Buyers passing on their leasehold struggles

[Cakeweek]

Eurgh! I am at the end of my tether with our buyers. We sold in early November - DH's work has closed their central offices and all staff are to be moved out to area hubs/ go through redundancy. We chose to relocate as although not something we planned, one of the centres is nearer family (and infinitely preferable to redundancy). Obviously we've been locked down since December, and I'm homeschooling and once again shielding our clinically vulnerable child while wrangling a grumpy toddler.

Our buyers initially wanted to be in for Christmas, which our solicitors and EA couldn't do (we're easy as going to stay with family while we find something). Exchange was then supposed to be mid January, but last week they decided they wanted an electrical and gas inspection. Tomorrow.

Our EA says they're having problems with their sale because of their leasehold, and my guess is they're using this to delay. I am so pissed off! I've got to take the children out 'somewhere' late afternoon tomorrow for up to 2 hours.

I'm mainly tired and stressed because of the pandemic (we lost a friend to covid a little while ago and I'm struggling a bit) but I've just about had it. I guess they want us to reduce the price (it's an old house and they made it clear they plan to completely remodel downstairs). I just want to say stuff it and put it back on the market but I know that's ridiculous. Is this why moving house is one of the most stressful things you can do?

Any advice or handholds gratefully received.

Handhold for sure. Frankly if they are messing you about and you don't have a permanent house to move into yet I'd give them a date to exchange by (say mid Feb) and if they haven't done so put your house back on the market.

Actually, if its a leasehold property with ground rent issues, its entirely plausible that your buyers are struggling to sell it on - lots of chains collapsing.

last week they decided they wanted an electrical and gas inspection.
Get a date for when they expect to receive the reports, to stop them stringing it out.
Can the agent surreptitiously put it back on the market - not advertise on RightMove but if anybody asks ...
Presumably you have got a higher price because of the Stamp Duty holiday? I think that you have to suck up this buyer's messing about because the next one will offer less.

Leasehold properties are really struggling to sell. Give them a 2 week deadline and stick to it.

Unless there are very definite reasons being given why exchange is now delayed (e.g. awaiting a surveyor, mortgage offer stuck in the bowels of the bank etc) then I would give a date next week by which you need to exchange after which time the house is going back on the market. We had a drainage and electrical inspection done on the property which we recently moved into, which we booked the day after our offer was accepted - not 3 months down the line! It does sound as if there are issues with the leasehold which may well cause them to pull out anyway.

Actually, why do they need the inspections? They've offered a price, you've accepted. There is no plus in this for you, only the possible downside of them using the reports to try to reduce the price.
They can inspect when they own it!

Senua you might just as well ask why they anyone would have a survey done then? It's quite normal for people to have a range of inspections - electrical, gas, drainage, damp etc done once an offer has been accepted. What is not normal is deciding three months into the sales process that this is needed!

OK, I should have said "Actually, why do they need the inspections now, after all this time?"