Owning your own home

Anyone had an exclusivity agreement drawn up to attempt to avoid gazumping?

From what I have read, they are time-bound as well, which might be useful in showing a potential vendor we are keen to move quickly, and might encourage them to get a shuffle on too.

Worth it?

Is there a lfgss recommend builder? Need to have by bathroom completely redone.

@Dammit?

Lols

which decade did you want the work finished i believe he's taking bookings for 2020 - 2030 currently

Bob Bentley in Walthamstow is a good solicitor, and relatively cheap.

We've had an offer accepted on a property we'd really like to own. Troops deployed, brace position adopted ready for disappointment.

Highfive.gif

I have been informed that the managing agent is charging over 500 quid to send to my solicitor the replies to enquiries we need to sort out the pre contract stage of the sale.

boo.

I'm guessing it's not in Catford? :(

Forest Gate. The Catford dream has died.

The offer's been accepted, our details and some money have been sent to Martin Browne, and we got a mortgage accepted last night pending a couple more documents.

Trying hard not to be too hopeful as I'm aware there's a long long way to go yet and I've got a colleague at work who's on her fourth property deal after three have collapsed. This one is also going tits up after searches found the extension was illegal.

i'll let you know mid-december if the one i appointed did good.

This one is also going tits up after searches found the extension was illegal.

Do you know when the extension was built?

Had the awkward conversation with my current landlord that turned out to not be so awkward after all

I haven't asked her, I got the very strong impression she was sick of talking about it/about to start crying. I'm not sure she's enjoyed her house hunting experience.

Vendor would be mad not to try and get a lawful development certificate for it if it was more than four years ago that's all.

That's what she assumes he is doing, but he's been quiet for a long time now and they've heard nothing. Really hoping we don't have any shenanigans like this.

Have to say so far (and I'm not sure how much of a role they still have, so I hope this isn't jinxing anything) the agents have been brilliant. They alerted us of a higher offer made on the same day, but advised us against upping ours as they said they would fight our corner and make it clear to the seller they favoured our offer. Veg friendly and reliable thus far as well.

Veg friendly?

Industry speak for "the plumbing's not up to handling a high protein diet"

Or 'very friendly', if you're going to insist on such high standards of English.

Saying that, I have never felt that my vegetarianism proved an issue for them, in fact it was never even mentioned.

We've got a survey booked for Tuesday, and should have our mortgage offer confirmed or otherwise by Wednesday. I'm nervous about both, as there are some issues with the place (which we're aware of, but the lender still might be funny about) and because I still struggle to believe someone is willing to lend us so much.

The solicitor has all of our documents and the money for the searches and is ready to proceed. There's no onward chain to hang about for.

What are the best case/worst case scenarios from this point? I keep hearing about how this part of the process can be the longest and most stressful, but it all seems to be out of our hands now. What can I expect to happen from here?

I'm in almost same position, so eager to hear! Our soft-but-hard deadline is coming, as we have to give a months notice on our rent place on or before Oct 18th if we don't want to pay more than one more rent payment.

Our survey report was confirmed as received by the mortgage company a week last Friday and it's been radio silence since then. Will be contacting them tomorrow to check everything's alright.
Solicitor's still chasing up some minor queries but they're pretty inconsequential.

What was your deadline set for? Are you waiting for the contracts to be drawn up, or waiting for the vendor to give it the go-ahead, or what? That's what I don't really understand, is what can have to happen in that time that can take so long. Without any foot-dragging, what's the quickest it can actually go through?

We're in a slightly different position in that we're probably going to be renting for another month after completion while some work gets done - if we can get a firm deadline in place and make sure the builder can come in then. Otherwise that gets tricky too.

Oh its a self imposed deadline based on when our rent payments go out and so when we need to give notice - if we go past it it means quality time living with my folks in sunny Sidcup, which I'd rather not happen. Ever.

I'm just hoping that by the 18th of October we'll know how long we have to keep waiting around.