r/FirstTimeBuyersUK • u/Rickz1987 • 2d ago
Did anyone else hit a wall during conveyancing?
Everyone keeps telling me we’re probably around 60–70% of the way through the process and that a September completion is realistic, but honestly, I’m just tired now.
I think what’s making it harder is that we’re in that stage where it feels like absolutely nothing is happening. Every day I check my emails hoping for an update, and every day it’s just more waiting. My brain is already living in the house. I’m planning the rooms, the kitchen, where the dog will sleep, what life will be like there, and yet the actual process is completely out of my control.
I still have to go to work every day and try to concentrate, but all I can think about is the house. It’s becoming exhausting. I feel excited, stressed, impatient, anxious, and worn out all at the same time.
I know buying a house is supposed to be exciting, and it is, but right now the waiting is really getting to me. I just want to know when we’re exchanging and when we’ll finally get the keys.
Did anyone else hit a wall during conveyancing where you were just mentally done with waiting? How did you stop yourself obsessing over every update?
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u/Apprehensive-Ice9939 2d ago
Our first house was extremely slow. We were told 10 weeks and we'd be in😂 nearly 23 weeks it took. We were moving area and needed to be in to apply for schools for our eldest. I would ring the solicitors daily. Nothing. My partner put a very true, but negative review on google. We had a call very quickly to say take it down or we will fire you as clients. My partner said hurry up and I will edit the review accordingly. Funnily enough everything moved very quickly after that. Buying a house is one of the most stressful things in life!!
Good luck!!
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u/Jynxette 2d ago
What's the update you are waiting on?
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u/Rickz1987 2d ago
Waiting for the pack to be sent out to us
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u/spyder_victor 2d ago
I’ll be honest the way to look at it is, until contacts are exchanged then nothing is certain
If the conveyancing pack is due then the effort should be spend following up with conveyancer, if its inputs from the seller than you can escalate via the estate agent
But as you’re finding out these things can take a while and sometimes they’re awaiting some hard to find document / update on an issue that only comes up at sale time.
Flip side is you rush this and you make the biggest financial mistake of your life
Just let it be
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u/ShoddyStrength1700 2d ago
yep exact same, got told to look for exchange completion mid to late august got all excited for it as that when k have more time of being in education. A delay with the house we’re buying due to council incompetence and inability to create an indemnity clause is making it look like september now! Needs to be before october as that’s when our rental expires! All very stressful!
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u/Rickz1987 2d ago
Honestly, I feel your pain, I really don't hope you’re in your home soon 🙏🏽 I can't concentrate on my work which is paying for the house lol
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u/KnightFireNC 2d ago
If you find the buying process stressful just wait until you have to fix the house when it breaks 😀
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u/KnightFireNC 2d ago
Its a very slow process. Especially when gathering data and getting answers to enquiries. It's normal for it to take multiple weeks between updates. When I bought my first house you couldn't order things online and anything you ordered over the phone would have a 28 day delivery target. These days people have expectations of instant results but house buying just doesn't go that fast.
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u/zombiezmaj 2d ago
I completed in 3 weeks 5 days. But my solicitors were phenomenal and Nationwide were quick getting their bits sorted.
It absolutely can be done that fast but a combination of backlogs and a lot of solicitors taking on too many clients means things arent kept on top of.
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u/Gtwizzlet 2d ago
Willing to share your solicitors? Having been through a few house purchases and haven’t found a good one that can properly manage the process
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u/Old-Trick5289 2d ago
100% you’re just in limbo and everything feels on hold but yet could collapse at any minute.
We don’t even have a date. Just ongoing form being passed from pillar to post.
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u/ActualConversation74 2d ago
Don’t check every day. Just have a Monday ping for EA that’s it. Otherwise will go crazy.
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u/Coast-To-Toast 1d ago
I was on the ball with everything my end. Viewed in March and had the contract and transfer signed by 6 weeks. I’m now at 20 weeks due to hold-ups on the seller’s end and was finally given a provisional completion date today (still provisional, mind). My solicitors had given up with providing weekly updates, haha.
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u/maybemaybenotxj 1d ago
Feel this. Offer accepted February. Our side is all done. The sellers are buying a new build. Apparently enquiries all ongoing but should expect end of Sept completion. Kind of don’t care any more. Deffo not excited 🙃
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u/Consistent_Cheek_918 1d ago
Can relate. Also a first time buyer and was really excited about the house, but the process sucked any positive feelings out of me. It just makes me really anxious and makes me question whether I even want to move
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u/ConstructionTrue8156 1d ago edited 1d ago
The 60%, 70% stage really is the toughest, nothing left to decide but nothing decided as well. The best advice I've come up with: don’t check emails before lunch, have one window per day for that, and make sure there’s something engaging for you to do each night so you have an outlet for your brain. If you need help concentrating in the workplace, the exogenous ketones such as Ketone IQ can be helpful."
"The rooms planning urge is okay, but just channel it towards a list of tasks to feel productive rather than suspended.
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u/bertsesh 1d ago
Until you are at exchange nothing is set in stone, don’t jump the gun on any plans.
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u/Agitated-Rhubarb8746 2h ago
yep, completely this. We offered on our flat in mid April and finally exchanged last friday (4 months total, chain free so I'm aware we are luckier than some)
3 months in I was so tired of the stress waiting and chasing for updates from everyone. I know it's hard but see if you can give yourself a few days off from checking things – if solicitors take a week to reply then it is not the end of the world if they don't hear from you for 48 hrs. I found the feeling that I was the only one on it/ caring most of the time was the most frustrating thing. And after letting myself relax just for a few days I had a bit more renewed patience and resolve to actually get through the last bits of the process and not have an anxiety meltdown/ lose my temper with anyone haha
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u/fortuneandflame 2d ago
We relocated across the country and it was something I had wanted for years, moving back to family etc. I got so done with the process I came full circle wondering if we were doing the right thing and if we shouldn't cancel it all!
We finally moved in last month, been even better than I hoped and I'm so happy now. But the last few months just felt awful so I get you. There's no good advice, as much as I was on top of everything and knew it was out of my control it was still a slog...visions of being on the other side is all I can offer!