More than 200 readers have written to support The Times’ Let’s Get Britain Moving campaign with tales of their moves that have cost them emotionally and financially.
“We went under offer in the first 48 hours on the market only for our buyer to walk away after nine months simply because he’d changed his mind,” Kirsty McHugh wrote. “We then went under offer again and our buyers lost their buyers. That chain has now been repaired, but I am on tenterhooks about whether this time the sale goes through. It has cost thousands [of pounds] and caused awful stress as we are going through a divorce.”
Clare Purdy had a similar experience: “Have spent one year selling a house, [it] was sold in the first four weeks — the buyer wasted time asking ridiculous questions, and then I realised he couldn’t get the money together. [He] pulled out five months later costing me money, next buyer came immediately but couldn’t complete their sale and finally [I] got another buyer within a week of the previous one pulling out. The whole thing has literally taken a year and cost me a fortune! More concise information at the beginning of the process would have saved an enormous amount of time and money.”
“We’re never moving again, unless absolutely forced to, due to the horrors of the English system. Long overdue for proper, meaningful change,” Alastair Steven said.
It is not just the “English” system, though. A Scottish former solicitor wrote: “In Scotland things have become a mirror image of the English system . . . The fact is both systems are broken.”
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A survey of 120 readers showed that the majority thought the system could be improved with more information from sellers upfront (97.5 per cent), offers to be made legally binding (95 per cent) and greater use of technology (100 per cent).
Many also called for greater transparency across chains or, ideally, an end to a system of having chains. “This would entail either a much more organised and accepted system of bridging finance, or the development of part-exchange systems by estate agents similar to the sale and purchase of cars. This would, of course, cost money but, ultimately, the costs would be reflected in the purchase price of the house,” Patricia Lilian Pascoe wrote.
“Currently selling in Suffolk and buying in Argyll. Chain broken three times. Needs someone to manage chain end to end. All working as separate pieces which only talk to their linked house is ridiculous,” Wendy Black said. “A portal that advises exactly at what stage of the process you and other people are in the chain would make the process so much less stressful and would require less chasing,” Deborah McGreevy suggested.
A lot of people’s ire was directed at conveyancing lawyers: “Archaic and insecure system in UK favours only lawyers,” Susan Bowdler wrote. “Get the legal profession to change with the times, they are glacial,” Andy Ibbitson said. “Solicitors take too long between each phase and don’t give enough updates,” Jan Jewkes said.
Fiona Harding added: “Some solicitors still prefer second-class letter post to email. What value is added to the process by these people as every piece of information had to come back to us, as sellers, anyway?”
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“The legal sector and the financial sector needs to move out of the dark ages, when their mindsets are open — real progress will be made,” Andrew Stanton said.
Lawyers also called for the system to change: “The system in England is seriously flawed and has been ever since I trained as a solicitor 40 years ago,” David Norman wrote. “Your campaign is entirely merited — I just hope we can finally change this wasteful, frustrating outdated system.”
Sarah B, a property lawyer, wrote: “I am concerned about the negligence of many conveyancers who are only able to deal with processes as opposed to understanding the complexities of property law.”
Several readers called for sellers to provide searches and surveys before marketing their property, a process which is being trialled by several estate agents.
“Buyers should commission a survey robust enough to support a mortgage offer and make this available at the outset,” Shaun Greaves said. “Search process needs to be streamlined and included in upfront reports,” Jude Hooper added.
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Graham Redman said: “If sellers were obliged to provide a home information pack (HIP) including a survey of their property (which has to be updated after six months) and the result of local surveys (no reason why these should not be available online) then it would help the process enormously. Having reviewed the HIP if the buyer makes an offer then it should be accompanied by a 20 per cent non-refundable deposit. Conveyancing solicitors would be given eight weeks (maximum) to complete the legals and completion should never be allowed to take place on a Friday.”
