Gah! When do you bite the bullet and pull out of a sale?

[LapsedTwentysomething]

Accepted an offer of the asking price on our BTL 15 weeks ago, and it's been standing empty ever since with our budget nearly blown. We were giving it four months. The buyer was supposed to have sold her property otherwise we wouldn't have accepted so soon (it went on the first day on the market).

Her buyer has caused no end of problems not paying search fees in time, changing bank account part way through the process so proof of funds difficult to provide, solicitor on holiday etc.

As every suggested exchange date passes the estate agent gives me more and more flannel.

I just don't know how much longer we can afford to wait tbh. What if we borrow the money for another month and it falls through? What can I demand by way of proof of good faith? I am on the phone to the estate agent every day. Nothing is happening.

Tbh, delays such as this are a normal part of the process. Obviously you're losing money as it's a BTL, unlike owner-occupiers, but such is life.

If you pull out, you're going to be out of pocket for even longer, surely? Or would you shelve your plans to sell and get a new set of tenants in?

you've got some serious time-wasters here. Solicitors that go on holiday without deputising arrangements should be sacked.

get your solicitor to chase, and set a deadline for the agent. Put it back on the market, too.

I have spoken to another agent today but they won't market while it's under offer.

I'm worried that if we borrowed more to keep it empty another month, then it falls through, we've lost again.

I agree I think it's just part of the course. We sold ages ago. No chain and its taking months for ridiculous reasons. We've actually had to find another 2 mortgage payments since signing the contract and the stalling has been for silly reasons like solicitors going on holiday it's so frustrating. Nobody cares about us losing money it's irrelevant to the ea and the solicitor. It's driving me round the bend!

But why on earth is the solicitor requesting proof of funds at this late stage anyway? Got the willies about this!

Can you instruct your estate agent to put it back on the market and let the buyer know? That should chivvy them along....

Is it furnished? Can you short term let it, or even airbnb it, in the meantime?

The EA works for you. What do their Ts & Cs state about marketing a property under offer? They don't want to lose a sale and therefore their commission: make them work for it!

Agree your solicitor needs to be chasing strongly.