The very sick solicitor

The solicitor on our purchase is not back. He’s still ill. Even worse he has a holiday booked for next week.That meansa) he’s unlikely to return this week and will be off next week, so the earliest we could exchange will be 30th Julyb) the firm realise that there is work being left, they appoint someone else and things move onc) the client decides that enough is enough, starts shouting and something else happensAny bets on which is most likely to happen?Surely all solicitors are not this slow?

Still waiting

By this stage I thought we might have exchanged contracts. Not so.In fact the very slow solicitor is taking so long that our solicitor is thinking abut reporting him to the Law Society.Buying a property is so frustrating, it should be so much easier than this. This was part of the idea about HIPs but the delay is the solicitor, as everything else seems to be in place. Or is there something else going on? On the sale front, it looks like we may have a buyer! Avery nice couple came to view last week and are keen to visit again.Second viewing booked for Friday. Time to get the hoover out again.

Survey completed

The surveyor arrived complete with torch, ladder, clipboard, checklists, Dictaphone and pen. According to the RICS “There are approximately 1.4m house sales each year in England and Wales. Of these, only 1 in 5 currently commission any sort of survey on the property.”In fact we’re not having a survey on the perfect house. It needs lots of work and a survey will tell Mr Bridger and I exactly what we already know.Buyers may opt for various surveys until HIPs are introduced. The surveys includeMortgage valuation surveyHomebuyer reportFull building survey Our buyers have selected the Homebuyer report, which according to the RICS websitefocuses on essentials: defects and problems which are urgent or significant and thus have an effect on the value of the property. The homebuyer, unlike a building survey, provides not only a survey but also a Valuation as an integral part of the service.The general condition of the property Any major faults in accessible parts of the building that may affect the value Any urgent problems that need inspecting by a specialist before you sign a contract Results of tests for damp in the walls Damage to timbers – including woodworm or rot The condition of any damp-proofing, insulation and drainage (though drains aren't tested) The estimated cost of rebuilding the property after a fire, for building insurance purposes The value of the property on the open market.The surveyor started on at the top of the house and worked his way down. Then he checked the roof space, hence the torch.All seems ok, but you never know. Being miles away from any rivers helps at this moment in time.

Surveys at the ready!

The surveyor is booked to undertake the survey tomorrow. They’ve been a bit busy with the floods, having to check so many buildings to see if they are safe.Are we really living in England?It does rain here, but this much? What happened to ‘hotter than July?’This is a time of year when many families opt to stay in a caravan, by the sea, strolling along the beach every day and eating ice creams. Latest news is that caravan sales have soared as they are being used as temporary accommodation for flooded households.Websites where you can helphttp://www.redcross.org.uk/standard.asp?id=71823&cachefixer=http://www.bbc.co.uk/gloucestershire/content/articles/2007/07/23/flood_help_feature.shtmlAnd if you need helphttp://www.helpimflooded.co.uk/http://www.redcross.org.uk/news.asp?id=72082&cachefixer=http://worcestershire.whub.org.uk/home/wcc-bus-floodinghttp://www.floodforum.org.uk/http://search.bbc.co.uk/cgi-bin/search/results.pl?scope=all&edition=d&q=flood+help

Brochures at the ready

The brochures have been printed and look fab. If we didn’t need more work space we’d move here.Adverts appearing this weekend, now to see if we get any viewings.

The gushing viewers

The first viewers were apparently gushing ‘What a lovely property! Fantastic features’. We know from the house buying secret code [We seek it here we seek it there] that this means they think it’s great, but not for them.That's ok as another viewing is booked for Wednesday and another on Saturday.I’ve heard that it takes 12 viewings to sell a new house. How many to sell a ‘previously owned’ house?

Digging deep

So what do I want to know about estate agents? I need some form of decision criteria.I’m not keen on being kept waiting, so time is important. It would be nice if they were pleasant people, especially as they will be selling our house. Useful if they understand the market and didn’t start in the job last week.Perhaps scores out of 4 for· Punctuality – the time thing· Presentation – am I happy to let them into my home?· Confidence – would I buy from them?· Product knowledge – it’s a complicated house, how would they sell it?· Market knowledge – what other info do they have?Have I missed anything? Perhaps it's time to start telephoning and checking the responses._uacct = "UA-1692047-1";urchinTracker();