The nervous wait to exchange....

  • Thread starter Thread starter noj
  • Start date Start date
uksoldierboy said:
Thanks bud, Whats the actual issue with the Titles?


:( how so long Skeeter?
Click to expand...

2 Title deeds belong to our property effectively showing the house and garden in 2 separate sections. Buyers solicitor wants that amended / updated so that both titles are merged.

As the titles stand it did not put us off of buying the house several years ago.

So, in the hands of the Land Registry now to see if they will merge the titles. Hoping all goes ok! Hate waiting!
 
Skeeter said:
Pftt, light weights :p;)

If all goes to plan it will be 22 weeks and 2 days from Offer to Exchange, and 25 weeks and 3 days from Offer to Complete for us!
Click to expand...

Took me about the same. :( Offer accepted 8th of October, got keys on 12th of March. No chain on either side just useless solicitors, especially sellers one.
 
When we made our offer there was a full chain and we were the final piece. That chain then fell apart almost immediately.

Then our vendors found somewhere else and got as far as the survey before the surveyor told them to run a mile because it was falling down.

Then they found the current place who accepted their offer based on being able to move out by July. Later they said early August (early repayment fee on mortgage that ends at the end of July). Then they said they wouldn't even Exchange until August as they are buying a flat with tenants who won't be gone until the end of July.

We have been done, ready, approved and all surveys done since March. Our vendors have had trouble finding a place and then been screwed about by their vendors.

Its being taken right to the wire. Our vendors need to be moved by the end of August at the latest as they need to be living there before September so their kid can get the place in the school they want. Completion is currently planned for 24th August, which leaves just 1 week of slippage room before the whole thing may fall apart.

Were not out of the woods yet!

Oh, and solicitors up and down the chain being utterly useless. Our vendors solicitors regularly claimed to have written to our solicitor, only for it to take nearly 2 weeks for anything to arrive.
 
Mortgage application with HSBC is now with the underwriters. Should hear back with the outcome by the end of the week apparently. From looking online they seem to be quite strict about who they lend to but we have a 75% LTV and a decent amount of disposable income so fingers crossed its ok.

Going to the house again on Saturday to meet the vendor which will be nice. Shes an older lady who has lived in the house her whole adult life so will be nice for her to see who's buying her house.
 
I'm (going) for a 2.65% 3 year fix at 90% LTV, so that I have a lower LTV at the end of 3 years to get a better deal then... (I hope).
 
Just had an offer accepted on our first house yesterday, all new to this but fairly sure I (hope) know what I'm doing!

Already have a mortgage in principle so contacted our mortgage broker, we have to get all our latest statements again etc and arrange a meeting with him. Contacted a couple of local solicitors for quotes. Out of interest would anyone mind sharing what they've paid all in with stamp duty for a property around the £200,000 mark? Ours is £208,000. Have been quoted £2800 all in.
 
MarkLP said:
Just had an offer accepted on our first house yesterday, all new to this but fairly sure I (hope) know what I'm doing!

Already have a mortgage in principle so contacted our mortgage broker, we have to get all our latest statements again etc and arrange a meeting with him. Contacted a couple of local solicitors for quotes. Out of interest would anyone mind sharing what they've paid all in with stamp duty for a property around the £200,000 mark? Ours is £208,000. Have been quoted £2800 all in.
Click to expand...

Your stamp duty is £1660 and solicitor fees are typically around £1200 inc searches so £2800 is about right.
 
MarkLP said:
Just had an offer accepted on our first house yesterday, all new to this but fairly sure I (hope) know what I'm doing!

Already have a mortgage in principle so contacted our mortgage broker, we have to get all our latest statements again etc and arrange a meeting with him. Contacted a couple of local solicitors for quotes. Out of interest would anyone mind sharing what they've paid all in with stamp duty for a property around the £200,000 mark? Ours is £208,000. Have been quoted £2800 all in.
Click to expand...

Sirrel Squirrel said:
Your stamp duty is £1660 and solicitor fees are typically around £1200 inc searches so £2800 is about right.
Click to expand...

slightly cheaper than what I went with. but the solicitor I went with seems to know what they are doing and has helped a lot. not a huge amount in it but that looks like a good price if it's a decent solicitor.

the people buying my parents home have a terrible solicitor who hasn't bothered responding to any emails or calls from their solicitor. seems to be going at their own pace when they are trying to hurry things along.

sometimes it's better going with someone who comes highly recommended than someone who's slightly cheaper. you can't get around stamp duty and other fees like changing of titles/deeds, etc. so let's say £2K is fees. your solicitor is charging £800 for their services which may seem a lot but a top solicitor usually makes £600-£1000 an hour for reference. albeit this is conveyancing rather than a court case. £800 for all their time and work is a very good price. Mine is constantly sending us updates and everything posted first class next day, etc to keep everything moving as fast as possible. And it's an 1 fee type deal. I won't pay any more than the quote I've been given. It's a set rate. Yours could turnaround at the end and say this took longer than expected, etc and then charge you more for example.

makes you wonder why you didn't do law at uni with some of the hourly rates I've seen.
 
Last edited:
Got my damn KEYS! so bloody happy it's finally all over, had it pretty easy tbh but still a stressful time, i wish everyone still waiting all the best and a speedy completion.
 
Psycho Sonny said:
slightly cheaper than what I went with. but the solicitor I went with seems to know what they are doing and has helped a lot. not a huge amount in it but that looks like a good price if it's a decent solicitor.

the people buying my parents home have a terrible solicitor who hasn't bothered responding to any emails or calls from their solicitor. seems to be going at their own pace when they are trying to hurry things along.

sometimes it's better going with someone who comes highly recommended than someone who's slightly cheaper. you can't get around stamp duty and other fees like changing of titles/deeds, etc. so let's say £2K is fees. your solicitor is charging £800 for their services which may seem a lot but a top solicitor usually makes £600-£1000 an hour for reference. albeit this is conveyancing rather than a court case. £800 for all their time and work is a very good price. Mine is constantly sending us updates and everything posted first class next day, etc to keep everything moving as fast as possible. And it's an 1 fee type deal. I won't pay any more than the quote I've been given. It's a set rate. Yours could turnaround at the end and say this took longer than expected, etc and then charge you more for example.

makes you wonder why you didn't do law at uni with some of the hourly rates I've seen.
Click to expand...

Thanks for the information and some valid points, the solicitor that has already come back with a quote is highly recommended and used in our family, looking at the quote they have a flat fee of £599 + fees etc, they have quoted £280 for searches and the rest for bank transfer and land registry fees. Going to give them a call and have a chat politely say we'd like to proceed as quickly as possible with there being no chains.
 
MarkLP said:
Thanks for the information and some valid points, the solicitor that has already come back with a quote is highly recommended and used in our family, looking at the quote they have a flat fee of £599 + fees etc, they have quoted £280 for searches and the rest for bank transfer and land registry fees. Going to give them a call and have a chat politely say we'd like to proceed as quickly as possible with there being no chains.
Click to expand...

Sounds good then. Flat fee is good no surprises that way. If they come recommended and your happy with that price I would just go with them.
 
People we are buying from have found a new build and had offer accepted. Our buyer is on a rolling 3 month rental so good there. Draft contracts now with each solicitor and searches applied for on Friday. Problem with searches is they are taking around 5-6 weeks from South Cambs council! very annoying as we are all ready to go. Expect searches back on 9th September and hopefully exchange of contract not long after. Looking like an early October move for us touch wood.I hate this waiting about!
 
Really? Aren't they all online now? Every single document we have for our complete search pack has the same date on it, so it looks like they were all done at once, likely with just a press of a button.
 
Went to see ours today with my partners sister and husband as they are helping us out. The place is 80% packed for storage and I was led to believe it was empty. Found a few more issues such as mice and incredibly fast growing foliage in the garden.
We will exchange next week and complete the week after by the looks of it.

Means we have 2 weeks at the most to knock a wall down, do flooring and put in a new kitchen, bathroom and decorate as well as move out of this rented house.
All this with no chain has taken 16 weeks so far as the seller couldn't be arsed to come back from USA to sort out his own house.
 
I think my solicitors quotes where all around 1000quid inc vat for solicitor+search pack etc. I posted the breakdown of one of them in this thread then went with one that was post office panel (mortgage lender), they were all pretty similar though.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top Bottom