[farmershort]

Have you tried saying, in writing, that unless contracts are exchanged by ....(date).... you will withdraw your offer. Give them something like 14 days and I'll bet that everything will be sorted.

We'd done all the standard stuff, had an interesting last week though:

The estate agent Lady who's now handling our case (or at least the one we speak with), was on holiday for most of last last week - only returning on friday.

Having issued the nuclear option of "we're buying it as advertised or not at all" the previous friday, it seems the vendors came back with a counter-offer whilst our designated estate agent was away. Apparently the whole office was aware of this fact, yet nobody thought to tell us!

The counter off was more complexity again, so we issued a bit of a "sod off" type response.

This all happened early on on friday, and we were pretty much of the opinion that it would fall through at that stage. To our amazement, the estate agent lady pulled it back from the brink, and we were all agree by friday evening.

The original estate agent idiot was also on holiday during this time - which was great -but he returned to work this week.... and boy didn't we know about it!

All of a sudden, the quite helpful estate agent lady started to sound a lot like him again! Anyway, by 4:40pm on monday, 9 weeks from offer accepted (to the hour!!), we finally had a memorandum of sale from them that we were all happy with.

Our solicitors have submitted the searches, and sent enquiries based on the little bit of paperwork they've recieved. The vendors solicitors are apparently still waiting on the title deeds!!! End of this week apparently!

We've told them that we are to exchange no later than June 28th..... lets see!

We're also engaging in a bit of a "wall of noise" operation with the original estate agent idiot... probably won't yield much, but should reduce his capacity for meddling.

[pharnorth]

When we bought our house and 5 hectares after two days of being told by the Estate Agent that they couldn't get through to the vendors to arrange a viewing we drove past.  Saw they were in, somewhat sheepishly knocked on the door and asked if we could view when it was convenient. They were very happy with this and very unhappy that the agent had been phoning the wrong number for two days. Subsequently we said we would make an offer, they gave us their number and we did it direct.  Throughout the next 10 weeks the agent was calling consistently giving both of us misinformation. Fortunately we talked regularly and ended up laughing at the nonsense. I don't think the agent was devious, just incompetent. 

Best of luck I hope it all happens for you.

[farmershort]

another week, another lack of progress....

the solicitors are properly in touch with each other now, which is something I suppose, but still no enquiries have been answered, no updated contract sent.... they're always "just waiting for..." something else to turn up.

I am so so so so so fed up of this. It's all I can do to stop myself pulling out of the deal out of spite at the process.

My OH is on holiday with her sister at the moment, and I doubt she'd be too impressed to come back to that news. She'd understand though.

If the place in question wasn't exactly what we wanted, then I think we'd have pulled out long ago.

 

[waterbuffalofarmer]

ahhh no that is terrible. I think you need to really push them even more maybe give them an ultimatum try and email or get in contact with your local mp and see what they can do. Let everyone know who is involved including the sellers about how it is affecting you and give them an ultimatum. I really hope this gets sorted soon and I am sorry that this is happening! sending hugs to you both :hug:It reminds me of my broadband company, which I have finally switched from.

[silkwoodzwartbles]

So sorry to hear how much trouble you're having, if it's any consolation, I'm losing the will to live with mine and OH's first house purchase too! Why is buying a house so much more difficult than buying anything else!? A caravan in the field is starting to look very attractive!

[Lesley Silvester]

If you do think of trying an ultimatum, make sure that you are prepared to carry it through.

[Herdygirl]

I feel your pain i have been where you are now 

'the solicitors are properly in touch with each other now, which is something I suppose, but still no enquiries have been answered, no updated contract sent.... they're always "just waiting for..." something else to turn up.'

Yea i know how you feel about this.  During one property purchase I was told this, I told them 'to go and bleep bleep get it!' when they said they couldn't because 'that's not how things were done'  I went and got it myself  (it was the local council searches) and told them to knock it off their bill.

another trick solicitors pull is to sit on your money, citing a small hold up and ths gaining them interest, and then do nothing for weeks about the contracts.  Most are incompetent

[farmershort]

Well, at least my OH is now back at home and not posting pictures of sunny beaches on face-ache! Haha.

Yesterday was 12 weeks since offer...  a quarter of a fudging year!!!

We met our solicitors on Friday just gone (nice woman), and she showes us the draft contract that was finally sent through that morning. Firstly, it was not exactly wordy, nor complete.. but the 2 mean sticking points were:

1) what was "a right of access for the property next door" had turned into "a right to do whatever we want to that land whenever we want including fencing and digging it up".... erm... nope!

2) what was "a right of drainage for the property next door" had turned into "a right to dig a massive great hole in your field adjoining said property to install a cesspit out, and access to it forever more"... again.... nope!

So they basically want a bit of field for free, and rights as good as the freehold over the driveway. Fudging chances!

We let the solicitor do the formal bits and she decided it would be better for her to draft the contract and send it over, rather than having to correct the seller's solicitor all the time.

We've not heard anything since that meeting (our solicitors are chasing their counterparts daily). We can't really chase the subhumans anymore, as we'll show our hand.... just got to wait it out. What a poxy stupid process.

[farmershort]

Lets see how much faith the estate agents have in their precious housing market after the vote....

[farmershort]

AAAAAAAAAAARRRRRRRRRGGGGGGGHHHHHHHHHHH

not that I support property as investment, but how the hell do peope do this for a living?!?!

It looks like last night we would finally get an amended contract and answers to the outstanding 25+ enquiries. It's 13 weeks today since offer.... Nothing arrived!

I have just written a trule arsey email to the estate agents... I had to remove the phrase "arse from his elbow" and other such choice phrases before hitting send...

I stopped short of using the estate agent partner's full name of C***bags C**kwomble McC***face. (Sorry if that offends anyone)

We now know what's been going on in the background. It seems that (at a snails pace) the estate agent partner t**t has been liaising with vendors and their solicitor to make sure the 12ftx24ft property next door is viable for change of use to residential. This has meant that every time we throw something up, they have to cross check it against their still evolving plans for this tiny tiny building. The planning and change of use doesn't worry us at all, as it's a tiny plot, but it's the sheer cloak and dagger nature of it, coupled with a sense of not really being arsed about our sale.

in short, they went to market to early, and they're totally incompetant... and what will happen to them? oh yeah, that's right... they get rewarded with our money! W******.

[waterbuffalofarmer]

Oh dear I am very sorry to hear this [member=7747]farmershort[/member] I think, I hope you dont mind me saying, you should look for somewhere else to either buy or rent? How much land has this one got? You should move to ceredigion they have loads of really lovely smallholdings for sale around here and it is still close to the sea, property is also fairly inexpensive. You could try and get one nr new quay in ceredigion, fabulous place, loads of tourists and booming businesses, plus beautiful views into the bargain. have I  convinced you yet? 

[farmershort]

Oh dear I am very sorry to hear this [member=7747]farmershort[/member] I think, I hope you dont mind me saying, you should look for somewhere else to either buy or rent? How much land has this one got? You should move to ceredigion they have loads of really lovely smallholdings for sale around here and it is still close to the sea, property is also fairly inexpensive. You could try and get one nr new quay in ceredigion, fabulous place, loads of tourists and booming businesses, plus beautiful views into the bargain. have I  convinced you yet? 

We did look at Wales quite a lot originally (up to about a year or so ago), but a few things come into it. I've had some pretty poor experiences with my welsh-speaking inlaws, and they have pretty much managed to put me off Wales. My Welsh other half has no desire to go back, partly because of the above. The other thing is work... we're fortunate enough to have pretty good self-employed jobs at the moment, which will travel a certain distance... I think Ceredigion is just too cut off from mainstream jobs. That's not a bad thing, and if we had 300k in cash, then I think it'd be a great place.

I can't go on with this farce for many more weeks to be honest with you, and if it all ends in a heap then we may have re-assess our options. Monmouth was a favourite for a while, but even that fell out of favour given our experiences.

If it were totally up to me, I think I'd probably save a little bit more money, and then move to India and try to buy somewhere in Himachal Pradesh, near Shimla preferably. There's no way I could convince my other half of this though.

I reckon we'll give them a total of another 2 weeks, and then we'll use the nuclear option of telling them we're pulling out... backup up with a total willingness to follow it through...

and then I'm going to have the mother of all bloody holidays!

[waterbuffalofarmer]

sounds like a good idea [member=7747]farmershort[/member] May I suggest for somewhere nice the Lleyn penninsula or anglesey very lovely places and long sandy big beaches too! The land is quite good too. If not you could always try France or even scotland. I always wanted to live in Tuscany myself and own a vineyard, but thats just me 

[Bionic]

sounds like a good idea [member=7747]farmershort[/member] May I suggest for somewhere nice the Lleyn penninsula or anglesey very lovely places and long sandy big beaches too! The land is quite good too. If not you could always try France or even scotland. I always wanted to live in Tuscany myself and own a vineyard, but thats just me 

Is France an option now with Brexit?

[waterbuffalofarmer]

sounds like a good idea [member=7747]farmershort[/member] May I suggest for somewhere nice the Lleyn penninsula or anglesey very lovely places and long sandy big beaches too! The land is quite good too. If not you could always try France or even scotland. I always wanted to live in Tuscany myself and own a vineyard, but thats just me 

Is France an option now with Brexit?

Who knows? We won't be fully leaving for another 3-4 years, so technically we're still in Europe. It may be a little more difficult, but am sure it could be done