Hi,
So we're SSTC and our buyers are BTL investors. We had an offer on a house accepted a month ago and the vendors have just had an offer accepted on a house, which is apparently chain free, as they have said they will rent.
We thought that this should be an easy, shortish chain, but we obviously know things are never that easy in the world of house buying/selling.
Anyway, had a meeting with our solicitor today and we told her about the chain and she threw her head back and laughed when we told her about the vendors idea to rent. She said "that's what they all say, but its never that easy and they'll usually 'randomly' find a house they want to buy and then the chain becomes longer and more complicated".
Is this true? I suppose I can imagine it happening if someone is desperate to sell, but is it really as common as our solicitor says?
She also winced when we said that our buyers were BTL and said that they're the most awkward of all buyers 
So after feeling quite positive about the chain and the fact that things seemed to finally be moving forward, I'm now back to feeling on edge.
Thoughts and experiences very much appreciated.
TIA