Poorly managed sale process with unnecessary delays and costs
Unfortunately, this was a very frustrating and exhausting property purchase experience that ultimately collapsed after several months.
To be fair, most of the core issue came from the vendor and the vendor’s solicitor, who delayed matters for months and failed to properly progress essential repairs and legal documentation. Even after lender reports clearly confirmed the property was not mortgageable due to a single-skin basement bathroom wall issue, there was still no proper action taken for a very long time.
However, I also feel the agency could have managed the situation much better. Communication often felt reactive rather than proactive, and I repeatedly had to chase updates myself. At one stage, after months of discussions, I was still being asked to identify which wall was affected, despite already providing lender explanations multiple times in writing and even discussing it during viewings.
Another major issue was that the legal process barely even started properly. Despite the sale being agreed at £... , weeks and months passed without the vendor’s solicitor issuing a proper draft contract pack to my solicitor, which caused huge unnecessary delays.
On top of that, I was charged for ID checks during a transaction that never meaningfully progressed, and when I requested a refund after months of wasted time and a failed purchase, it was refused. Considering how little actual progress was made, this felt very unfair and left an even worse impression.
Overall, the process caused significant stress, wasted time, lender costs, rental costs, and unnecessary expenses. I appreciate that some staff remained polite throughout, but better coordination, stronger pressure on the vendor side, and more accountability could have avoided much of this experience.
I genuinely hope future buyers receive a smoother and more professionally managed process.