We were supposed to exchange 5 days ago, my new job starts on Monday and the kids are driving me mad... please tell me things will improve.

[IHeartKingThistle]

I don't think I've been this stressed ever and I KNOW it's just moving house and worse things happen at sea but this frustration is doing my head in.

Hand-holding needed...

I feel your pain IHKT! I think it's the frustration of having everything in someone elses hands. Theres all this stuff that has to happen behind the scenes and we just want to get in and start getting settled.

I like sooz's idea....that bubbly will be the best glass ever!

Just found out the guy at the bottom of the chain has decided to use a different mortgage company to try and get a 'better deal'. Sounds suspicious to me. So that means new survey, new mortgage offer, everything. At least another 2 weeks apparently - and that's hoping our vendors will wait for us. I am beyond gutted.

DC are 3.5 and 1, starting at childminder and pre-school. DD has a nursery place here still but I can't get her there in the morning AND get to work on time if I'm commuting, so they're both going to have to go to the new childminder which means driving 40 mins plus traffic hold-ups with them twice a day four days a week.

Thanks for the support, I'm off for a little cry...

Oh God, what are the estate agents doing? This is really late in the day to start shopping around for a new mortgage.

I know, aoparently he's acting on the advice of his mortgage broker. Apparently he owns a few properties but he is planning on moving into this one, and the estate agent only found out he had been misleading them about the availability of his funds when we said we were ready to exchange. Grr.

Question is, do we remarket? He's not even our buyer, he's our buyer's buyer. We wouldn't get a new chain wrapped up any quicker would we?

I think it is worth subtly remarketing - not officially putting it on the market but seeing if the estate agent can bring anyone around who is likely to be able to put in an offer faster. The problem is that your estate agent will probably not want to do this as he has already "sold" it once as far as he is concerned and doesn't want to put himself to extra trouble. You could start putting pressure on the your buyers if they are selling to him.

Thinking about it, I'd be a bit suspicious - if he has loads of properties then he should know how to get a competitive mortgage and, from what I understand, mortgage rates are no better now than they were a few weeks ago: in fact some of the better fixed rates are being phased out as people worry about rate rises.

I think you might be right, sadly. We can just about hold on for two weeks, but how do we know there's not going to be another 'unforeseen delay'? Pre-school term doesn't start till the 17th or something but when it does that will be a real problem.

Just wanted to sympathise - in the same situation. We were supposed to exchange on the 21 August and we are still waiting. I am about to go back to work full time next week with a 11 month old DD to get to nursery and back. Our buyers have to move on the 21 Sep and I said I need at least a months notice to pack a 3 bed house up to go into storage, as we hadn't found anything in time to move into. I can't take any time off work to pack and at this rate am going to have to do it all in 2 weekends - is a nightmare! Hope you get good news soon.

Thanks, it just feels like life's on hold doesn't it? And how on earth are we going to be efficient and effective at work???

Love the name, I'm notnearlyasblondeasIwas either!