Buying a house: requesting a copy of contract before signing

ethernet

Just wondering if this is the norm.

Solicitor has contract for buying a new house and loan offer from bank.
Want us to come in and sign it. That's fine.

However, we asked for a copy of the contracts to read through properly in advance just so there's no rush on the day but were told they don't do this. I think we might have unintentionally called his professional skills into doubt

So is this the norm or am I being unreasonable?
Yeah, I know, trust your solicitor and all that but still would prefer to read through the stuff properly considering how important it is.

GingerLily

ethernet wrote: »

Just wondering if this is the norm.

Solicitor has contract for buying a new house and loan offer from bank.
Want us to come in and sign it. That's fine.

However, we asked for a copy of the contracts to read through properly in advance just so there's no rush on the day but were told they don't do this. I think we might have unintentionally called his professional skills into doubt

So is this the norm or am I being unreasonable?
Yeah, I know, trust your solicitor and all that but still would prefer to read through the stuff properly considering how important it is.

We read over our contracts - out solicitors send them to all their clients - they were shocked that we went through ours but there was some different stuff in there as its a new build which we wanted to know.

How can you sign contracts you haven't read?

ethernet

GingerLily wrote: »

We read over our contracts - out solicitors send them to all their clients - they were shocked that we went through ours but there was some different stuff in there as its a new build which we wanted to know.

How can you sign contracts you haven't read?

Thanks for sharing. Yeah, this is buying off plans so I'm itchy to know the details.

Maybe they go through it on the day but I'd still prefer to have read through it beforehand.

listermint

ethernet wrote: »

Thanks for sharing. Yeah, this is buying off plans so I'm itchy to know the details.

Maybe they go through it on the day but I'd still prefer to have read through it beforehand.

Ask him for a copy your paying him alot of money for very simple work given that it's a new build.

They don't do this is not good enough.

cruizer101

I've no idea what the norm is but I would be looking for a copy, even if you go through it on the day you are still under pressure and don't have time to properly digest it, some may be legal jargon you don't fully understand but at least you can have looked it over and know where to ask questions.

Did they give any reason for not sending you a copy or just say they don't do it, I'd be looking for a very good reason for them not to.

ethernet

listermint wrote: »

Ask him for a copy your paying him alot of money for very simple work given that it's a new build.

I echo that sentiment!

cruizer101 wrote:

Did they give any reason for not sending you a copy or just say they don't do it, I'd be looking for a very good reason for them not to.

Nope, pretty much 'we don't do that'.

GingerLily

ethernet wrote: »

listermint wrote: »

Ask him for a copy your paying him alot of money for very simple work given that it's a new build.

I echo that sentiment!

cruizer101 wrote:

Did they give any reason for not sending you a copy or just say they don't do it, I'd be looking for a very good reason for them not to.

Nope, pretty much 'we don't do that'.

That's ridiculous, I'm not sure if they're allowed to refuse you, can you change solicitor at this stage?

the_syco

Is it your solicitor, or theirs?

ethernet wrote: »

However, we asked for a copy of the contracts to read through properly in advance just so there's no rush on the day but were told they don't do this. I think we might have unintentionally called his professional skills into doubt

This would be a red flag, tbh. Why do they not want your solicitor to read it?

ethernet wrote: »

Nope, pretty much 'we don't do that'.

Can you walk away? I'd wonder what they were hiding in the contract that they didn't want your solicitor seeing, tbh!

Peregrinus

the_syco wrote: »

This would be a red flag, tbh. Why do they not want your solicitor to read it? . . . Can you walk away? I'd wonder what they were hiding in the contract that they didn't want your solicitor seeing, tbh!

The vendors are fine with the purchaser's solicitors reading the contract. They have sent it to them. This is standard. What's also standard is that the purchaser's solicitors will in fact read through the contract, and may request changes.

What's happening here is that the purchaser's solicitors, who already have the contract, are reluctant to send it out to the purchaser for the purchaser to review himself, before he comes in to sign it.

Most purchasers don't want to do this. Who wants to plough through pages of small print full of jargon that they don't understand? You pay your solicitor to worry about all that stuff. So this is not a common request. And I'm guessing that in this case the purchaser's solicitor is thinking "If I send him this, I may have to spend a lot of time dealing with his queries, correcting his misunderstandings and soothing his fears. My quote for this job won't cover that kind of time. Therefore, I'll try and head him off."

But you can persevere. You're the client; it's his job to advise you on matters that you require advice on. It may end up costing you more because, once you get into analysing the standard contract of sale, well, you can spend many happy hours at the task, and he'll want to charge you for his side of that. But if you're happy to pay for advice, he should be happy to give it.