Landlord turned nasty

[LavenderLuxe]

We have been in talks to buy our rented house from our landlord for years,
Finally at the end of August the landlord was all for it, we said we would get a solicitor and start the process, however after 9 days she sent us a nasty text saying everything should have been done by now, by everything she meant moneyy paid, surveys done, all checks done and basically all bought and sold job done, she absolutely lost it over the October budget rumours (she is an older lady) no disrespect of course, but she clearly lost her temper at us, and then said she needed to talk to her family, then we got a letter to say she is now not selling to us yet again, and increasing our rent by 15% surely she can't do this? We wrote back explaining that houses on our street haven't sold, are in better condition and this would be a quick easy sale, we reminded her of a list of outstanding jobs that she then came back and said "we didn't tell her" we did and I have proof of her saying she couldn't afford it. We have a young child, and I know people will say to move but we have looked and looked, we have great neighbours, it's a great location for work ect, we have been here 6 years and it just feels like home. I'm absolutely gutted, we worked our arses off to get the deposit, which she knew and now she's stopped it, we are 36 and 44 so we really are desperate to get on the ladder and expand our family before time runs out. Not sure what I'm looking for here, just feeling lost and gutted and have no support

If you do stay renting, the Renters Reform Bill is likely to come into effect around Summer 2025 and it's also looking likely that if a landlord wants to sell a property that they have to give tenants first refusal at a market selling price. So you may still manage to do it.
Obviously it won't be confirmed how it will work until the Renters Reform Bill is passed which will be a few months away, likely around Spring.
It's up to you whether you're happy to sit and wait and see though, or if you can afford maybe buying and moving into a nicer house on the street? I wonder if her family have pulled some strings into talking her out of selling for now.

My thoughts exactly!

She's completely unreasonable and even if she changes her mind, I wouldn't trust her not to piss you about at the last minute.

You're well placed to buy now, OP, you've got everything in place, buy somewhere else and then she can have the hassle and expense of finding another tenant or another buyer.

This is confusing, but if there unfold d at unilateral properties nearby, then start visiting them and put an offer in on the best one. If you haven’t exchanged contracts then she can withdrawer from the sale without penalty. In fairness, it’s nearly November, so it’s not clear why it’s taken so long. We’ve bought a house twice. First time it took 4 weeks. So I do time it took 6. You should have been able to exchange in 2 to 3 months.

My suspicion is she or her family has got cold feet now they can’t get the sake complete before CGT goes up, even though it rose under the Tories for property already. They may have decided to take the IHT hit when she dies and not risk the double whammy of both.

@LavenderLuxe if there is a house in the street in better condition than yours and it is for sale, buy it! she will then need to improve your old house for rent or take forever to sell!

Don’t buy from her
you could get all the way through and spend out on searches and solicitors costs for her to pull out and you’ve lost that money

speak to all local estate agents, tell them what area you want and your budget and find something else

Buy another on your street then she will be up the creek without a paddle as she will have to wait months and months for it to sell or struggle to rent it while needing repairs losing revenue because she's shot herself in the foot by being awkward

Buy one of the other houses, she will struggle to sell her place by the sounds of things. Also ask her to put you down as a reference for new tenants and make sure they know what they are potentially dealing with!

Buy another house in the same street, she’s obviously not a reasonable person. It’s taken me almost 3 months to sell a no chain house for well under what it’s worth, searches, buyer getting mortgage in place, dicking about with a minor repair etc.

She's elderly and losing it.
Getting frightened. My mum is the same.

Maybe buy another house on the street.

If the other houses are in the same price range you’re looking at on the same street I would go for a viewing.