side, a local agent and Clients who understand the words "as soon as i know more i will let you know."
If there is a bucket shop in the chain all bets are off as many are poor to say the least. There is the odd diamond in the rough though and some actually understand that there is the odd file that needs to be taken off the grunts and given to someone who knows an LPA from the LPA (and which LPA).
Rude-boy said:
One thing I would absolutely say is ignore the poster who suggested that you get on the phone every 2 or 3 days. One of the things that is holding us back so much at the moment is e-mail. It is so easy for a client to pop off an email on the evening/lunch break without any idea of the implications.
Welcome to the rest of the world!Sadly my recent experience with two house transactions with two different solicitors has been very poor. If it's in their own interests to get things done quickly then it doesn't show. Both were horrible experiences and I spent a lot of time phoning and chivying the next stage. YMMV
Bert
Bert
One thing I would absolutely say is ignore the poster who suggested that you get on the phone every 2 or 3 days. One of the things that is holding us back so much at the moment is e-mail. It is so easy for a client to pop off an email on the evening/lunch break without any idea of the implications.
You sound like one of the good ones, however I'm sure you will agree that many are not. There are 45+ estate agents in my local town/city. We have an unofficial craplist of particular individuals to avoid. It has got to the point with one individual that if a client is threatening to use him we will do all we can to put them off, also if its a competitive bid and we are sizing up which offer the client should accept if him or any of the bucketshops are in the chain we will suggest the other buyer.
Usually a conveyancing room had mega table in the middle with walls of files all around. By being the annoying/fastidious estate agent who calls for updates, we know how long searches take locally, we know roughly how long it should take to report to a client, we never chase on a Friday as that always seems to be completion day
We ask
1) has client paid for searches
2) if not is client waiting for mortgage offer before paying for searches
3) has client filled out property info form
4) have searches gone out
5) if lease has freeholder pack been done
etc etc
we ask with a suitable gap as unlike the lawyers and surveyors we only get paid when it happens rather than being paid win lose or draw; so we have a vested interest in the outcome that prepaid online agents who have also already been paid and lose interest in the transaction the moment theyve put their substandard pictures on Rightmove
You sound like one of the good ones, however I'm sure you will agree that many are not. There are 45+ estate agents in my local town/city. We have an unofficial craplist of particular individuals to avoid. It has got to the point with one individual that if a client is threatening to use him we will do all we can to put them off, also if its a competitive bid and we are sizing up which offer the client should accept if him or any of the bucketshops are in the chain we will suggest the other buyer.
Usually a conveyancing room had mega table in the middle with walls of files all around. By being the annoying/fastidious estate agent who calls for updates, we know how long searches take locally, we know roughly how long it should take to report to a client, we never chase on a Friday as that always seems to be completion day
We ask
1) has client paid for searches
2) if not is client waiting for mortgage offer before paying for searches
3) has client filled out property info form
4) have searches gone out
5) if lease has freeholder pack been done
etc etc
we ask with a suitable gap as unlike the lawyers and surveyors we only get paid when it happens rather than being paid win lose or draw; so we have a vested interest in the outcome that prepaid online agents who have also already been paid and lose interest in the transaction the moment theyve put their substandard pictures on Rightmove
bobtail4x4 said:
If only sellers had to get all approvals gas elec certs and stuff sorted before they sold?
the home buyers pack would have solved this problem, but the surveyors and solicitors hated the idea.
Simpler than that - would you trust the seller's paperwork? Bit of a vested interest, isn't there?the home buyers pack would have solved this problem, but the surveyors and solicitors hated the idea.
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