Just found out we are in a chain after 5 months!

[Clarabellawilliamson]

Argh, we have been told all the way through that our vendor is going to go into rented as she hadn't even found a place when she accepted our offer, she wanted to avoid a chain etc etc

We were all set to move and were aiming for April, obviously this had to be delayed due to lockdown. Just had an email from the estate agent just checking in and letting us know that things are moving well for the two houses at the top of the chain!!

I've only ever bought and sold chain free before (we relocated so are currently in rental). How much more painful is this going to make it all?!

It depends on how many people are in the chain, did the estate agent tell you? If not ask them. Obviously the shorter the better, but people do manage with long chains. Would you consider withdrawing your offer if you find out you are in a long chain?

Keep your fingers crossed that it holds together.

most people who say they will go into rental or move in with family are liars - I did but when buying this place, the vendor also tried this line and I was not impressed.

All you can do is wait, but express your displeasure at being pissed about to the agent. And don't even think of giving notice until you have exchange.

it may also be worth ensuring that the vendor knows that 'complete' means ' get out' as there are also horror stories on that one...

I offered in November and my vendor was buying an occupied house, but I was told her sellers were going into rental.

Lo and behold my EA tells me in Feb that in fact my vendor was gazumped on that house, had offered on another but there were now 4 in the chain! (Top one was an empty house) However no-one had told me and it had at least been a month since this happened.

This made it waaaay more complicated.....and then along came the pandemic! However I really loved the house so stuck in there and ended up breaking the chain ie. me and my house buyers completed two weeks before completion on my purchase. Had to go live with my ex for two weeks as all hotels etc shut abruptly😩. There was also some building work issues on the house at the top that needed to be completed before exchange could take place, which obviously delayed my exchange, but most luckily these got done 2 weeks pre lockdown and exchange went through.

So yes, my point is that it could well be more complicated but it depends on how much you love the house and what your circumstances are. Mine was the culmination of a separation so I was very motivated, and I really put myself out there when the complications occurred. DD and I came within a whisker of being homeless in the pandemic if ex hadn't chosen to cooperate, and it was the increased length of the chain that caused this.

In the house now and love it, but with hindsight I may have offered on the chain free property that was second on my list! Or had the choice to withdraw on this house and then offer on the chain free in Jan. I wish the EA had told me when the chain length increased, but you know how agents are.....

I'm never moving again!

Well, I think I may have panicked without needing to! Exchanging and completing at the end of the month! We will keep our rental for a while so we can do some work to the new place while it's empty. Eeek! Exciting but now I need to get my arse in gear and think about moving, if it's even possible?!

fingers crossed it all goes through! Don't forget to sort your insurance from that day.

moving is now allowed with suitable social distancing so you should be good to go. And yes, keep that rental until you are sure.

Thanks @mencken insurance is set to go from the 29th (proposed date). I will phone some removals companies this week. There are a couple of jobs we want to do in the new place first so will aim to move mid June, just hope a second wave of Corona doesn't lock us down again!

There had been such little good news around recently, I just want to be excited now!