are we right to stand our ground? Anyone done that and lost the sale?

[alliwant]

After going awol for 3 whole weeks and delaying exchange the bottom of our chain has now turned up and demanded we exchange immediately and complete next Friday!! It was our original day but since they had disapeered off the face of the earth we have since put the house on the market as have our buyers - on the understanding it could all go ahead if they return. I am 37 weeks pregnant, we have no removal firm booked and 2 small children.
Also in the meantime our purchase is not ready for us to move into, our baby has been monitored in hospital due to reduced movements although she seems fine, I am very stressed

We have decided to put forward a new date of the 15th August, giving us 12 days grace after my planned C section on the 3rd. We have said we will go ahead and exchange immediately.

However they are insisting on the 29th July and will not budge. They have no kids and have messed us around for the last 3 weeks. We feel it is our right to have our baby calmly and delay for 2 weeks, and are torn between getting the sale done and putting our stuff in storage AND having a baby on the hoof (out of boxes, children unsettled etc) or standing our ground and equally insisting on the new date.

Anyone ever had this kind of stand off and it came good in the end? Or lost the sale and ended up back at square one?
WWYD?

I think I would ask your estate agents to ask the buyers at the bottom why they need to complete next friday. Maybe they are going away and want to sort it out before they go - maybe they have come to end of a rental contract - lots of possibilities.

It is also possible that something can be worked out to accomodate their issues and still then complete your chain on the date you want and allow you to give birth in peace and quiet.

You will be able to find a removal firm - but at this late notice it will probably cost and will take forever to organise. Give an indication to the buyers of that additional cost and ask them to fund it - that might suss out if they seriously need to move or just have no concept of the logistics of moving house.

Your baby's health is more important than anything and personally I would tell these people to take a hike and look for a new buyer. It really depends on how desperate you are to move.

thanks Sam,

We are probably going to insist on the take it or leave it option, and try for another buyer. We will lose money i'm sure, but at the end of the day like you say the baby is more important. Also our solicitor has not had any contact from them atall, so I suspect agents seems to be pushing (to get their fees) rather than the actual people at the bottom. OUr solicitor is now on the case.
We had considered offering the middle of the chain £500 off purchase price for them to go into storage for 2 weeks,do you think that could work?