How long did it take for you to complete?
Poll: How long did it take for you to complete?
Total Members Polled: 273
Discussion
Minus one week 
.
Bought our (vacant) house from an insurance company and were due to exchange and complete on the same day.
Removal lorry loaded up on the day and off it went.
I went back into the empty house to say goodbye to it ....
.... the phone (which should have been disconeccted) was ringing;
it was my lawyer saying that the insurance company's lawyers (Linklaters)
were not ready and they would need another seven days.
I told my lawyer to confirm to their lawyers, that the money was in my lawyer's 'hands' already
and that we were moving in today as previously arranged.
So basically we squatted for those 7 days until their lawyers were ready to exchange and complete.
.Bought our (vacant) house from an insurance company and were due to exchange and complete on the same day.
Removal lorry loaded up on the day and off it went.
I went back into the empty house to say goodbye to it ....
.... the phone (which should have been disconeccted) was ringing;
it was my lawyer saying that the insurance company's lawyers (Linklaters)
were not ready and they would need another seven days.
I told my lawyer to confirm to their lawyers, that the money was in my lawyer's 'hands' already
and that we were moving in today as previously arranged.
So basically we squatted for those 7 days until their lawyers were ready to exchange and complete.
Completed on Friday after sticking the offer in last June. Due to a terrible credit rating (see thread) I had to use what I can only assume are crooks for a mortgage who insisted I use their solicitor (almost certainly crooks). So what should had been a simple sale, no chain, standard house, newish with no issues turned into 9 months.
I paid double the going rate for the privilege and tested the sellers patience to the limit.
I paid double the going rate for the privilege and tested the sellers patience to the limit.
kwits - still waiting.................UK: Currently selling my inlaws' place due to them having both gone into care last year, FIL since died 
House went on the market on 2/1/18
Open day held on 6/1/18
Offers received from 8/1/18 ...
Due to complete sale on 29/3/18
Start to finish = 3 calendar months
LUXEMBOURG:
Our house went on the market on a Monday
6 viewings in the next 3 days
3 offers received
"compromis de vente" signed within the week, with defined completion date
completed on defined completion date which we'd agreed to be 2 1/2 months later
This can happen much quicker, but, the house market can move slowly, and the notaries and banks charge an arm and a leg in fees
Oh, then there's effectively 7% stamp duty in place!
House went on the market on 2/1/18
Open day held on 6/1/18
Offers received from 8/1/18 ...
Due to complete sale on 29/3/18
Start to finish = 3 calendar months
LUXEMBOURG:
Our house went on the market on a Monday
6 viewings in the next 3 days
3 offers received
"compromis de vente" signed within the week, with defined completion date
completed on defined completion date which we'd agreed to be 2 1/2 months later
This can happen much quicker, but, the house market can move slowly, and the notaries and banks charge an arm and a leg in fees
Oh, then there's effectively 7% stamp duty in place!
Edited by RC1807 on Thursday 1st March 14:50
Selling: Accepted offer just before the new year. Currently waiting for buyer's solicitors to finish sorting themselves out (last I heard they wanted more details on the leasehold). Hoping to exchange soon (I've been ready for weeks).
Buying: Given run around by agents for weeks, finally came to the crunch on valuation vs agreed price this week, withdrew as sellers weren't able to compromise. Ugh. Back to looking.
Buying: Given run around by agents for weeks, finally came to the crunch on valuation vs agreed price this week, withdrew as sellers weren't able to compromise. Ugh. Back to looking.
Calmchap said:
Genuine question - why do you agents do that?
I only ask because when purchasing my agent pissed off me, my solicitor and broker with daily, and at one point over Christmas hourly and half hourly calls, asking for updates. There needs to be realisim surely in that a valuation will take 5 working days to come back etc and no amount of phone calls from an estate agent isn’t going to ‘hurry the transaction along’
The deal only survived because I told the agent to F off and not talk to me like a clueless ftb. I know they want their commission but does it really matter if it come three weeks later, as long as it comes.
Central London agent if that makes a difference.
If it was at xmas it was probably to get the figures into that year.......time kills any deal, if you can keep momentum going and make sure tasks are completed fast then everyone has their eye on the ball without looking at alternatives.......it keeps buyers mentally invested in the process
I only ask because when purchasing my agent pissed off me, my solicitor and broker with daily, and at one point over Christmas hourly and half hourly calls, asking for updates. There needs to be realisim surely in that a valuation will take 5 working days to come back etc and no amount of phone calls from an estate agent isn’t going to ‘hurry the transaction along’
The deal only survived because I told the agent to F off and not talk to me like a clueless ftb. I know they want their commission but does it really matter if it come three weeks later, as long as it comes.
Central London agent if that makes a difference.
If it was at xmas it was probably to get the figures into that year.......time kills any deal, if you can keep momentum going and make sure tasks are completed fast then everyone has their eye on the ball without looking at alternatives.......it keeps buyers mentally invested in the process
I selected 5-8 weeks in the poll but in reality it was about 24 working days from viewing to having the keys. Dec 19th viewing and keys in hand on Jan 25th, so over a week out of that time for the festive period.
We were 1st time buyers and the property was empty as it was an estate sale = I got £25,000 off the asking price and a large chunk of that was due to our favourable buying position I imagine.
I set up an email group for all concerned parties, EA and solicitors both ends and ensured that all communications were shared with all parties, whether they originated from me or not. Whilst this might not always be feasible, I was told by my EA and solicitors that it had probably chopped 10-14 days off the process as everyone was on the same page at all times.
I used to be an EA about 20 years ago, so had some insight into what can and invariably does go wrong.
We were 1st time buyers and the property was empty as it was an estate sale = I got £25,000 off the asking price and a large chunk of that was due to our favourable buying position I imagine.
I set up an email group for all concerned parties, EA and solicitors both ends and ensured that all communications were shared with all parties, whether they originated from me or not. Whilst this might not always be feasible, I was told by my EA and solicitors that it had probably chopped 10-14 days off the process as everyone was on the same page at all times.
I used to be an EA about 20 years ago, so had some insight into what can and invariably does go wrong.
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