how can people do this - vendor has just

[lecce]

decided to go with another buyer despite accepting our offer last week. They had the house on with 3 agents, despite not being in a hurry, and the agent seems as pissed off as we are.

The other buyer is a ftber (though the house is not a typical ftber's house at all - they must be loaded!) and can be more flexible about timing, apparantly. I think this is because at the second viewing I made a glib comment about wanting to move over the summer - ridiculously optimisitc anyway and we have since made clear we are not in a hurry at all. However, they seem to want the extra time as they are moving long distance.

We have raised our offer slightly - can't afford more - and are now waiting to hear back. There is nothing else suitable on the market and we are limited to two areas because all other schools in the district are full and ds is in Y1 in Sept. I knew it was too good to be true - a house we love near a school that actually has a space...

To add to the stress, dh has said he will go and give them a piece of his mind if they do back out - obviously he won't (I hope!), he is the least confrontational person ever but it just shows what this process does to people. Over the last few weeks the bitterness I have felt towards EAs, surveyors, our original buyer who backed out and now these people is just shocking. If we ever move I will NEVER do it again. Why isn't there a less painful way?

It's scandalous! Sounds like they are being greedy. Can you move into rented in the area near to the school and hope that another suitable house comes up?

We had this happen to us some years ago when we were living in rented having already sold our home. They went with another buyer who offered less as they 'needed time' to sort things out, they were selling a deceased relatives home that no one lived in. We explained that we could stay in rented until they were ready, and yeah !!! karma, the other acceptable buyer
couldn't raise the money and when they came back to us, asking us to match our initial offer we told them to stuff it.

As I said on another very similar thread- lobby your MP. Seriously. I cannot fathom why the English allow themselves to be treated so shoddily over this. Surely everyone who's ever bought or sold a house has a similar tale to tell, so why does it go on and on?

Of course, what actually happens is, understandably, once you're through it all as sooner or later you will be, you shudder and put it behind you - til next time.

I am more familiar with the process abroad where once you accept an offer it's legally binding. You can't pull out without financial penalty. Works over there!

As for 'greed', well, yes, I suppose but who wouldn't play such a flawed system to their advantage if they're allowed to? The Law should prevent that sort of behaviour!

You have my sympathies op.

A similar thing has just happened to us but even further down the line. Having paid out for survey etc about a week before exchange the vendors pulled out and sold it to a cash buyer instead. The system totally sucks. Hope it all works out for you, we are still looking but there is not much on the market.

Here is to some good luck soon.

Sympathies, it's a crap system, but whatever the rights and wrongs, you should not consider having an offer accepted as indicative of anything at all. Sad but true.