Moving Woes

I hate moving, I really do. Solicitors are all rubbish, estate agents are spawned from the devil, and it’s really just a horrible task – I can’t wait till it’s over.

Here’s the basic outline to what has happened.

1) We find a buyer for our house and agree a price. A letter comes out from the Estate Agents saying that the house sale will be completed on January 14th.

2) I asked my parents to take a look at a few properties to rent down in Kent, the area we are moving too. They take a look and find a nice place in Welling. It is a good size, but it was dirty, the carpets, floors, oven, windows, just all over the house. We are told it will be sorted soon.

3) We put a holding fee down on the place in Kent, I speak to the solicitors first and am told that the date given by the Estate Agents will be OK to meet, even with the Christmas 2 week break that they take.

4) I am told by the estate agents that the date sent out generate automatically, and because of the Christmas break it could end up being up to the second week in February, even though there is no chain at all.

5) I phone the solicitors back up and ask about how long it will take – I tell them what the estate agents have said and am comforted by them telling me that the 14th of January is perfectly realistic.

6) I chase the solicitors up a week later to see how it is going – I ask if the draft contract is complete, or when it will be complete. I also ask if I need to send them any information. I am told that the draft contract has been dictated and it just needs to be typed up – I am also told that I do not need to send anything in at present, but to complete the €œFixtures and fittings form€? and send this back when I get a chance.

7) I phone up again a few days later to see if the draft contract has been sent – I am told that while it’s still needs to be typed up, it will definitely go out before Christmas.

8) I take a holiday to stay with my parents over the Christmas period. Whilst down there, I have a look at the property in Welling that my parents found, and am not impressed. The size of it is great, however it is still dirty, a lawn mower has turned up in the lounge but the garden certainly hasn’t been done. I tell the estate agents that I am not pleased and that I want to see it clean, they tell me he will do it over the Christmas period and it will be ready to view in January 4th, a day after we were due to go back up north.

9) On January 4th, I phoned up the solicitors. The person dealing with my case is off ill, however I spoke to her assistant and am told that she was ill before Christmas herself, and that the draft contract was not done. I am told it still just needs to be typed up. I phone up the Estate agents and am told that everything is going very well on the other side, with the survey done, the mortgage agreed and the date of the 14th still happening, even though the draft contract is not yet sorted.

10) Later on the 14th, we go and view the place in Welling. Nothing has been done, I’m not impressed. I told them we no longer want this place. We now have 10 days to find somewhere to live! Luckily, we organised a few more viewings on the 4th and find somewhere even better than the place in Welling. It’s only round the corner from my parents and it’s a really lovely place in a great area. We tell them we want it and agree a monthly price for it.

11) I get back to work on the 5th. My Solicitor is still off ill; the contract is still not sorted. I ask to speak to a partner and am called back after work. I am told that the draft contract has not been dictated, and isn’t in for typing. I am told they are waiting on the lease to be able to do so, along with a few more documents. Luckily, although they were not asked for, I sent these to the solicitors the same day, with next day delivery. I advise him of this and he tells me he has instructed someone else to deal with my account, as the solicitor that was meant to do it has epileptic fits, and that is why she had been off for two days.

12) The next day the forms arrive at the solicitors, after 7 calls in one day, I am told that the draft contract has now gone out, and should arrive at the solicitors on the next day (7th). Whilst I’m unhappy it’s taken so long, it’s good that it’s finally done and sent out. I am told that they will still work towards next week (14th) at my request (as the place in Kent could not wait much longer after that, so I would need to start paying rent on it).

13) On the 7th, I try and get though to the other solicitors just to confirm they have received the contract, they will not speak to me due to a €œconflict of interests€?. I ask the estate agents to confirm this instead, and after trying many times they could not get though to them.

14) I’m now stuck in a limbo, it’s the 7th, and in a weeks time I am meant to move house. I take decisive action, booking time off work for the move, and to do the packing before hand, being assured that everyone is still working towards the 14th. I buy a load of boxes to pack everything up in, and arrange with my parents for them to take Kieran for a week so that we can do everything and make the move down south. I arrange a removals company to collect everything on Thursday and get a fantastic deal.

15) I go back to work today (10th) and get a call from the estate agents. I am told that the solicitors DID get the contracts on Friday and are applying for the searches to be carried out. Then I get the bad news, the buyer’s solicitors did not think this would be done for this week, and would not give a date on when they thought it would be done. I phone my solicitors and ask them to call the buyers solicitors and try and arrange some kind of date, and push for this Friday, however it doesn’t look likely that this will happen.

So that brings you all up to date. I’m angry at the way I have been treated, by both the solicitors and the estate agents, but there’s not much I can do about it. I’m completely in limbo, not knowing a date of completion, with Kieran 200 miles away and Lindsey panicking about what we should be doing. Do I take the time of work? Will I EVER get a date of completion? Who knows, but be sure that I will keep you up to date.