Oh dear Sheree, sorry to hear you're starting to go through some of what I did over the past 8 weeks, it's not good for your health, let alone your sanity, but I'm all over it now, only one more day and the money's in the bank, then it all comes out again sadly, and we're left with a bit which will buy Zena some dog food lol!

I'd be questioning those agents of yours about the validity of your buyer, coz 7 weeks is a long time to not have had that survey done on your property. My only advice to you is, don't do anything, until your buyer has committed in some way, and either forked out for her building society survey or her own. Nowadays agents check and double check what's going on with their buyers (i.e. your buyer), they are constantly in touch with their solicitors, same as the agent will be doing with your purchase, so they know exactly where the land lies. It's far cheaper to keep pestering your agent than it is to phone your solicitor, coz they charge £25 just to read an e-mail nowadays, let alone spend 6 mins at God knows how much each time on the phone to you. I know that now to my cost, although I haven't actually got the bill, the amount of e-mails, letters and phone calls I've been doing, it aint gonna be cheap!

I also know that a building society can take up to 3 weeks to organise a survey, and they don't actually give you an offer until they have done that survey either. I know this through my own buyers who took out a small mortgage on this house, my agents said although it was only a small mortgage on a big price, they told me not to do anything until the survey had been done and the "offer" was on the table, so I would again, ring your agents and see what's going on with your buyer's mortgage.

Although mine has been very, very stressful and very, very different (due to the psycho I've been dealing with on our purchase), all in all it's only taken 8 weeks to get the job done and we can move out. Good luck with it all Sheree, keep on top of it, by whichever means you can. Don't forget, I had to hang on to these buyers of mine for 3 months before we even went down the route of solicitors, just because I knew they loved it enough to buy it eventually when they found a buyer for theirs, and they did.

Removal men rang to say they're coming at 2 pm tomorrow to load what they can, so that it makes their life easier for Friday morning.

It's really hit home now Had a lovely 3 hour lunch out with the girls, they wouldn't let me pay, they all bought me a card and wrote some lovely words in them, they're all gonna miss me so much......... it hasn't really sunk in yet what I'm actually doing here, but I'm sure I will find a new life over there with new friends, who are just as caring and just as nutty as the ones I have here. They are all coming over for a visit in the summer anyway, and they're always at the end of the phone or the puter via e-mail, but I really will miss them all.

Anyway, they were all dead jealous about my lovely new house overlooking the woods, and are pleased to see that my reputation will remain intact coz of the posh road it's in with the posh neighbours!!! Oh Lordy, just wait till they meet me huh?!!! They won't know what's hit'em!!!!!

If she has organised this survey through the estate agent (which many do), a call to the agent can bring about quick results as they have direct line numbers to the ones that can move things quickly at the building society.

If she's organised directly with the Woolwich, then asking for a manager will help. If their mortgage staff are the same as their banking staff, it's call centre based and things can move very slowly in call centres.

Thanks ladies

Our buyer has been checked out by both the agent we're selling through, our solicitor and the agents we're buying through. Apparently it's a well known problem with Countrywide who are doing the survey and Woolwich who are the lenders. The agent of the bungalow we are buying is really switched on and keeps me posted, she called me today and enlightened me, which made me feel a whole lot better. She has spoken with all solicitors, searches etc., are progressing well, the lady we are buying from appreciates that the delay isn't down to us and is wishing it would all happen sooner but isn't putting any pressure on us. The agent that called today told me that everything is in place, it's just the survey and mortgage offer that is being awaited. Our agent then phoned and said he has spoken to the lender who had been on the phone for ages to the surveyors trying to get them to organise the survey. Also, our buyer has been hounding everyone every day to try to get this resolved.

It seems that it will all work itself out, and the Woolwich/Countrywide combination is a well-known nightmare and should be avoided at all costs, according to both sets of agents

I'm hoping we will be able to report something more concrete any day now, and then I'll share the details of the bungalow with you all