AARRRGGGGHHHHH!!!!!!! Vendor driving me mad!!!

[Polgara2]

We have been selling our house for a year, and for various reasons are now on our 3rd buyer. Anyhow, they offered in April and we then found the house we wanted. Waited until June for them to eventually pick somewhere to live (despite them having been for sale for 2 years and only with constant phones calls, nagging on my part!). Anyhow, he is slow beyond slow over everything, no sense of urgency at all. Our buyers are chomping at the bit and suggested completion date of 18 August. This guy from the house we are buying pops back with END OF SEPTEMBER!!!! What planet is he on?? Apparently he is on holiday til end of August (I assume he's not going for another 2 weeks though) and then it will "take him at least 3 weeks to clear the house as they have lived there for a considerably long time"!!!!!!!! Whaaaaaat!!! Why can't he just move like anyone else??At the other end our buyers have exchanged on their property already now and want to complete asap. I feel like piggy in the middle and am very worried we will lose out here. Sorry its long just needed to rant!

Poor you Polgara. What you really need is certainty, even if you have to wait a bit to move in. Is the guy prepared to exchange now, and have a longer gap between exchange and completion - at least once you've exchanged the contract is binding on him and he can't suddenly pull out, which is what I'd be afraid of. Presumably all the paperwork is ready?

Why can't he just get some removal people in to pack and move him in a day?

Well exactly Clairemow why can't he??? He has been soooooooooooo difficult throughout the whole of this, I would so love to tell him to stick his house where the sun don't shine but that wouldn't be very sensible would it? Would be very satisfying tho . Apparently our buyers are having to move in with family or the chain would have collapsed . I just want to move!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

It's difficult isn't it, as if you tell him to go jump, it's you who loses out and has to start again. Nightmare. Could you get your solicitor to approach his and talk about exchange asap even if completion has to be a bit later? Or maybe your estate agent might have some tactical suggestions? (depends if he/she is a good or crap one though!!)

Feel for you - we went through this 2 years ago, and it was hell. But so worth it when we actually got to move in. Try and keep that in the fore of your mind!