What's the longest chain you've been in?

[Ezs23]

We're cash buyers moving from rented; there's our vendors and their vendors who had promised they were moving into rented.
Due to exchange yesterday and top of chain tell us they've found a house they want to buy now and won't exchange until that's all in place. Currently waiting to hear how much this has extended the chain.
This is the most soul destroying process ever. Our offer was accepted back in August

What's the longest chain you've been in?

I'm a property solicitor. I'd say it's not very common to see a chain longer than about 8 properties in my area (NW)

You are in such a strong position that I would play hard ball, unless there is nothing else on the market. But I would start looking elsewhere or putting pressure on. Noone should want to lose you.

Honestly our vendors have been so inflexible. I think they know if we dropped out they'd find a buyer pretty quickly. It's a great area and a great house for the price. I'm definitely looking still but haven't seen anything comparable which makes it even more frustrating. We have no choice but to wait and I just feel like we've not been treated considerately at all. Still waiting for EA to get back to me about the new chain.
I was so naive at the start of this process as I thought being cash buyers and not in a chain would be a bit of a bargaining chip to speed things up or at least get some dates in place.

Personally? We moved last year and it was a chain of 5. The top of the chain was owned by a deceased person. Took a while as the estates executors were spread all over the country/world.

Professionally, the longest I've seen is 12!! 3-5 is more like the norm. NW also.

Sorry to ask a stupid question, but I'm not from the UK so baffled by this chain business. Does it really work that no individual house is sold until a whole group of houses/buyers/sellers are ready to do it on one day?

We completed in June last year and were 4th in a chain of 5 (we bought a new build).

Everyone, apart from our buyer, was on the ball and worked their socks off. Our buyer lived in a magical bubble where everything happened without much effort on her part. I was ready to throttle her by the time it all concluded.

It took 12 weeks from offer to completion and from January to March to go under offer.

Yes. Houses are sold with vacant possession and there's no renting a sold house to the sellers, etc as happens in the US.

Mulhuddart my husband is also not from the uk and he is beyond baffled by our system (as am I really).
We recently sold a house in his country and the whole thing from offer accepted to completion took FIVE DAYS!!!!!!!!!
He's driving me mad actually as I think he thinks i'm not being proactive enough in the negotiations and that's why it's dragging on