My Irish Husband Tony and I moved to Birmingham in September of 2004. This past year we finally decided it was time to quit paying rent. This is a chronicle of our journey through the world of UK property buying.

Monday:
Tomorrow's your day off. You should call Lisa at the agent. She's the one who is hacking on the solicitors. I talked to her last Thursday, so tomorrow is a good day to get on her.

Tuesday:
Did u call lisa luv u

Not 2day will do 2morrow luv u

Wednesday:
Did you call Lisa?
I did. She said she'd call me back today.

Thursday:
Lisa didn't call back. I don't have any time to call her today.
Me either.

Friday:
0800 You call Lisa this morning. If you can't get her, I'll try this afternoon.


1000 Dont forget to call lisa dont forget to take ur phone with u luv u

1130 Lisa said she wld call back luv u

1200 This message is for Mrs Donnelly or Mr Dixon. This is Lisa at the agent's. I got your garble garble garble so give me a garble at the garble. Bye.

1400 Is Lisa there?

She's here but she’s with someone. Who's this?

This is Kathleen, but I'm going in to teach a class. Tell her I'll call her in about an hour.

1500 C'mon in. Let me just make this one call. If I don't talk to this woman now, we won't know anything until Monday.

Is Lisa there?

Yes, but she's busy. Who's this?

This is Kathleen. She can call me at my office. I’d really like to talk to her before she leaves today.

1645 Is Kathleen there?

Lisa!

Yes, are y'oiright? Sorry for not getting back to you. I have been chasing your solicitor all week, but I finally spoke to her today.

That’s great. What's going on?

Your solicitor did get the information from the seller's solicitor, and so she has begun the searches and inquiries. I'm not sure if she's using our search service, but if she is tracking blah blah it's easier to keep in blah blah.

So when the solicitor does get all this information back, then what happens?

If there are no problems with it — because there might be blah blah or some blah blah — then she will call you to come in and sign the contract. If you find nothing wrong with the contract.

And then what happens?

Then she contacts the seller's solicitors and then you set a date to exchange contracts. But I have to be honest: I doubt that you will have exchange next week.

That's okay. Just so we know. But if we sign a contract next week, then we might have exchange the week after?

Well, if the searches and inquiries are blah blah and if she finds no problems then you could blah blah. I don't think there will be problems but blah blah leasehold, blah blah freehold. But I have worked with her before and I never have to push her. She is very good and will blah blah the blah blah.

So if we have exchange week after next, we can't have completion, when all the money changes hands, until the week after that. But maybe we could start moving in after exchange, in two weeks?

Well, yes, but you don't know because there is blah blah and blah blah. Everything is moving; it just takes time. I will call your solicitor next week to see if she got the searches and inquiries.

Roight. It's just that we want to buy it, and we have the money to buy it, and it is sitting there empty. And my husband Tony is packing up boxes, so our maisonette is filling up with boxes. And we'd really like to move things in so....

I know. It's just a few weeks. It will go fast.

Not fast enough.

Roight. We'll talk next week. Boiy.

Thanks for all your help. Boiy.

Fingers crossed.

The Explaining to Americans Archive

KDixonDonnelly

12.07.07 Front Page

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