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Post by pinkie on Aug 25, 2016 8:38:11 GMT
Not much to report: the various solicitors have worked at their usual pace and the Land Registry are dragging their heels. We have now been given an estimate of mid-October for completion on our purchase! We remain amazed at the small-mindedness and pettiness of people when involved in house buying and selling. It's stressful. And very petty. Mind, I used a close friend as my (very pragmatic) solicitor, and he was complaining the fun had gone out of it due to client pressures. "People are too used to instant purchases and think this is like buying a TV online when they want it immediately" We had 2 abortive purchases of our house - before an acrimonious completion to the sale. I'll try to be brief - but will fail. We had to get an agricultural restriction lifted to sell it. That took - arguably 26 years - since the process had been started by the farmers we bought the house from, but I was more or less actively working it for at least 10 years. The final application process took 2 and a 1/2 years. I'll save that farcical saga for another post if anyone is interested in how absurd planning bureacracy can be. The restriction was lifted in July and we approached a specialist equestrian estate agent to sell the house. We marketed at £25000 more than we thought it was worth (the reference price in the restriction lifting saga) and had 4 viewings in the first 2 days with an offer of £5000 less than asking price from a "cash" buyer the same day. When that fell through, because they were too wet to deal with it, we remarketed at £10000 more and again had 10 viewings in the first week, and accepted an offer from a couple who wanted THAT house and they could deal with the drains (he was a builder / developper). When that fell through because he was trying to work a fiddle on a commercial mortgage which failed, we remarketed at £10000 more, and BEFORE we could do the first of 6 agreed viewings booked on the day we launched, our eventual buyer viewed it informally having caught my attention over the hedge. Nominally he was perfect. He offered £10000 below asking price (£20000 more than the original price 6 months previously). He was a cash buyer - really. He bought me the 23 bank statements where the cash needed was deposited. He had a house to sell, but didnt need to sell it to move. Although by this time we had pretty much sorted the drainage issue (another fiasco of bureacracy) he wasn't bothered by it, and since there was no lender involved he could, and did, instruct his solicitor accordingly. We explained we were keen to move ASAP, but needed a minimum of 6 weeks from exchange to completion to book an international removal, which we were not prepared to do before exchange having had 2 "guaranteed sales" fall through already. Ideal for us was exchange immediately - and a long gap to completion so Sue could finish a term at school, and we could plan an international move. He accepted - and was in a position to deliver. We were ready - he wasnt - when we went to France for 2 weeks. We were waiting on his solicitor getting local searches. He had been pushy and aggressive before, but I had let him because he could deliver for us. He wanted to move quickly and kept asking me if I was serious about selling, even though we were waiting for his solicitor to get local searches. I emailed him from holiday to ask if they had been received and he replied that they had, his solicitor had contacted mine (who was on holiday) and when were we going to exchange (Saturday evening). I explained we were away, but got my solicitor (on holiday) to agree he could manage the exchange, and as I was a friend he would sign the contract on my behalf. We needed to fix a completion date, for which I needed to book an international removal. I explained to the buyer that, if we could book the removal, we would be prepared to exchange on Monday. We couldnt get hold of the removal firm (their server was down, their secretary on holiday) . Our buyer sent me an email saying he was ready now (we had been waiting for him remember) and HE WANTED TO COMPLETE TODAY. If we didnt complete today the deal was off and he would buy somewhere eles Personally I was prepared to tell him to f*** off, since it was obvious bullshit, but Sue was distraught and wouldnt let me be so robust. I knew he had provisionally arranged the chain for the sale of his house for the last week of May, which we could easily have managed as a completion date. But, unable to contact the removals, I said I would exchange if the completion date was set for the 17th of June to give me enough buffer to book removals. He agreed, on advice from his solicitor that we could change the completion date by mutual consent. Dipstick. You can change any contract term by mutual consent. Mine wasn't forthcoming. A completely unnecessary piece of aggression on his part won him a bloody nose. Yup - stressful |
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Post by Deleted on Aug 25, 2016 10:29:17 GMT
We have been looking at property recently, cannot believe the total disparity in prices through the UK and it has nothing to do with the property itself just the bloody postcode!
My son started his new job very close to where Martin will be moving to a few months back and he can afford a house in that area with a bit of re-juggle on his finances.
Where we live currently a so called affordable 1 bed 'apartment' read one bedroom rabbit warren for dwarf variety is stupid money
Yet he will be moving in a spacious three bed (with a drive!!!) for 60K less the world's plain barmy!
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Post by pinkie on Aug 25, 2016 10:55:26 GMT
In this part of the world (Quillan or Esperaza) you can buy a large house with 4 large bedrooms and at least 2 large living rooms for E50000 in need of a bit of work but structurally sound. Good decorative order properties of that size start at about E80000. Little or no outside space, no parking, terraced houses in town - but huge accomodation for a family
Prices in the South East of England have lost all touch with reality
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Post by MartinT on Aug 25, 2016 12:12:29 GMT
Yes, prices are all over the place and buyers are being expremely wary, as I am finding out trying to sell my own house. It's leading to frankly insulting offers (£35k below asking price in one case) as tyre-kickers just try it on. It wastes my time as viewings are being booked where people are just looking around and giving hardly any feedback at all.
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Post by pinkie on Aug 25, 2016 13:56:03 GMT
Deep breaths Martin. It will be worth it when its done. And then there is the joy of dealing with builders - at least in your case you can console yourself, not French ones. Still, even here we are making progress. The pool arrived last night, and was not left on the road as I feared (as the garden office was) but delivered right to the installation by a very enterprising, engaging and helpful driver, who still made the delivery at 8PM - even though earlier deliveries had put him behind schedule. The pool had come from Brittany  |
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Post by ChrisB on Aug 25, 2016 14:00:03 GMT
Are people from Brittany quite small then Richard?
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Post by ChrisB on Aug 25, 2016 14:00:49 GMT
That's an Action Man sized pool!
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Post by MartinT on Aug 25, 2016 14:10:13 GMT
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Post by pinkie on Aug 25, 2016 14:46:04 GMT
That's 2 of 5 pallets for the pool. Poor guy had been driving over 10 hours. Hopefully we can get it assembled in the next couple of weeks, although the drought means we probably can't fill it yet. That tonka toy he is delivering with is a clever beast though
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Post by MikeMusic on Aug 25, 2016 15:08:18 GMT
My recommendation on pools
Don't.
Aggravation and a money pit.
Seems like I might be too late for you, maybe not for others
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Post by pinkie on Aug 25, 2016 15:53:53 GMT
There are several sayings locally "Dig a hole in the ground and pour money into it" "You need a friend with a pool - not a pool" etc But this is a modest size above ground (8x4) which will sit next to the terrace as though it is in ground. We have been "practicing" with a 3m circular pool, which has been a godsend to cool off in, and I think I've got the basic idea now. We are below the "pool line" (the fold in the map of France) and it was pretty much a condition of visiting by the generation below and the generation above. I'm going to pour some money in in the form of solar heating, quite possibly a heat pump, and an easy operate "shutter" pool cover. Big capital cost, hopefully equals easier maintenance (I know I'm not good if its any sort of hassle) and an extended season It's 35 degrees in the shade again, and thats with 45km winds. It's not Scotland - a pool is a way of life down here  |
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Post by MartinT on Sept 6, 2016 5:46:36 GMT
I finally sold my house on Saturday. That was tough. Even more forms to fill in.
Now to the purchase; we are being told mid-October for completion. I'll believe that when it happens.
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Post by Deleted on Sept 6, 2016 18:38:42 GMT
Hi Martin. Further to your question about incompetent solicitors, it went a bit like this:
1. I ask my solicitor and agent to check with buyers solicitor that he will be ready to exchange on the agreed date. This is 8 days prior. Both report he's all ready.
2. Two days from exchange I ring to check if anything has been heard from him. Apparently not, but my solicitors are just sitting waiting for the day to arrive and they are "sure he will be ready".
3. I press them to contact him. They say they will but don't bother, I ring them back and insist they ring immediately. Apparently he's "nowhere near ready".
4. I ask them to find out what he's ACTUALLY done. It turns out other than the local searches he's done nothing, No contract signed, no TR1 and incredibly no client deposit. The buyers haven't even seen the contract or contents questionnaire. He's "too busy" to organise this on the next day so we wait over a weekend.
5. He agrees to exchange Monday morning after seeing his clients, completing all the forms he should have done weeks ago and taking the deposit. Time passes and no exchange. It turns out he's sent his clients home with the forms and told them to "think about it and get back to him"
6. I lose the plot and threaten to walk away. The agents ring the buyers, Within 5 minutes he agrees the exchange.
7. My solicitors hand deliver the TR1 and contract to him and he refuses to accept it because my wife has signed her name with the prefix "Mrs". This is how she always signs her name. He insists on all the paper work being signed and witnessed again.
He doesn't have any online feedback yet, but I intend to devote my time to correcting this. I have plenty to say about him and I will enjoy every review I write. My solicitors were also partly to blame IMO for being too lax and lacking specificity in communications with him. Also for failing to return my calls or act on my instructions but that's my experience of most solicitors so no change there. My 20th house move is behind me. I'd like to say it's an exception but frankly it's been the norm:
One "cabbage" of a solicitor rang me the day before completion to ask me "if I was bothered" by three things she had just discovered: the attached double garage had no planning permission, the property had not been registered with the Land Registry and there was no evidence to show that the first mortgage on the property had been paid! I was in London at the time and I can tell you she would probably have heard me in Newcastle without the aid of a phone. My experience with solicitors has led me to expect laziness, incompetence and a total disregard for the client. I've ended up micro-managing every one I've used and it annoys me.
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Post by MartinT on Sept 6, 2016 20:39:46 GMT
Oh dear, that doesn't bode well.
We have suffered at the hands of the seller's solicitor who uncovered all manner of discrepancies with the boundaries but failed to engage the original solicitor from 10 years previously to try to unravel it. It has dragged and dragged and we now have the documents actually at the Land Registry at last. Updates consisted of ludicrous "he's putting the stamp on it now" kind of statements. Two weeks ago they asked us if we were prepared to proceed based on some agreement that the Land Registry stuff would be finished after we had exchanged contracts. We and our solicitor told them exactly what we thought of that proposal. And so it continues.
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Post by Deleted on Sept 7, 2016 7:57:13 GMT
In terms of tips, I'd say micro-management from the outset is the least-worst way of dealing with solicitors. If they show they can be trusted, you can always relax the reins a bit. Ask for every conversation to be backed up by email. If necessary, email them with your understanding of any conversation and take them to task immediately if they fail to respond or return calls. Spell out from day one what you expect including explicit comms and prompt responses. For the past few years I've started out by telling agents and solicitors hat they choose how our relationship will progress: "Heaven or Hell". I will always hold up my end by supplying any docs and reposnding to comms immediately. If they don't Reciprocate, then expect me to be the client from Hell. It's worked well with agents, but solicitors seem to prefer "Hell" and I've always ensured that I deliver on that one too |
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Post by MartinT on Sept 7, 2016 12:14:05 GMT
Good advice, Andrew!
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Post by Deleted on Sept 9, 2016 16:56:28 GMT
I think the lesson here is that a lot of conveyancing lawyers are useless at project management.
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Post by Deleted on Sept 9, 2016 18:15:37 GMT
House moving tip Number 1.
Take every thing to the tip with exception to your Stereo & Records. All you need is one trip outta there & a small van ofc. Jobs a good un.
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Post by MartinT on Sept 9, 2016 19:37:23 GMT
I did try, Andr'e! The reality is that I have whittled down my possessions by a reasonable amount.
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Post by MikeMusic on Sept 10, 2016 14:45:30 GMT
Assuming you take some possessions with you ... Have you looked at increasing the storage in the new place ? We missed that trick when the house was refurbed. We asked for and had agreement that we would have "loads of storage", but it didn't happen. IKEA do some clever and well priced stuff that can also be moved around if you don't want fixed storage areas |
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