Waiting 6months for house, shall we walk away?

[halfwaytomadeit]

We are now 6months into the home buying process. The seller is buying an already completed new build and we have no property to sell as we have moved in with family. The property has been completed since August.
The date has been pushed back twice so far and now they are reluctant to give any date at all, as the seller's solicitor is still waiting for legal enquiries from the new build company. They have been waiting for these enquiries for the last 5 weeks with no updates. Last week we asked if the seller would be willing to come to an agreement to move from the property in order to prevent the sale falling through (our mortgage expires in January and we have had a change of circumstances since initial application), but the seller is unwilling to do this and has threatened to find another buyer as she feels 'stressed' and 'under pressure' due to us suggesting this.
Our valuation also runs out in January so even if the mortgage company were happy with our change of financial circumstances, we would have to wait for another valuation on the property. We might also need another survey as there is extensive structural work needed to the house which has now been left unattended to for 4months since initial survey (damp, rotten structural support, minor subsidence)

There is no date in sight and the seller is, in our opinion, unwilling to come to any agreement or show any degree of flexibility - they just want us to work around them and what is easiest for them. We are also paying over the valuation cost for the property which the seller knows.
We have got until 12th December for cut off for legal completion, and we cannot continue to live with family beyond Christmas, as at that point it will have been 8+ months. We have also had furniture in storage for a significant period of time.

Would it be unreasonable to walk away if we don't have a date set in the next two weeks?

Are we being unreasonable wanting a date/seller to find alternative accommodation if the sale isn't completed by the 12th December date?

I definitely wouldn't recommend these agents to friends and family selling locally. I was so shocked by the phonecall today, it was honestly really upsetting. I didn't think asking for a date or suggesting breaking the chain (us proceeding with sale while seller finds temporary accommodation until legal matters are resolved with her purchase) was anything unheard of in the estate agency world. It's so frustrating!

I'd be pulling out now to spite the vendor! They sound like a nightmare.

Also, subsidence and damp etc and paying over the valuation? I'd've pulled out long before now.

Pull out and look elsewhere. Fuck paying over the odds for a house that needs that sort of work, let alone with an arsey seller on top. As for the EAs? They can fuck off as well.

But that’s just me.

The thing is, if you start again it will be even longer. The only reason to pull out now is if you think they won't complete at all.

The seller must be a bit dim if they can’t see that not working with you on this isn’t in their best interests at all! We had a stressful house move and while I was getting really fed up with the waiting, I started looking around elsewhere. We ended up with the house we wanted in the end, but just looking at other houses made me feel better.

They are messing you around. Say nothing and start searching again. You are under no obligation to officially pull out and tell them if contracts haven’t been exchanged.

I can be an asshole some times so if it was me I would continue with the purchase whilst looking for new property say nothing to the one you are buying and if you find somewhere and get the process started and move forward you can casually tell her your out. when she can be bothered to give you a date.

I'm wondering why can't seller just exchange on their house (sounds like a money pit) rather than risk losing sale and be the one to put stuff in storage and find somewhere to stay it's their issue with house builder and it's built so shouldn't be long term.

Gosh, why do you want to buy this house at all?

It has subsidence, damp and rotten structural support, you are paying over the valuation figure, the sellers are messing you around for months and then crying to their agent who sounds like a horrible bully.

Surely, you have every reason to pull out. It sounds as if you are getting a bad deal and a bad house even if you were to exchange on Monday. Definitely start looking elsewhere. There will be something better.

We had an absolute nightmare purchase - it really was awful.

My advice would be to drop the rope and go quiet. Don't contact the EA and don't chase your solicitor. And in the meantime, hunt like crazy for another house - ideally something that does not have an onward chain. If you find something, instruct your solicitor but ask them not to inform your original vendors until you are sure you want to proceed - and get your mortgage valuation stood up. Once done, you can instruct your solicitor to tell the original vendor's solicitor that you are pulling out. I wouldn't bother communicating with the EA at all - fuck them.

i'd look for other properties, but also have a conversayion with you solicitor about options fo forcing a date/minimising losses.

Walk away. They are the ones holding up the sale not you. Let them live with family. Especially if you are paying over the asking price. Cfs.

I can’t understand why you even want to but this house considering the problems it has and you’re paying over the asking price?!

@halfwaytomadeit

Spoke to solicitor again yesterday and stressed, once again, that we don't want to have to pull out but we can't physically afford to allow this to go on indefinitely so we need to negotiate something with seller. I assume this was passed on to sellers solicitor as I received an angry call from estate agent today basically saying we have spooked the seller and she has called asking agents if they need to think about finding another buyer. I am so exhausted with it all now, I honestly don't know where to turn. According to agents seller will absolutely not complete before her purchase is ready as it is 'too much of a gamble' and 'too complicated' for seller. Am I asking too much by putting pressure on for a date? I feel like I'm being made to feel like a villain by agents.

@halfwaytomadeit - surely the seller can do as you have done and move into temp accomodation? that is something i would have been doing if it enabled the sale to go thr, as it would also then mean she was able to get tough with her builder to get a move on. TBH where she lives isnt your problem, that is for her to sort out. basically shes had another 10 weeks so far squatting in your house! and no end in sight

@halfwaytomadeit

I definitely wouldn't recommend these agents to friends and family selling locally. I was so shocked by the phonecall today, it was honestly really upsetting. I didn't think asking for a date or suggesting breaking the chain (us proceeding with sale while seller finds temporary accommodation until legal matters are resolved with her purchase) was anything unheard of in the estate agency world. It's so frustrating!

I'd have told the Agent to shove it up his arse. How dare he speak to you like that when the sellers are causing the problems.

You put in an offer to buy their house, where they go is NOT your problem. A short delay while they sort something - fine months & months with no end date in sight is NOT fine.

I'd go full steam ahead to find another property.

Best of luck.

We were in a similar situation.
We had to pull out as I was heavily pregnant ( 8 months) but we'd put our offer in when I'd just discovered that I was pregnant ( about six weeks.)

Our vendors promised to move into rental but they couldn't find a rental that they liked so decided to find a house to buy. They couldn't find a house to buy.

We kept on asking every Friday. One Friday we were told to back off asking by the EA.
So we did. We then withdrew from the purchase.

Oh how the EA's attitude changed, as did the vendor's solicitor.

We eventually moved in, after two withdrawals, when my baby was three weeks old.

I'd look for something else and start viewing ASAP. If something is found pull down and go with new property. On viewing I'd be asking if they would move out while looking waiting for there's to go thrihvh

I can’t bear Estate Agents like that. How dare they be so rude as to ring and be rude to you after you’ve made a perfectly reasonable request to the seller. I’d have used that as a final straw and told the estate agent that them and their seller were ridiculous and had just lost themselves a sale as a consequence of their faffing about. I would definitely start looking elsewhere. I hope you find something nicer and with another agent.

OK, spend tonight / tomorrow going through rightmove / local agents websites and making a list of what you would like to view. I would also try to find at least one from the arsey agents you are buying through and breezy send a message that you'd like to view x property as you aren't convinced the sale of the property you are due to buy will go through- you have been advised this number of delays is usually a precursor to a vendor pulling out as they don't really want to move so want to check our other options. You'd still like to buy the house you have offered on but have accepted its unlikely to happen.

They might point out to the vendor they will lose the buyer if they keep delaying, but in the mean time you might find something better for you.

We were in a similar situation just before the end of the stamp duty holiday earlier this year. In hindsight I think the sellers were trying to manipulate us into letting them stay for an extended period of time after completion. They kept talking about a 'Grace period' to move out (thinking weeks/months not days/ hours). I don't think it occurred to them that they would be living in our house, along with having all our money from the sale!

We offered them an extended period of time between exchange and completion but they would absolutely not be pinned down to a date and got quite belligerent about it. We'd sold out property to break the chain and were living with an 8 month old out of suitcases with family members.

In the end we had to walk away because as much as we loved the house we realised they either weren't really serious about selling it, or just didn't really have an idea about how the whole thing worked. We bought a different house and have been here a month. The other house is still on the market!

They'd advertised it themselves through Purple Bricks and I felt that the lack of an EA was probably an issue as there wasn't someone pushing for the sale to complete. I'm astounded that the EA was grumpy with you! How on earth will they get their commission is no ones pushing for the sale to actually happen?!

What a cheek of the EA! They have no right to be angry, it is really unreasonable of your seller to behave this way and they must know that.

I know you've said it's an ideal house in terms of size, location, etc but honestly, is there no other on the market that is acceptable to you? This one has terrible issues with it - I wouldn't touch a house with subsidence of any degree with a bargepole - and it's not even got the virtue of being very cheap.

I can tell you from experience that houses ALWAYS have hidden problems besides the ones you can see, and one issue will often lead to another. This house has the potential to be a massive ballache in not just the expense to get it sorted, but also in having to live with the problems and through the getting it put right. I've been there and done that and I won't be doing it again. The misery of living with major issues until they can be sorted is horrible. The stress of dealing with this volatile vendor and their unpleasant estate agent isn't going to get any better and you've already had months of that and still no idea when you will exchange!

My advice would be to get searching for another property and pull out of this one, it's not for you. The right house is still out there, being offered for sale by sensible, decent people.

I wouldn't rile the agent or seller more. Just leave them to it, push as you like, and look for something else as a second option. I did this a few years ago, and while I found nothing in the end I was in control of what I could be, and then surprise surprise the flat became ready to complete after about 8-9 months. If I had found something else I would have just dropped them once I was confident in the new option. You can't trust agents at all. They'll do anything to protect the sale including all sorts of threats and lies.

It's not worth what we are paying for it according to independent survey due to the cost of works needed and current condition of the house, but it's still a cheaper option (monthly mortgage payments) than an already fully renovated property in the same area. The main issue is that it is still incredibly hard to have an offer accepted on a property in the area because there are many more buyers than sellers. I think that's the main reason we have been holding on to the idea things might work out, but I think for the same reason we need to look elsewhere and be proactive if we see anything else we like for sale. Honestly such a nightmare.

I can't tell you how comforting it is to read these posts though and feel like I'm not losing my marbles and being unreasonable.

Honestly OP I would pull out as this is just going to be tainted now.

Also, it does sound like the house has a lot of problems, and isn't even worth what you are paying for it.

I dont think you need to pull out to be honest. Go back to the estate agent on Monday, you aren't pulling out but need to be in a property by January or its too late for your deal. So you will look at other properties with vendors who can move in your time frame you are happy for this estate agent to send you details of other properties and you'll be speaking to other estate agents in the area. If you find something better suited to you, you'll pull out of this sale and if they can't complete by end of December then the sale will be falling through anyway.

Be clear you can't wait much longer so if they faff about, they will lose you. It doesn't matter what they say or promise, you have a point it no longer is possible for you to buy at this price.

Look at other properties, leave your offer on the table until the point you can't buy it. If you find something else and have an offer accepted, at that point pull out of purchase.