Who has the longest chain?

[Notmulan]

We’re second from the bottom of a long chain. Cash buyers >us (buying 3 bed) > our sellers buying 5 bed> downsizers > buying occupied 3 bed and the chain is still forming

So far 3 months in, expecting a long wait.

I’m sure many of you have longer chains than 5 +

So how big are/were your chains and did you complete eventually ?

Ouch. I try and avoid long chains. If all goes to plan our current one is:
Cash investor > us > house we're buying which is already vacant!

Not currently on the market but if/when we want to upsize in our current area we'd be selling our home and 3 BTLs, before you consider anyone else up or down from us. I suspect we will be untouchable as buyers with that lot.

@Dinosauraddict that’s the dream!

We have ftb, then our buyers, us, then our vendor who is going into rented, so 4 of us. Not too bad, but I think the factor that is speeding things up okay is that all the houses involved are newish and straightforward in every respect. Also only 2 out of the 4 need a mortgage sorting out and we are all in the same area - it all helps move things along I think.

In answer to your question, we are 9 weeks in and hoping to exchange next week. There, I've probably jinxed it now...

We have ftb > people buying our house > us > house we’re buying > house they’re buying which is currently empty. So a chain of 5. Been going since October - our sale has fallen through 3 times, we’ve been spectacularly unlucky. Thought we’d lost the house we want twice as there were other offers in the meantime, but then it got back on track. However now our vendors are dithering about moving dates when we’re SO CLOSE and our mortgage offer expires in early June. I can’t face reapplying for the whole bloody thing again just because they’ve only had SEVEN MONTHS to bloody well get sorted. The rest of our chain are happy for us to move ASAP. So stressed permanently.

This is why we went for a new build so the chain stops with us. DH was so twitchy over it. So ours goes.

FTB > our buyer > us.

Everyone is about 2 weeks behind everyone else in the buying process so hopefully it doesn't go too pear shaped.

@thismeansnothing us too...although we're out end of June and our new build isn't due to be completed until Oct so moving back in with parents.

@onethingonly

The plot were in the process of buying someone else reserved but it fell through so when we Reserved it end of march 2 weeks after we agreed the sale on ours it was well on in its build. It's due to be completed end of June, so praying with timings and everything it all just magically falls into place.

Last time I was in a chain it was five links. We were the bottom.
We were buying in London from reluctant wife and eager husband. They were buying a place in Oxford, but when we viewed they were six months from actually finding the house they eventually bought. Their sellers were buying from a couple buying from a family at the top.
Once chain was complete things were going ok until there was a right of access issue near the top. Turns out there was a £25k fee to sort this. My husband came up with the idea that we all contributed to make up the money so keep the chain intact- all the homes were well over £1m so £5k each was affordable. Luckily everyone agreed and we completed, nine months after we first offered. I found out a couple years later that the couple we bought from separated though - she really didn't want to make that move!
After just losing my patience waiting for my seller to find a house I've found one chain free. My buyer is due to complete on their sale this week, exchange on mine then or a few days later, and I will go in to a holiday let until I buy my house, hopefully by end of June.

@thismeansnothing that was lucky! I hope it all goes smoothly for you 🤞🏼.

My buyers are already in a rental and I am OK to go in one as this chain business is awful. My last seller was not, so now she has lost her buyer (me).

We bought in 2019 with a chain of 8. Was an absolute nightmare, so you have my sympathy

Oh god, long chains would fill me with horror.

Ours is cash buyer > us> our sellers buying a new build

Despite our buyer and seller keep chasing us for updates it's actually both of them who are holding the process up with slow solicitors.

In our case it was: Us (we had sold and were renting) - our sellers - their purchase - elderly couple downsizing - young couple moving into rented. So 4 links.

We were lucky but also being at the bottom of the chain we did drive a lot of it. But we exchanged within 7 weeks of the offer made and completed at 11 to accommodate the final couple's rental.

There were/are six in our chain! In hindsight it went very quickly and smoothly with exchange happening 10 weeks from when the chain was complete.
The house our sellers were buying were not so lucky as our sellers original sale fell through so they have been waiting since October last year.
We complete next Tuesday so just hoping that all goes smoothly 🤞

Currently ftb buying us, us, our vendor who is buying from someone who is moving in with family. So even though it’s only 3 people it’s already had delays and complications!

Last time we bought there was a chain of four, which took 6 months, mainly held up buy a flat in the chain with lots of issues.

We sold last year so been in rental 9 months buying a downsizers house who’s going to new build but if not ready going to her sons house 2 doors down from new build. So far it’s the searches holding us up!

Ours was: buyer in rented > us > downsizer > property currently vacant. So 4 parties. Took 5 months to exchange.

My friend had 9 which was a nightmare.

When we bought this house it was cash buyers > us > elderly couple going into new conversion. That was stressful enough.

Oh gosh @Whattodo121 what is making them dither now? I hope it happens quickly now

They are dithering because they are stressed about actually going ahead and moving and the fact that it’s all suddenly actually happening. We just don’t have the luxury of time, I can’t face the stress of redoing our mortgage application and getting it sorted before stamp duty holiday deadline, would rather just push it through now.

Ours is single mother (small mortgage/buy out) > us > our vendors > vacant house - our vendors lost their buyer last week, and then we stepped in. We will probably now be the reason they can’t move prior to stamp duty kicking in again. But, such is life!