Fuck. What do I do now?!

[CinnamonVanilla]

We put our flat on the market yesterday; I've done two viewings today, waiting for another one imminently. Got a few more this week, too. We've found the house we want to buy and got a MIP, we're all ready for this house to sell...

And my other half has just messaged me that he thinks he needs to resign. His role has been changed from client-facing to technical (a few months ago) and he hasn't grasped the new role, it isn't his forte. He had wanted to look for something else anyway, the big commute has been setting off his disability, but agreed to wait until after the mortgage and stuff was sorted. He's had a very serious email from his new manager... he got a new probation period when his job changed, so he could be let go with a weeks notice.

I can't get the mortgage by myself, I'm self-employed and don't have enough accounts yet.

Do we have to pull out and incur the costs? Do I try and convince him to stay? To take some holiday and hope that he gets it a bit more when he goes back?

We really need to move. He keeps apologising and I have no idea what to do.

[Derbee]

I agree with @OrangeYellowLeaves personally

[dellacucina]

I think they possibly would let you out of the contract if you explain changed circumstances and gush about how you really want to work with them when you are able to relist the property. That clause is in there so you don't mess them around or move to a different estate agent suddenly.

[crimsonlake]

First of slow down...you are in no position to view houses and put in any offers until your own house has sold.
Secondly have you gone with an online agency, sometimes whether it sells or not you still have to pay the fees?

[SunshineCake]

Someone must have misunderstood or signed something without reading it correctly and/or understanding it. There's no way you would have to pay an EA £3k for taking it off the market full stop never mind within a day or so. Ours were shit but even they didn't try that when we took ours off after a few weeks.

[Troels]

Will they suspend it for a few months?
Maybe tell them there are job worries suddenly and you need to make sure everything is secure before commiting to a sale. Ask if you can wait till next spring and get Dh applying to things he wants.

[MiniPanda]

I may be a lone voice but I think he has an obligation to you - to stay in the job while the mortgage goes through and you move house. Once that's done then fine, he can leave, because your salary alone can afford the repayments. I think he needs to step up a bit for now for the sake of the family!

It doesn't necessarily sound like he has a choice if he's not capable of doing the new role and is only entitled to a week's notice.

OP I'd definitely look into how enforceable that £3k fee for withdrawing is though.

[FAQs]

Another saying is it Purple Bricks? My understanding is they charge upfront whether they sell the property or not.

[ChangeOfTides]

Have you actually seen the email? If he’s a catastrophiser it’s probably some way away from him actually needing to resign.

And the housing market’s shit at the minute, you can probably safely stay on the market.

[SolitudeAtAltitude]

purple Bricks?

[Iwouldratherbemuckingout]

I second looking into getting legal advice on a second probation! That’s not how employment rights work.

[darkcloudsandrainstorms]

Health comes first..

I have not bought or sold a house for years. What’s this about the 3k to take it off the market, is that normal now.

I would rather have peace, health and happiness to any pile of bricks.

[Iris27]

Is he in a union? He needs to get some advice. It is as if his employer is setting him up to fail and trying to force him out tbh.

[Zuma76]

Another word of caution. We had a MIP but when we went through the full mortgage application is was a lot more intense and we got rejected by our long term bank for something puddly. The MIP meant diddly squat.
I’d wait til he gets back and get the full story. Have they warned him that he might lose his job or is he just worrying.

[99problemsandjust1appt]

Why has he been put in a role he cannot manage ? I think that needs addressing firstly

[SinkGirl]

He’s two months off having lots more legal protection as an employee of two years. Then they can’t give him a weeks notice as far as I’m aware, regardless of whether the role is new or not.

You also mentioned he has a disability - any chance they’re trying to get rid of him for something related to this?

[SunniDay]

Hi OP,
Could your partner agree that the new role is not working out but ask for his old role back or a transfer into something that is better suited to his skills- worth a try.

If your partner was given a role that he doesn't have the skills and experience for the employer should be supporting him with training etc - can he use their complaints /grievance procedure to raise the criticism (e.g. email) while receiving no support it training.

Your partner has been put in a not nice position but it would be good if he could try and stick up for himself, fight his corner and see if they can work something out.

[laughingnow]

Minor point, but EPCs last 10 years and are available online on the postcode. So no loss incurred there.

[Nodancingshoes]

£3000 Really? I'm sure you only pay for the estate agent if and when they sell the house. You can take the house off the market or pull out of a sale anytime and not incur their fees. You would of course lose the photo and listing fee which is usually a couple of hundred quid. Mortgage in principle is just an offer not a contract.
It would be better to take the house off the market sooner rather than later I think - less hassle for you

[GreatBigNoise]

.

[CinnamonVanilla]

Morning all, thanks for the comments. Sat with fiancé last night to talk things through - he still wants to go for the house, but it is clear from the emails that he either needs to master this skill or change positions back to what he was good at. For the time being, we've written a response explaining the issues and suggesting more training in some areas that would help him. Hopefully today will go okay... he couldn't sleep again last night, which won't be helping.

The estate agent isn't Purple Bricks, they are a local one. The contract is quite simple and says we owe them a flat fee of £3340 regardless of how much the flat sells for. Under cancellation, it says;
"If you are a consumer client and this contract was signed away from our premises but in the presence of one of our sales team, you have the right to cancel this contract within 14 days without giving any reason. The cancellation period will expire 14 days after the contract was signed. To exercise the right to cancel, you must write to us at the following address.... We are not legally permitted to market your property until the cancellation period has expired, unless you give us permission to do so. If you do cancel during the cancellation period and have provided us with permission to market immediately, you will incur costs including expenses and any other reasonable costs."

We haven't signed the box to give permission to market immediately. The agent is doing their first viewing this afternoon...

And today we've had an offer from someone who we showed around before it was listed, who is keen to proceed . Fiancé wants to accept and get mortgage done quickly, and then he'll find a new job closer to home once it's through. I'm nervous but none of our options seem good.

All opinions are welcomed... I can cover costs, but we'd be tight until he got another job, and realistically that'd stress me out. But I'm also self-employed, so I might be able to earn more... I'm so stressed that I can't think straight.

[Baguetteaboutit]

What I'm seeing there is standard. They are saying that they have a fixed fee regardless of what the property sells for but if you cancel then you will incur their expenses - this won't be anything like the £3k figure - just (overinflated) time and costs for marketing materials. If you didn't check the proceed immediately box then you can argue about that fee but as a minimum, you can stop worrying about paying £3k.

[Baguetteaboutit]

Also, as a pp said, a mip is just guidance. You'll need a contract to proceed with the mortgage application - so all this seems a little premature.

[CinnamonVanilla]

Thanks Baguette. Fiancé has been dealing with the bank as he has an existing mortgage with them, so I believe that they'd be porting that to keep the lower rate, and the MIP was to see how much they could lend...

I think as it stands, we're probably too close to the start of the process and it's just a shame that the buyer has popped up now and is interested, unless fiancé comes home with a plan for training and the belief that he can see this out for a few months at least.

[WarshipWarrior]

Yep just do that OP. Get mortgage sorted and move then he can change jobs. You're not as risk because either way you can afford to pay even if he did have a break between jobs. Go for it and enjoy x

[HasThisSoddingNameGoneToo]

Haven’t RTFT but all online contracts have a 14-day cooling-off period by law, under the Distance Selling Regulations (or a very similar name to that!).

Which? and MSE both have very useful guides to this. That £3k is a joke.