We were supposed to exchange today

[BumbleNova]

But predictably, we havent.

The sellers of the house I've been trying to buy since the first week of June have suddenly decided that they are not ready.

The signed the contracts last week. They have been assuring everyone they are ready to go all week. they have booked and paid movers. I'm so confused?!

they are in their 70s and selling to downsize. I'm terrified of loosing our buyer and I'm heavily pregnant.

Has anyone else had this? did you get there in the end? it would help immensely if the estate agents would pick up the phone, I'm going bonkers...

No advice I'm afraid, except I feel your pain. We are meant to be exchanging tomorrow, but the buyers solicitor won't pick up the phone!

Arrgh! It's so frustrating when you just can't get through to people. Would it kill them to just respond?!

Moving is just so stressful, try to keep calm, for you & your baby, hopefully exchange will happen tomorrow OP. The vendors must be committed to moving, if they have signed, booked & paid for the removers. Wishing you all the very best for your move.

Sorting out this kind of mess is what you're paying a solicitor for. Get him to lean on theirs.

  You'll probably find its a last-minute  cold-feet panic and their lawyer will talk them down sensibly.

My solicitor has been fab. They can't do any more. I don't think they particularly like their solicitor.

The estate agent has really had to step in and help. But he hasn't responded to any phone calls this afternoon. I just need to know what the issue is! Whether it's solvable or not.

I know how you feel. We were meant to exchange yesterday and it didn’t happen. We then found out today that someone two steps before us in the chain are still waiting for the Halifax to extend their mortgage offer, so now I do not know when it will happen or whether the sale will even go ahead.

I am so stressed and so on edge. There is nothing I can do but wait and see what happens.

I hope you got things resolved today. We genuinely thought we were going to exchange pretty much every day for the last 3 weeks - it only finally happened this Tuesday. In the end, it was the bottom of the chain guy, who was furious about the delayed completion date. The delays were down to him (he offered on the flat he was buying in March and didn't get the survey done until mid August, at which point the rest of us were ready to go!). He then made us all contribute towards £1,000 for his rental and storage because of the delay. We were in disbelief but ended up going with it because otherwise the chain would collapse, and I honestly couldn't take any more Groundhog days of thinking we were exchanging that day. The system here is crackers. Good luck!

Nope. It's gone from bad to worse. It transpires the seller at the top of the chain has had a heart attack so we are all on pause.

Plus it appears that our estate agent lied about whether our vendors were ready to exchange. They definitely weren't. Tearing my hair out!

Baby is due imminently and I have no idea what to do.

Oh no, I'm so sorry. How awful for your sellers, and for you too. Can you make a plan to stay put for at least another 6 weeks or so until the baby is here and you're feeling even vaguely up to it? Your sellers would presumably be glad to have the pressure off. Do you have help to do the actual move? How are your buyers for time?

That just won't work unfortunately. We would loose our buyer.

That's the real problem. This has dragged on for months for no good reason and the bottom of the chain has had enough. If we don't get moving soon the whole thing will collapse. So stressful!

Could you sell yours and move into a short term rental?

Not with a 22 month old and at 38 weeks pregnant with no 2...

We have offered a contribution to our vendors if they can agree to move in with family while their purchase is sorted.

They have sold pretty much all their furniture and lived with them during lockdown so I've got everything crossed they will say yes.

I would sell your house and rent until you found one.