Your property questions answered

We want to move on from the 'sale agreed' stage

We accepted an offer for our apartment on September 8th and the sale agreed sign went up. She paid the usual booking deposit. The following week our solicitor received some queries from their solicitor about parking and management charges, etc, which we answered - there are no problems there. Since then we have heard nothing - other than a verbal reassurance from their solicitor that all is in order and the sale will go through. But surely we should have more control. My partner wants to send them a letter threatening to put the apartment back on the market if the buyer doesn't come through now.

A month isn't a long time in conveyancing - even when it comes to a relatively straight forward case of an apartment. Your email came in the same batch as another frustrated seller who has had his sale fall through (twice) because, in both cases, the buyers could not get mortgage approval. Interestingly, one of those buyers had had outline mortgage approval that was over a year old and discovered that, when she went to activate it, the interest rate increases this year meant that her lender was no longer prepared to lend her the same amount as before. Has this happened in your situation? At this stage you really should be told. Is there a chain involved: does your buyer have to sell before she completes the deal? If so, you could be in for a long haul.

As solicitors tend to do everything in writing, it could be the case that the delay lies between solicitors and that the prospective apartment buyer is just as frustrated as you. It would not be unreasonable of you to instruct your solicitor to get a firm closing date of say two weeks from now. If the buyer's financial affairs are in order, that should not be a problem.

As to putting your apartment back on the market, it's true that this is prime selling season offering you the best chance of finding a buyer this side of Christmas, so you shouldn't let this situation continue without a firm date for too long. However, a housebuyer in the hand is more attractive than two in the bush. Talk to the agent and tell him how you are thinking. They will be as keen as you to make this sale happen - or may have another interested party ready to step in.

Finding an architect

How do I find an architect? I have very conservative taste (and an old house) and any architect that I have seen written about in your paper or magazines tends to be on the avante garde side.

There really is an architect for every type of job or client. The professional representative body, the Dublin-based RIAI, has a very good website that helps potential clients find an architect - www.riai.ie.

Word-of-mouth is also a good source - as it is for any service, so ask friends for recommendations. Also, keep an eye out for building work in your locality - the trend for the past few years now has been for architects to display a sign on major building work, so that could be another good source.

Send your queries to Property Questions, The Irish Times, 10-16 D'Olier Street, Dublin 2 or email propertyquestions@irish-times.ie.

Unfortunately, it is not possible to respond to all questions. The above is a representative sample of queries received. This column is a readers' service and is not intended to replace professional advice. No individual correspondence will be entered into.