House sale delay

[Taycan]

Agreed a sale offer on my (empty) house within the first hour of being on the market, to a nice young couple who'd sold their house. A completion date was given of 30th November 2021 (the sale was in late August). On the 29th, our solicitors informed us everything 'was cancelled'. No reason was supplied by the buyer's solicitors. Apparently they are not legally obliged to go into details, which I find extraordinary. We contacted the buyer directly who told us he'd resold his property and completion was expected in early January. So here we are in April with no forthcoming news from anyone. All our solicitors can find out is that 'there's a delay'. We're seriously considering giving an ultimatum that unless we're told what the delay is and why we can't even be given an estimated completion date, then we're pulling the plug by the end of April, even though we'll incur costs, not to mention major upheaval to our buyer. What are your thoughts?

Ahh OP you were told everything was cancelled in November and are still holding on? For what? Don’t wait another month! Get it back on the market

Are they still instructing there solicitor ?

Thank you for all the many messages. We knew we should have pulled out in November, and rue the day we didn't, but we really, really wanted this young couple to succeed. And we still do tbh, but enough is enough. Without giving away too much detail, we live in a small seaside town and know people who know them. We know they genuinely want to buy our house (their own property had a new 'sold' board up last December); they're certainly not time wasters. We're going to contact our solicitors, our agent, and the buyer on Monday and unless someone somewhere provides us with details of the cause of the delay, and therefore a projected completion date, we're pulling the plug. We'd sell it in minutes on Rightmove, because it's in a very sought after location, and it will fetch a substantial amount more than it did last August. But the current buyer I know will be devastated, because affordable housing here is as rare as hen's teeth. If that doesn't prompt his side to pull their finger out and get on with it, then I'll know they were indeed time wasters after all.
Just a final thing to mention; is it true that solicitors aren't obliged to give details of their clients proceedings, eg whether their client is in a chain or whatever?

So you could sell it quickly and for more money but you're choosing not to?

Op that's madness. You don't owe anyone anything and if they don't even have the courtesy to let you know exactly what's happening they are wasting your time.

Get it revalued and relist it next week.

You are mad. They haven’t treated you well and kept you fully informed and they know you could get more for your house now.

I viewed two properties with DS yesterday. One had 24 viewings booked that day and the other a staggering 35. Both will go for well over the asking price.

They may be nice but you owe them nothing. It’s the nature of the business transaction.

Don’t understand if the buyer pulled out why you’re still selling to them.

I'd give them an ultimatum that is much less than four weeks. And tell them 100% you mean it. Say a week at most.

Honestly OP you are being taken for a mug (in fact, I think you are your own worst enemy).

the current buyer I know will be devastated

If they were that desperate to buy your house they would have been all over you over the last five months giving you regular updates and reassuring you that things were progressing as quickly as possible.

Just a final thing to mention; is it true that solicitors aren't obliged to give details of their clients proceedings, eg whether their client is in a chain or whatever?
Have never heard of that

They have shown you no consideration or regard in not keeping you fully informed.

Any obligation you felt has long past.

Put the house back on the market and take the increasing value.

They have no one but themselves to blame for their lack of basic courtesy.

If that was me and delays happened outside my control, I would be constantly updating the sellers of the house I wanted to buy. That you've heard nothing from these people is significant.
Perhaps call your solicitor to get clarification if the deal is dead in the water since November or that it might still complete in the near future.
You've been very patient, put yourself first now and remarket the property if as I suspect there is no current deal. At the current market price of course.

You’re being a door mat (or very kind).
Do you think they would do the same for you.

Sell if for more money to someone else. If you don’t need the extra money donate some to charity- eg Shelter if that will help your conscience.

I’m sure another buyer would also love the opportunity to live in your house.

And don’t worry what people think….they’ve forced your arm by not communicating.

Solicitors are, of course, supposed to keep their clients information totally secret.

A bit like a Dr would need to.

They clearly give no shits about you and have played you so well that you are desperate to sell to them at less than current market rate. I would just pull out regardless of the reason for the delay, seriously who cares, sack them off, sell your house and move on with your lives.