buy a home

We’ve been in for a week or so… And maybe we’ve got no floors in the bedrooms, maybe our toilet leaks really badly, yes even no heating or hot water.. But it’s bloody well ours! And the sun coming in from the patio doors over breakfast is rather nice indeed.

Just as a general note of advice (and this is, of course, personal opinon), if anyone is considering buying property in the area; do not, under any circumstances, use Foxtons as the agent.

We are currently in the process of trying to complete on a flat in the area and the deceit and incompetence of this agency has been staggering and has potentially cost us thousands of pounds.

Again, this is just personal opinion.

... Went around to take measurements and start furniture planning and stuff… The repairs haven’t been carried out, so there’re still water-soaked floors and leaking boilers, etc…

We’ve exchanged so we’re in a pretty strong legal position. It just seems preposterous that the seller gave the repair guys some keys on a Monday, got them back two days later, paid them and never ever entered the property to see if anything had been done.

Either he’s a complete idiot or he thinks we are… This is getting a tad tiresome.

Phew. Should be getting keys next Tues :)

See, we’re getting extension upon extension. Which is really nice of the finance people, but we don’t want extensions! We want to bloody well complete!

We’re missing such simple easy information. Easily provided and delivered. So can’t it be given out? Why do we not have a bloody flat? Why are we going to spend another weekend wondering and fretting?

... We might exchange today.

Our solicitor (who is simply great) has found a get-around and is working on it now. So… might exchange on Monday… Fingers crossed

The management company sends the replies to management queries to an unknown solictor’s firm in the southwest two weeks ago.

Since then, they have stopped answering their phones.

The solicitors charge the vendor a substantial amount of money for simply receiving the papers and then proceed to spend two weeks refusing to post the information; but saying they “will fax it in the afternoon”.

Until yesterday, when the claim that, in fact, they have never received any papers or information (though they have charged for it already).

Oddly, after a significant amount of googling, it appears that the management company and the solicitors in question are actually the same firm…

... Gas is clear.. Electricity has come back as unsatisfactory; so waiting on an estimate… This is rather rather stressful.

... Am I cursing myself? I should probably add that there are still a few things outstanding, but…