Is this really chain free?

[CarrotCakeExtraFrosting]

Hi,

So we've had an offer accepted on a house, but the top of the chain keeps changing, due to our sellers onwards vendor keep changing their mind on properties.

We sold a few months ago now and obviously don't want our buyer to pull out because of all this switching and changing.

With this in mind, we have started viewing other properties. I was just trying to book in a viewing on a "chain free" house, but when I asked exactly what the vendors position was, I was told they were moving to a new build. They haven't had any offers accepted and as far as I know, haven't found anywhere so it doesn't really feel chain free to me.

Chain free to me is a vacant property, either probate or the vendors are moving into rented (or so they say )

Am I wrong?

Have the builders of the new build bought it?

I would expect chain free to be the same as your version.

I would be wary of someone moving into a new build as builders often change the dates at very short notice / make unreasonable demands.

Someone I know was in a chain where the person at the top was buying a new home. The builders suddenly gave everyone an exchange date in two weeks time that they wanted everyone to commit to, even though they wanted to 'complete on notice' so no actual completion date.

One person in the chain didn't want to do that so they refused to sell to the person at the top and the chain collapsed.

if the newbuild they are moving to is complete already then i would consider it chain free. if they're having to wait for a completion date its not, as they could be delayed months.

Ask them what will happen if the date for their new house is moved...

It’s worth asking because when we sold to move into a new build we kept the dates for the flat we were selling the same and just stayed elsewhere for a few weeks.

Thanks for the replies and advice.

That's the thing @Glassio, it doesn't sound like they even have anywhere specific in mind.

We decided if we were going to start the search again, then we should only look at chain free houses, as the whole point in looking again is to keep our buyer happy.

It just sounds a bit like a sales ploy to me.

Unless they need to sell to have the funds to reserve a house/plot and so they are planning on moving in with family or renting in the meantime? In which case I would class that as chain free.