Buyers dragging their feet

[commuters30]

We're selling our home and our buyers have dragged this on through various steps:

1. multiple surveyor visits
2. 4 visits to our home for first viewing, second viewing, measurements, more viewing
3. discussions to drop price even after initially agreed
4. additional visits from electrical engineers to check the house etc

Is this normal...? I'm thinking of letting them know that if they don't exchange by the agreed date that everyone's already agreed to, we'll have no choice but to put our house on the market and hopefully this will give them a bit of a kick.

AIBU to be annoyed at their over-cautiousness dragging the whole process down?

It sounds normal to me.
Im imagining something came up on their surveys which they wanted checking and then asked for money off to compensate for this problem. It’s a massive amount of money they’ll be spending and effectively the house is sold as seen so they’re probably nervous about hidden problems. This doesn’t mean they’re going to change the date but that progression seems normal (we’ve bought and sold a few times)

i dont think thats normal we looked at the house we have just bought, put in the offer, engaged a surveyor, engaged a solicitor and sat back and waited for paperwork to come through and only phoned the solicitor when he said all enquiries done when did we want to complete

If it is an old property, yes, perfectly normal and annoying.

It's a 15 year old property...

I just worry that they could spend a year asking a gas engineer, electrical engineer, plumber, carpenter, builder, gardener, to look at every nook and cranny...

I know there's nervousness to spend money on such a big purchase but the line feels like must exist somewhere

Going through the same here OP! It’s not even the countless visits I mind so much, but they don’t just get everything they want booked in, they do one then the following week announce they want something else looking at. It’s like they’re trying to find something wrong - well that didn’t work, let’s have a look at the woodwork instead...driving me potty!

We recently purchased a house, had a survey done, asked for electric and gas safety checks to be done, perfectly normal

It is normal but they should explain what they are doing (that damp was highlighted on the report and required a separate specialist for example). And you could ask the estate agent if they could book tradesmen in at the same time.

Do you have an agreed exchange date?

When we sold ours we had to supply certificates for our buyer's solicitor, FENSA for the windows and doors, planning permission for kitchen extension and loft conversion.

@TheFaerieQueene yeah we do, but I just know they will miss it. I think you hit the nail on the head @Lou573 - it's the actions one-by-one that really frustrates the hell outta me.

I wouldn't say four visits just to view is typical - the measuring up one is usually done after exchange. Tell the EA you're getting fed up with the constant intrusions and them dragging their heels and if they don't commit now to exchanging on the agreed date you will re-market.