Buyers new enquiries 4 months in

[Jazzhandedintrovert]

We are 4 months in with a straightforward chain of 3 properties. Our solicitor had advised us that we'd be ready to complete and exchange by the end of January. The buyer has had 2 surveys and has waited until 4 weeks after her 2nd one to raise some enquiries. Here are some examples: asking us to arrange for an electrical survey. Asking us to get the boiler serviced (we have already told her it was serviced in September). Asking if the fitted kitchen cupboards are included - we had already said all the integrated appliances were staying and had been asked to confirm that it would be the same appliances staying, so I don't know why she'd think we'd leave all those but rip all the surrounding cupboards out?! Asking us to ensure we remove our daughter's garden toys(!) The email stated that the buyer has further points to raise but they need further clarification from her before they can pass them on. We are 4 months in and should be completing by now! She's beginning to feel like a real time waster, finding more delays to add. It's a small semi detached bungalow in a lovely area, trying to wfh and home school is already stressful enough so I don't know if I'm being unreasonable to tell her to just exchange contracts or go away?! What would you do?

It does sound like a lot of silly questions.
Could you deadline her, give her a set time frame to exchange, otherwise the deal is off and it's back on the market? Do you know if she has a mortgage offer or is this all stalling for time?

Not nreasonable at all! Just respond to them saying you've answered all that, serived the boiler, had enough of her holding up everyone and if she doesn't exchange after 4 months, you''ll be looking for a new buyer.
I have similar with a buyer who after 4 months is starting to find new issues (heating system) - he's done searches a month ago.
I know what's coming - asking for a discount, even though I've accepted him as a cash buyer who can proceed fast! Why didn't you look at the heating in detail during all this time! He's also completely unapologetic about dragging it all out for so long.

Give an exchange deadline of 7-14 days or your property will go back on the market. She’s obviously keen on the house having spent money on surveys etc. Your agent should play a part in keeping her line.

Also please get hold loads of random garden toys and leave them there 😉

Thank you for the replies, glad to know I'm not being unreasonable! We answered those questions within a few hours of receiving them and will tell her to just get on with it now. I'm wondering what on earth the other questions she has are if the solicitor needs further clarification, they're probably going to be ridiculous aren't they?! Definitely tempted to leave some random garden toys around 😂 It's a shame to lose the goodwill; this is a lovely little house in a great area and I'm starting to feel like she doesn't deserve it!

Request all outstanding queries immediately and an exchange date of something very soon with completion soon after.
I'm constantly baffled by the buying process and duration it takes

@Loofah01

Request all outstanding queries immediately and an exchange date of something very soon with completion soon after. I'm constantly baffled by the buying process and duration it takes

Definitely do this. All those enquiries can be answered very quickly, apart from the electrical survey. It's up to the buyer to arrange that if they want one. Nightmare. Are you the top of the chain?

@Candleabra no we're not top of the chain - the house we are buying is empty so I'm sure the vendor must be getting impatient now. If our buyer arranges an electrical survey now we'll have to insist on a deadline as we're not going to wait several weeks for her to quibble over the findings. We feel quite confident in being firm as we've reached the point where we'd rather stay put and extend than let her string us along in uncertainty for any longer. I just didn't want to be unreasonable if this is to be expected. She must want the house, surely?!

@CatAndHisKit sorry to hear you're dealing with a similar buyer too. It's so frustrating feeling your future plans hang on their whims!

She must want the house, surely?!

Well yes, you're right, that's the fundamental point! Presumably the survey was done ages ago, additional electrical survey no problem if requested quickly, but just looks like stalling now.
So frustrating for you.

Often this isn’t the buyer but the solicitor. We discovered our buyer thought we were a nightmare when actually her own solicitor sat on stuff, didn’t pass on messages etc. All our questions went to our solicitor the day we received the survey. My solicitor then got snotty that it’s her job not mine then she did write including all my questions but the seller’s solicitor asked the questions of our seller in 4 separate letters over 6 weeks. No idea why but the seller thought we kept coming up with new questions when we had actually submitted them in one go at the start! After 3 houses moves I have learned to blame solicitors for most animosity in moves.

That's a good reminder about it usually being the solicitor's fault, thank you!

We had similar which turned out to be the buyers solicitor stalling for time as they were snowed under. Such gems as...
Are there any communal areas in your maisonette? (the definition of maisonette being no communal areas, and buyers had been a number of times)
You said there is on street parking, but I see you have a garage. Please clarify. (felt like just replying yes, that's correct. Lol)