Our buyers might have found another house just before we were exchanging *weep*

[Scrunchcake]

I'm not really expecting any replies but just need to vent somewhere sympathetic.

We've been on the market for 18 months and had a purchase fall through last summer. We finally have (had?) buyers and found a perfect-for-us house. Had the usual roller-coaster getting to this point but we were 24 hours from agreeing a completion date, probably next week, and had a call from our EA. Apparently our buyers have seen another property that they think they might like better. And they'll let us know in 10 days whether they still want to go ahead.

Property buying in England is the pits, isn't it? Arrrrrggghhh.

[Gotanewname]

Oh that’s hideous - you must be stressed out of your mind. I think in your shoes though I’d be pressing the estate agent to put a bit of pressure on them. It’s unreasonable to say that you must just sit and wait for ten days. You might as well go back on the market!

Hope it resolved itself soon.

[slipperywhensparticus]

Go back on the market although its usually bad towards Christmas...can you buy another and rent out yours?

[NoSquirrels]

Tell the estate agent to put your house back on the market.

[DaphneduM]

That's so awful for you. I totally feel your pain here. That's not only very poor behaviour from your buyers, but totally unreasonable to expect you to hang around for ten days while they make up their mind. Definitely contact the estate agent and get them to pile on the pressure for a decision before then - what an absolute cheek of them.

[GorgeousLadyofWrestling]

I wouldn’t want to wait ten days - you’ve got to look out for yourselves. Even just putting it back on the market and /or shortening the time before they get back to you. This is honestly such a horrible process - it needs to overhauled!

[BackwardsGoing]

Yes. Tell your buyers that they have 24 hours to exchange or you're pulling out.

[Thescrewinthetuna]

I’d get your house immediately back on the market

[foxatthewindow]

No way should you be waiting on them. Straight back on the market. —if you were me you might also throw your toys out of the pram and set a deadline for them and say after such time it’s no longer for them to purchase— I’m so sorry this is happening to you. You may need to play hardball with this one, and you may be back to square one. Frustrating as this isn’t your fault.

[foxatthewindow]

FYI I did the above in a similar but slightly different situation (no other house but buyers were messing around) and we had exchanged by the end of the day

[Alexalee]

If they want 10 days, say it's going back on the market for those 10 days to see if you find another buyer... If they really still want your house they will set a date to complete and stop the nonsense.
They want to check out this new house with you as a back up plan, totally out of order

[PianoTuner567]

This could be a ploy, ahead of dropping their offer or something. Ten days is too long. Play hardball.

[Bellasblankexpression]

Agree. Put the house back on the market. They may be trying it on to get a lower price or they make have genuinely found something else, either way you need to look out for yourselves.

[billandbenflowerpotmen1]

I'd imagine the 10 days they're asking for would be to discuss with mortgage company and maybe get a survey on other house. It's possible they've looked at it already and just letting you hang on in the event the other house falls through.
I really feel for you but afraid I know I'd give them today to exchange and then make it knowledge that you will NOT sell to them

[Wildorchidz]

If they want 10 days, say it's going back on the market for those 10 days to see if you find another buyer..

Can’t see that worrying them too much considering it’s been on the market for 18 months and no takers.

[Sushiroller]

Take back control instruct the EA yo put it back on the market immediately.

Tell the solicitor to advise their solicitor this is happening and get the EA yo tell the vendors.

[Anotherlongdrive]

Why are you accepting that?

They are taking the piss. They have concerns about the other property and are keeping you hanging on, just incase it falls through.

You are their back up plan. They may even be trying it on, hoping you will drop your selling price to try and make them fo through with it.

It might be sad to lose the house you are buying but they are taking the piss.

I would give them til the end of the day. At least you know where you stand then.

[Wildorchidz]

It’s been on sale for 18 moths. I’m sure the prospective buyers won’t bat an eyelid at the threat of it going back on the market for the next 10 days.

[Wildorchidz]

And yes - property buying is the pits!!

[OkayGo]

I’d do it anyway. I would definitely tell them you’re putting it back on the market.

[Scrunchcake]

Thanks everyone. Yes, they're taking the piss and it's probably a ploy. We're definitely not "accepting" it, just trying to figure out the best response to give us a chance of keeping our onward purchase. Honestly I'm not even convinced this other house exists.

But like @wildorchidz says, they won't be quaking in their boots if we say it's going back on the market. It's an unusual house and we never expected it to sell quickly.

Our only glimmer of light is that when our buyers made their offer we had a higher offer from another party but they werent proceedable at that point - they might be now. And the same week a third person (cash buyer) viewed and loved it but ideally didn't want to move till the end of the year. Both long shots but I'm clutching at straws of hope here!

It's a bit of a nightmare but we're in the very fortunate position that this was a move we wanted to do rather than needed to because of jobs, health etc. So it's upsetting but not the end of the world (can you tell I'm trying to convince myself not to cry?!)

[SoupDragon]

they won't be quaking in their boots if we say it's going back on the market.

Get the agent to tell them that you are contacting others who put in an offer.

[JoanLewis]

Definitely get the agents to contact the other interested parties now - you can do that without officially going back on the market.

We moved earlier this year, after our sale falling through twice. In the end we sold to the people who'd made one of the earliest offers (which we turned down in favour of a higher one). So you never know!

[dreamingofsunandsurf]

I agree with getting EA to contact other interested parties.
That'll let the prospective buyers know that there's a chance they might lose it.
Rubbish for you Op.

[EastCoastDamsel]

We had something similar happen to us. It was a private sale, so no EZ involved but the buyers kept dithering and we were out of our minds with stress. Similar time of year too.

Eventually DH set up a face to face meeting with the buyer, at his place of work, and told him if we don't exchange within 24hrs we would be pulling out and putting the house back on the market. Which we were fully prepared to do, we had had enough and just wanted rid of them one way or another.

Although we received some pretty forceful correspondence from their solicitor to ours accusing DH of "bullying behaviour", it worked and we exchanged in 24hrs and completed in 2 weeks.

Don't let them put you through this, especially so close to Christmas

[NoSquirrels]

Our only glimmer of light is that when our buyers made their offer we had a higher offer from another party but they werent proceedable at that point - they might be now. And the same week a third person (cash buyer) viewed and loved it but ideally didn't want to move till the end of the year. Both long shots but I'm clutching at straws of hope here!

Actually I think that’s great - get the EA to contact the other people ASAP, and tell your buyers that’s what’s happening. If they would like a 10-day hiatus to explore other options you will consider that you also have 10 days to explore other options. Make sure the EA stresses that one prospective buyer is a cash buyer who wants to move quickly before the end of the year...