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Original poster

Holding in for my buyers to get buyers

23 replies

Ruralbliss · 30/11/2021 23:23

House went back on the market the day our original buyers pulled out on the eve of exchange. No reason given. We were all packed, removals booked etc then suddenly faced with conducting viewings again.
It was really horrible juggling getting the house ship shape, work, disabled anxious teen, not quite fully toilet trained puppy & cats plus 3 hours of driving a day school commute.
Twenty or so viewings in just under a fortnight (quirky large house, huge grounds) and finally a nice family who absolutely love it and offered asking price with a promise they'd put their house (worth twice as much as the price they're buying mine at) in a very sought after area of south coast immediately on market.

I was delighted to cease viewings and glad we were selling to folks who would love it as much as I have plus presumably will have the funds and time to improve it.

Anyway there house hasn't yet sold as instantly as they imagined it would and my agent is pressing me to relist my house and resume viewings. I really can't face this and yet do really need to move (so I don't have to do any driving & to free up cash).

Am I being foolish? I wondering how long I could/should wait for their house to get a buyer. Even then the chain might be quite long.

Wonder whether as a gesture of goodwill & to prevent me putting house back on market the potential lovely new buyers might be open to paying for us to move into rented in our new area for 6 months while we wait for them to sell/buy our house.

Feels like a crazy idea and would leave this place empty unless I rented it out.

What would you do? Hold on for another 4 or 6 or 8 weeks? Let them go as business is business and there might be a buyer who is ready to buy and loves it just as much?

OP posts:

PersonaNonGarter · 30/11/2021 23:24

You need to listen to your agent. He wants the house sold too.

maofteens · 30/11/2021 23:58

Relist! If the other buyers sell they can still buy yours. I have no patience anymore after attempting to buy three houses this summer (I am in the third).

Starseeking · 01/12/2021 00:01

I'd give them a deadline date by which they should have instructed a solicitor on their sale otherwise you you will be comfortable resisting, and tell them that.

Bear in mind that not many properties are coming up at the moment, so I'd probably give the vendors at least up to the Christmas holidays, and advise that you will restart fresh viewings to take place early in the new year.

LaLaFlottes · 01/12/2021 08:30

I think it’s unlikely anything will happen with their house until after Christmas - but that would perhaps be the case with yours too?

Maybe for the sake of an uninterrupted Christmas you should leave things as they are and reassess in the new year? List yours again and see what happens?

Maybe they need to drop their price a little just to get theirs sold rather than paying rent for you?

Roselilly36 · 01/12/2021 08:35

Sounds a really stressful time OP. We moved at the beginning of the year, this is the reason, I would not allow viewings from potential buyers unless they were in a position to proceed. Everyone thinks their home will sell quickly, but this is often not always the case. I would re-list, if I was in your position. I know viewings are a pain, but just part of the process. Good luck.

Saz12 · 01/12/2021 08:43

Your buyers could sell more quickly by dropping the price. Their offer is actually “I’ll buy your house for £10 if I can sell mine for £20”... it’s not quite the same as simply saying “I’ll buy yours for £10”. An extra layer of risk involved to you.

Saz12 · 01/12/2021 08:46

I should add - you’d house sounds amazing so likely to be attracting viewers who wouldn’t move for “just any old house”. We sold ours only after we’d had an offer accepted, because the pool of houses we’d move for was pretty small. But we could’ve had a bridging loan and we were super-realistic about what we’d sell ours for.

TulipsfromAmsterdam · 01/12/2021 08:47

We are waiting for our buyers to sell their house. Have been told it should sell quickly so will hang on until new year as don't want to go through viewings at this time of year.

Pinkdelight3 · 01/12/2021 09:41

I'd never have taken my house off the market for a buyer who wasn't proceedable. They should really have had their house on the market before making an offer on yours otherwise their offer is still abstract. The rental plan is fraught with issues so I wouldn't even get into that. Just relist the house - the least it can do is put a rocket up your buyers to make their house more sellable (they probably need to drop the price). What about relisting can you not face? Surely it's better than your 'buyers' messing you around and being unable to sell their house? You could get a much more viable buyer and be able to move on.

Original poster

Ruralbliss · 01/12/2021 09:55

Thanks all. You are all so wise.

Truth is I'm struggling to cope with the daily grind and house is a perma tip with multiple ill/lazy/busy teens and my work/driving commitments.

I think I'll chat to the agent and perhaps see what happens in Jan/Feb then a Plan B of relisting in March/April when the garden looks less miserable if they haven't got sorted by then.

They slipped through the 'only proceedable viewers only' net as begged my agent and promised they'd sell quickly. I do really like them which after the trauma of horrible horrible gazundering and investment buyers before I now realise is a big thing for me. A successful entrepreneur I'll never be as clearly let my heart make decisions over hard headed mercenary logic.

OP posts:

ChicCroissant · 01/12/2021 09:58

Put it back on the market OP - this is why you should never accept an offer from someone who is not proceedable. Good luck with the sale

Twiglets1 · 01/12/2021 17:16

Come up with a plan and communicate it to them and your estate agent. For example, if they haven’t sold by the end of January you will put your house back on the market

Original poster

Ruralbliss · 01/12/2021 21:34

Will do @Twiglets1 I'll also speak to my agent to see if she can get them to commit to a slightly higher asking price for sticking with them when they aren't strictly proceedable. Another £5k & she'll keep it off the market until end Dec, early Jan for you.... They don't need to know my horror of viewings & how I'm not in any great rush to move. I'll make like I'm urgent & business is business.

OP posts:

hgaj · 02/12/2021 10:27

IMO I wouldn't ask for extra. You accepted their offer in the knowledge that they hadn't sold their house. Instead just clearly communicate that you will relist in January if they are not proceedable by then.

BernadetteRostankowskiWolowitz · 02/12/2021 10:30

As above. I'd say "we will relist on 15 January if you have not sold STC by then"

Pinkdelight3 · 02/12/2021 10:55

I think with your comment about the garden that your house probably isn't a perma-tip and you're just being too hard on yourself. Also like you've responded to the sale falling through by getting too personal - begging the EA and accepting this non-proceedable offer and then having this non-standard ideas, first the renting notion then the pay-us-more-stick-with-you option, neither of which will work and are anywhere near as sensible as simply putting the house back on the market, chilling out about viewings/tidiness and seeing what happens. You literally have nothing to lose by remarketing it - your 'buyers' will still be on the same timetable, trying to sell their house and buying yours if it all works out, but you have opened up to more viable possibilities too. Take a breath and listen to your EA. There isn't some magic new way you can invent that will make it work out with these people you want to buy it. That's out of your control. But if you want to actually sell your house - and it sounds like you need to move so can't just kick back and wait - then at the very least put it back on the market so that can happen.

PointyMcguire · 03/12/2021 00:21

I’m confused as in one breath it very much sounds like you’re at a major inconvenience by not already living in the new area, and in the next you’re suggesting re-marketing your house in March/April if your buyers still haven’t sold. I get viewings can be a hassle, but surely the inconvenience of being in limbo and the lengthy school run is worse?

Relisting is surely a win/win, either your buyer pulls their finger out and makes their house more sellable (i.e. drop the price) or you find a more proceedable buyer and crack on with selling your house.

Original poster

Ruralbliss · 03/12/2021 12:11

It seems so obvious when written down but the factors of poor mental health (my teens) and time shortage (mine) = a total horror at restarting viewings but I hear you it is ultimately the lesser evil of being in this house longer than we want to be.

I think this is compounded by this current place being where they've grown up and although in theory we all want to move it's me that will benefit from relocating (time driving & monies spent) so there is no incentive to keep house tidy.

Plus I seem to have given birth to the worlds messiest offspring ever. It really is horrible and even though I tidy clean each day it's back to looking like we've been burgled or a tornado has hit.

OP posts:

Original poster

Ruralbliss · 03/12/2021 13:43

My agent has advised me to give the buyers a week as their agent has told her there are two parties very interested in their house.

If I decide to put back on the market after this we'll run an open day in early Jan so collate interest over Xmas then we take ourselves off for a winter break somewhere leaving house animal free and viewing-ready.

OP posts:

Original poster

Ruralbliss · 03/12/2021 15:28

Ps. You also are right about my agent being incentivised to get this house sold. Far less inclined to fanny about than I but seemed to have good intel from her counterpart at buyers agents that they'd get it sold pretty swiftly giving the market etc.

OP posts:

user1471538283 · 03/12/2021 22:00

If you ask for more money or for your buyers to pay you rent they will pull out. I would put it on the market

Twiglets1 · 05/12/2021 09:55

@Ruralbliss

My agent has advised me to give the buyers a week as their agent has told her there are two parties very interested in their house.

The weekend away coinciding with an Open Day in early/mid January sounds a very good idea. Talk to your agent about the best date date for it and take their advice.

Original poster

Ruralbliss · 08/12/2021 14:25

Glory be my buyers house is under offer!
Or about to be. They are likely to accept an offer but haven't formally yet.

God house selling and buying is so tense and tedious.

Hope the chain behind them isn't lengthy.

I guess it's unlikely to be chain free given their property was a cool £1mil but who knows perhaps in the world of the rich and famous £1mil is spare change...

OP posts:

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