One of our partners moved house last Friday for the first time in 6 years – it looks like nothing has changed in the conveyancing process! Solicitors still “go to lunch” for an hour at the critical part of the day, mortgage lenders send money when they feel like it rather than when needed, estate agents are unavailable when keys need to be collected.
At the start of a new century, surely it’s time to renovate this hugely archaic system so the clients involved get what they need when they need it. There is no excuse for solicitors not to request mortgage funds the day before a completion – yes, it costs the client a day’s interest but it WILL save valuable hours on the day. Our partner, thanks to his superorganised wife, had the whole house packed and in the van by 10.30am but the buyer’s solicitor failed to send the completion monies into the system until 11.45. Given lunch hours (does any other profession still take an hour for lunch with no-one covering the office?), this resulted in completion at 2.30pm. That’s 4 hours wasted in anybody’s book.
However, we must mention the real heroes of the process – the removal men. Militarily organised, friendly, worked straight through from 2.30 to 6pm without a break and faultless in every way. We bet most clients don’t spare a thought for how tough a job it must be.
Madison Oakley are an independent estate agent and letting agent in Bath. We are a small director led firm with over 50 years combined local experience.To find out more about us, do visit our website. We would always be delighted to receive comments via our blog or do feel free to call us on 01225 466525.
