Oh the lies!!! It's amazing isn't it? Turns out the buyer who pulled out on us 6 weeks after offering had NOT had the searches done; in fact they hadn't paid a penny to their solicitor and told the solicitor that they had doubts from day 1. The solicitor knew this, but lied to our solicitor, right to the day they had pulled out. On the morning it happened he said the searches had come back, contracts were ready etc - all lies! Honestly, it makes me question everyones morals.....
So we have accepted the lower offer with caveat - that if the survey throws up anything; and I mean anything....then our price does not get lowered. We are literally knuckle to knuckle on how low we can go and how high they can go. If the survey throws up anything awful, then the other offerer has agreed to leave their offer on the table for 2 weeks, because we have room to talk that offer down, just in case it's so bleak that the lower offerer wants to pull out. I doubt all this; it's just speculation, but I'm covering our backs big style.
In any case, we're back on the path I hope, all be it delayed by a couple of weeks. In all of this despite all my preconceived ideas I have to absolutely thank our agents who have been bloody marvellous through all this (calling to check I was okay several times last week because I was so upset and she knew DH was away, sorting all our offers out on Sunday, answering the phone in the evening etc) and this is on a fixed upfront fee; they've had their money, so theoretically they could sit back and do nothing. And to be fair our solicitors have been good too - she had the draft contracts with the new buyer by midday yesterday - even our agent said that was the fastest she had ever seen! So although things are a bit squeaky financially now (DH won't be able to have his man cave shed complete with tatty chair and standard lamp for a while) but we will have moved, and thats the main thing. The chain on the higher offer was just too risky.
Off now to read through everyone elses posts.....