AIBU to want to throttle our buyers?

[Poppyhopscotch]

We were due to exchange on the sale of our house today. DH chased up the agent and solicitors this morning and the buyers have advised they are pulling out for personal reasons and they don't want to discuss it.

The offer was accepted in November. They are currently in rented accommodation and advised that they needed to be out by end of January so wanted to complete by then. We did everything by Christmas and found rented accommodation as the new build property we want isn't due to be finished until April/ May. We wanted to make everything as smooth as possible so was glad we had no chain. DH had already moved to a different part of the country for a new job and I then followed with my 6 month old and 2 year old.

We have been chasing almost daily since the new year to always be told we were just a few days away from exchange. Last week DH sent an angry email to agent and solicitor confirming we were fed up and wanted to exchange or we were putting house back on the market. Email wasn't to be forwarded to buyer but we needed to know what's going on. Agent (who has been lovely through this whole process) sent us an email with text from the buyer confirming that they are just waiting on funds from premium bonds which will be with their solicitors by middle of this week by the latest and we would then exchange. Come today and they have pulled out. I am beyond devastated and would love to give them a big slap!

So we are now paying mortgage and rent. I am on maternity leave but may now need to go back earlier than I'd planned and we're likely to lose our dream house. I know the buyers had no legal obligation to go through with the purchase but we did they keep telling us it was going through only to pull out on day of exchange? Bloody cock Wombles!!

God no! YADDDNBU!!

Really hoping this has happened for a reason Poppy and that something better will come along but your previous buyers are the worst of the worst. 😡

"Don't want to discuss" sounds like they never had the funds in the first place. Waiting for premium bonds???

"Don't want to discuss" sounds like they never had the funds in the first place.

Isn't that the job of the OPs solicitor to verify and advise on ?

Isn't that the job of the OPs solicitor to verify and advise on ?

No - that is the job of the estate agent. The estate agent should have checked they had the funds in place - in this case by seeing bank statements/premium bond statement to confirm they have then.

Even if they have good personal reasons (death and divorce to me are the only 'good' ones) YADDDNBU for being upset. It is the worst part of the house move system.

No - that is the job of the estate agent. The estate agent should have checked they had the funds in place - in this case by seeing bank statements/premium bond statement to confirm they have then.

Ah, I see.

So a nice letter before action to the estate agents then.

You poor things. Exactly the same happened to us - on the Thursday they assured our agents/solicitor that they were ready to go on the Friday, only for the phone to ring on the Friday morning to say they'd pulled out. My father offered to lend us the deposit on our purchase if they would agreed to a delayed completion - but they wouldn't because they were leaving the country and we were the second chain to collapse. It went back on the market that same day and was sold to cash buyers two days later....I still drive past it and feel bitter (10 years later)! But somehow everything all worked out and we did manage to get into another house before the schools deadline (we were moving area) and I'm sure it will all work out for you, even though it's utterly hideous of people to behave in this way.....the English house moving system is appalling.

Thanks for your replies. I just don't understand why they would keep reassuring us that everything was moving forward. As to whether they actually have the funds, I know the solicitors needed to establish a paper trail for their deposit as it was from house sales 10 years ago. That was one of the delays earlier this year as they said it was difficult for them to get the paper work. It does make me think though that agents are not doing their jobs. Not one agent asked for any proof from us in regards to agreement in principles of anything like that and we saw loads of houses and lots of different agents

Ours did the same - kept promising that the funds were coming and that it would be in place for exchange, but they obviously couldn't raise the money to complete but strung us along for months. I could have strung them up on that Friday with the phone call (pregnancy hormones aren't known for being very balanced ) but it did all work out, and I'm sure that they will get their comeuppance some day......

I agree our agents said our buyers were all straightforward etc. Turns out they were not and their funds were coming from shares of their family company and has to wait for this to be released etc which delayed us! We wouldn't have taken out house off the market had we known. And yes when we brought out house 4 years ago and made an offer on this new house no one checked our finances or agreement in principle.
So frustrating for you! Hopefully you get a new buyer asap!

Our seller was a sadistic shit who invited our children to choose their bedrooms in the new house (which they did) before she pulled out.

@imperfectsusan thats fucked up! Hopefully karma came back to get them!

Grrrr I’d be fuming. The premium bond story doesn’t stack up. Premium bond draws are on 1st of month. Withdrawals from premium bonds take 2 days to get into your current account so if their intentions were honourable they’d have applied for withdrawal on 1st or 2nd feb and it would be in current account by 4th feb.