Negotiating completion date...help!

[Chuckles33]

Hi, can anyone offer advice...

We are selling our flat to a first time buyer who is renting. We are buying a house and there are several properties in the chain above us. Everyone is ready to exchange, but we need to agree a completion date. Everyone in the chain above us wants to complete as soon as possible and so do we.

However, our purchaser doesn't want to overlap paying rent and mortgage, so has suggested completion date of 1st Nov. I am due to give birth on 27th Oct and really don't want to be moving within the last 4 weeks of pregnancy (when i should be resting/nesting, not going through major stress of house move). What's more, our mortgage offer expires on 28th Sep so we would have to get a new (more expensive) mortgage deal.

Apparently, someone further up the chain is threatening to pull out if we don't complete by 20th Sep.

What is normal protocol, when completion dates can't be agreed? My husband thinks we should offer to compensate our purchaser for his overlapping rent, but I'm really not happy about this. We accepted his offer at the end of March, so it's not exactly like we're trying to rush things through. I'm really getting stressed out, not good for baby!

Any advice appreciated? Thanks.

[Collaborate]

Whoever wants the deal the most will be the one to give way. As you're selling, it will be you giving way to your buyer, but you have more clout with those above you. Maybe exchange contracts now with completion on 1st November. It's less than 2 months away.

[Chuckles33]

Collaborate - thanks for your post. You're right about who has the clout, but 1st nov is out of the question as I'm due to have a baby 4 days earlier. Plus our mortgage deal expires on 28th sep. it has to be by 28th sep or not at all and we pull out and the whole chain collapses.

[olgaga]

What would the additional cost of rent be? You could offer half. To be honest, in your situation I'd pay it - it's a drop in the ocean compared to the total cost of your move and you have a lot more at stake than your buyer!

[IwanttoflyonA380]

Find out how much rent they would have to pay moving the 20th compared to 1st nov. Then divide the cost up the chain. Even if you end up paying all of it cheaper compared to a more expensive mortgage or moving when you may be in hospital or over due.