Issues up the chain - wait or pull out?

[Jammiedodged]

This is now our fourth attempt on a purchase since September last year so we might be skewed in one direction and need outside advice.

First two houses we tried to buy the vendor pulled out as they changed their mind. The next had issues with building regs so the lender wouldn’t lend. We sold our house STC last September and we want to move - the house is just mine and we are buying together, this one is far too small etc etc. Staying not an option.

We put in offer on fourth house in late Jan, which I appreciate wasn’t too long ago but we are halfway there with our bits due to other houses falling through. Now ready to exchange.

Our vendor is buying a bungalow as they want to move their elderly parents in. They’ve made it very clear that if they can’t buy this particular house, they won’t move. They seemed super keen though and paid extra to expedite the sale. We went for a second viewing last month and they said they had survey results, enquiries raised and just waiting for their mortgage offer. The agent provided an update yesterday saying they are ‘still at enquiries stage due to various surveys’. This is ringing alarm bells with us as it contradicts what we’ve been told. We’re worried if there are issues with the property they’ll pull out and stay put.

Another house we viewed in Jan is still on the market but it’s potentially just more time to wait. To be honest we just want to move ASAP.

What would you do? Wait this one out, or second view the other?

We were in this position with our move before last, vendor said she wouldn’t sell unless she could buy the house she desperately wanted, no other house would do (weird because the house was nothing special) but beauty in the eye of the beholder I suppose.

The sale did all go through, ok. And we got the fantastic family home of our dreams which we lived in for nearly 18yrs. We have since downsized, also to a bungalow due to my health etc.

I would stick with it a bit longer, they have a requirement.

I would stick with it for the moment (and ask your agent/conveyancer to do a bit more digging to find out what the current status is).

Stick with it and try and get more info from solicitor and agent.
I was told my seller would vacate whether or not she found a place, so I went ahead with searches and survey and now I've been told she wont move unless she finds a place! So frustrating as I wanted to get the benefit of the stamp duty, and need to rent if I can't buy in time. I have dogs and we are moving some distance for school. I'm holding firm for the moment but I've also started looking again on rightmove, thinking I will soon be a cash buyer.

@Midlifephoenix this happened to us on the first house, they said they would go into rented so we pushed ahead with conveyancing. I then got a call from the agent saying the seller couldn’t find anywhere to buy! They ended up pulling out shortly afterwards due to ‘stress’. We’re thinking of putting a note through their door so we can ask them what the problems are. We’ve met them a few times and always got much better information that way. If the issues sound like they can be overcome then great; if not we want to know.

Is moving into rented an option if the sale stalls? I would progress your sale and see where you are at after Easter. Our purchase appeared to be stalling up the chain then it moved very fast, we were in in 3 weeks from when it looked like it had collapsed

My buyers are being very patient (ftb living at home) and we can move back with our parents if required as we are wfh luckily. We’ve got a cat which makes rented more difficult.

We’re thinking of putting a note through their door so we can ask them what the problems are

If the issues sound like they can be overcome then great; if not we want to know

Unless there are other bits of info you haven't put in your original post, it doesn't seem that there are any other issues, just a normal process of property sale.

Once enquiries are raised it could easily be 3 - 4 weeks for all replies to be dealt with. Perhaps even longer.

There are so many variables, and not all parties are great at giving clear information about what stage they are at. Because house buying/selling is something most people go through so infrequently few people understand the process enough to clearly explain all stages.

From your opening post you say you are "are halfway there" but also that you are "ready to exchange." Just as an example of how some messages are not always conveyed clearly.

We have second viewed which is when they told us their survey had come back with no problems. This was a month ago.

We are ready to exchange our solicitor has confirmed this.

Now we are being told there have been ‘various surveys’ which are causing delays. This is contradictory to the information the vendors gave us when they said their survey had raised no issues.