How long did it take for you to complete?
Poll: How long did it take for you to complete?
Total Members Polled: 273
Discussion
Our last move...
Accepted an offer on our house 16th October 2015, our offer to buy accepted 4th November 2015 and eventually moved 19 February 2016.
Big wobble in the chain (only 4 houses) when the survey for the house at the bottom turned up a previously unknown (or so we were told) mineshaft next door. That caused a bit of stress.
Accepted an offer on our house 16th October 2015, our offer to buy accepted 4th November 2015 and eventually moved 19 February 2016.
Big wobble in the chain (only 4 houses) when the survey for the house at the bottom turned up a previously unknown (or so we were told) mineshaft next door. That caused a bit of stress.
We completed a day before my mortgage offer expired. There was no chain. A combination of online estate agent, s
tty conveyancers on both sides - I nearly sacked the bh from the firm I chose at the 11th hour and went elsewhere, but she finally realised the urgency and started returning calls after I complained to the senior partner; and a husband and wife vendor going through a messy divorce and refusing to speak to each other.
Add to that, the vendor’s previous solicitors having retired and being taken over some years earlier had the original deeds and couldn’t find them. Some pertinent documents for their purchase hadn’t been registered when they bought the property in 2005 either meant a fraught purchase. They found the said documents in a storage facility at the last minute.
tty conveyancers on both sides - I nearly sacked the bh from the firm I chose at the 11th hour and went elsewhere, but she finally realised the urgency and started returning calls after I complained to the senior partner; and a husband and wife vendor going through a messy divorce and refusing to speak to each other. Add to that, the vendor’s previous solicitors having retired and being taken over some years earlier had the original deeds and couldn’t find them. Some pertinent documents for their purchase hadn’t been registered when they bought the property in 2005 either meant a fraught purchase. They found the said documents in a storage facility at the last minute.
6 weeks, with a last minute emergency due to buyers solicitor of my old house insisting on an installation certificate for a log burner that was put in years before a certificate was required.
Same buyers wanted 10k off a 120k house (Cumbria) due to a 10p chip in a laminate floor and because (and I quote) ‘it might need replacement windows in the next ten years’ (they didn’t get the money off by the way, my fantastic estate agent told them to be realistic).
Same buyers wanted 10k off a 120k house (Cumbria) due to a 10p chip in a laminate floor and because (and I quote) ‘it might need replacement windows in the next ten years’ (they didn’t get the money off by the way, my fantastic estate agent told them to be realistic).
12 weeks. Ftb buying ours. We bought a vacant rental propertly.
Was told to expect 6 weeks max. I used decent but fairly expensive local solicitor. Comms all done same day by email.
Our vendor was using a friend of the faimily, local and ridiculously expensive for conveyancing.
Matey FTB chose an online cheapy on the other side of the country...
Lesson learnt that the chain only moves as quickly as the slowest solicitor. In hindsight I should have done the same and saved a fortune.
Least no online estste agents involved. The horror storys I've heard from mates. Massive chains falling apart at the last minute etc.
Was told to expect 6 weeks max. I used decent but fairly expensive local solicitor. Comms all done same day by email.
Our vendor was using a friend of the faimily, local and ridiculously expensive for conveyancing.
Matey FTB chose an online cheapy on the other side of the country...
Lesson learnt that the chain only moves as quickly as the slowest solicitor. In hindsight I should have done the same and saved a fortune.
Least no online estste agents involved. The horror storys I've heard from mates. Massive chains falling apart at the last minute etc.
Thought I would update this as I go along.
Offer placed Sunday. Draft contracts with me Thursday.
Mortgage application filled in on Saturday and approved subject to valuation which should be done this week.
We have signed the drafts today and they should be back to the solicitor weds. Hoping the searches come back next week.
Offer placed Sunday. Draft contracts with me Thursday.
Mortgage application filled in on Saturday and approved subject to valuation which should be done this week.
We have signed the drafts today and they should be back to the solicitor weds. Hoping the searches come back next week.
0-4 weeks.
It was 4 weeks to the day from viewing to collecting the keys. That was with an appalling dodgy firm, who got done a year later for a stamp duty scheme. First Chap went on holiday, then his replacement left, and the third women liked me I think (prob not..)...someone put up with my constant (polite) hassling.
We were cash buyers, they had already moved out and instantly set the right scene with accepting our lower offer on the condition of "you have 6 weeks then it goes back on the market". I couldn't have been happier.
However I spent 90mins *a day* chasing everyone up,newly killed me trying to find who was holding the ball then chasing them.
It was 4 weeks to the day from viewing to collecting the keys. That was with an appalling dodgy firm, who got done a year later for a stamp duty scheme. First Chap went on holiday, then his replacement left, and the third women liked me I think (prob not..)...someone put up with my constant (polite) hassling.
We were cash buyers, they had already moved out and instantly set the right scene with accepting our lower offer on the condition of "you have 6 weeks then it goes back on the market". I couldn't have been happier.
However I spent 90mins *a day* chasing everyone up,newly killed me trying to find who was holding the ball then chasing them.
Edited by Andehh on Tuesday 23 January 18:27
We're currently 7 months in and still waiting!
Cash buyer but the property is slightly complex in that it's part of a larger estate at the moment so having to be separated + some outstanding planning gain payments that are due.
We've passed 3 deadlines so far with the 4th looking unlikely on Friday. Not sure how much longer we're prepared to go on! Seller moves at a snails pace!
Cash buyer but the property is slightly complex in that it's part of a larger estate at the moment so having to be separated + some outstanding planning gain payments that are due.
We've passed 3 deadlines so far with the 4th looking unlikely on Friday. Not sure how much longer we're prepared to go on! Seller moves at a snails pace!
We offered initially on Feb 25, was delclined. Offered 2.5% more on Feb 26, which was accepted.
Exchanged contracts on March 28, and completed April 12.
No chain & no mortgage.
The one month delay between acceptance and exchange was largely in part to me living overseas, so arranging the building survey, and a couple of other 'specialists' took a couple of weeks.
I suspect if I was living in the U.K. at the time, you could knock a week off that period.
All the legal guff/comveyancing took about a fortnight. My solicitor is a friend of mine, and the sellers solicitor was a friend of theirs. This undoubtedly was a big help.
It was a very pleasant experience, all told. It was a holiday rental for the previous owners. They were extremely responsive, happy to answer my questions early in the proceedings, and on my couple of brief trips to the UK in between exchange and completion, they were happy to give me access with tradesmen to take measurements and do preliminary research for our renovation. I'm very grateful for that.
A very pleasant UK FTB process.
I plan on buying. BTL in the US next year. I suspect that will be more 'involved'. Wish me luck!
Exchanged contracts on March 28, and completed April 12.
No chain & no mortgage.
The one month delay between acceptance and exchange was largely in part to me living overseas, so arranging the building survey, and a couple of other 'specialists' took a couple of weeks.
I suspect if I was living in the U.K. at the time, you could knock a week off that period.
All the legal guff/comveyancing took about a fortnight. My solicitor is a friend of mine, and the sellers solicitor was a friend of theirs. This undoubtedly was a big help.
It was a very pleasant experience, all told. It was a holiday rental for the previous owners. They were extremely responsive, happy to answer my questions early in the proceedings, and on my couple of brief trips to the UK in between exchange and completion, they were happy to give me access with tradesmen to take measurements and do preliminary research for our renovation. I'm very grateful for that.
A very pleasant UK FTB process.
I plan on buying. BTL in the US next year. I suspect that will be more 'involved'. Wish me luck!
Don't know. Risky exchange/complete scheduled on 3 house chain for Friday 26th. Our buyers (cash when putting in the cheeky offer) have had issues with mortgage (what mortgage!!!!!) and now looks like mid Feb! I have just gone fking ballistic, telling us 3 days before the move, but can do nothing at all about it.
Lying tts.
king ballistic, telling us 3 days before the move, but can do nothing at all about it.Lying t
ts.Frenchda said:
Don't know. Risky exchange/complete scheduled on 3 house chain for Friday 26th. Our buyers (cash when putting in the cheeky offer) have had issues with mortgage (what mortgage!!!!!) and now looks like mid Feb! I have just gone fking ballistic, telling us 3 days before the move, but can do nothing at all about it.
Lying tts.
That is annoying. Did the EA not ask for proof of funds for a cash offer?king ballistic, telling us 3 days before the move, but can do nothing at all about it.Lying t
ts.sc0tt said:
Frenchda said:
Don't know. Risky exchange/complete scheduled on 3 house chain for Friday 26th. Our buyers (cash when putting in the cheeky offer) have had issues with mortgage (what mortgage!!!!!) and now looks like mid Feb! I have just gone fking ballistic, telling us 3 days before the move, but can do nothing at all about it.
Lying tts.
That is annoying. Did the EA not ask for proof of funds for a cash offer?king ballistic, telling us 3 days before the move, but can do nothing at all about it.Lying t
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