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Original poster

FUMING with buyer. WWYD?

83 replies

shoopashoop · 02/01/2022 16:50

I can’t believe this.
We sold our house in May, found somewhere in August due to crazy market. since then it hasn’t been plain sailing due to countless enquiries from our buyer and our solicitors had a data breach which meant it was down for 4 weeks.

Throughout the past 2 months we have stressed over and over again that we need to move before the 15th due to school deadlines in a completely new area. We have looked at the school twice, mentally moved into the house and have been in direct contact with our vendor who is lovely. She has been packing, organising cleaning of the ovens etc as the rest of the chain have agreed to completion date of 13th. Our sale is ready to go and all that was left was to hear back from our buyer about this date. Didn’t envisage any issues as after countless to-ing and fro-ing everything was ‘done’ as far as we aware.

Anyway, still not heard back so although we haven’t been in contact with our PITA buyer, I decided to message them directly and ask if they are happy to confirm the date so we can book removals and get school application done.
To which they respond....

Buyer had no idea about this date and has booked to go ABROAD next week until the end of the month (providing they don’t get stuck there that is). Why would they do this??!!

I will say again that we have proposed this date to our solicitors and estate agent SO many times so either buyer is lying or something has gone very wrong.

I am dreading telling our vendor (although it is not our fault).
But more importantly, what the hell do we do?
We can’t wait that long, plus with the added stress of wondering if the buyer will even make it home or not.

Do we relist? We are in a sought after area and will sell very quickly.
I can’t even respond to the buyer as I am so angry.

OP posts:
DustyDoorframes · 02/01/2022 17:27

Some areas will take an exchanged-but-not completed contract as proof of address for schools, so it may be worth ringing the council and asking- exchanging by the 15th may be more realistic...

sallywinter · 02/01/2022 17:28

@sallywinter

Another thing is, if you have a hard deadline the the estate agent should have been reviewing this chain weekly and giving everyone in it updates.

We are you in this situation, waiting since July and booking a holiday sounds like a great idea.

*not you, the purchaser
Crazycatlady83 · 02/01/2022 17:39

Check with the LA. Ours only required someone to have exchanged contracts to then be able to submit a application for a school place (provided you move into the property before taking up the school place)

So you can exchange by the 15th deadline for school applications and then move in when your buyer is back.

FlamingoQueen · 02/01/2022 17:43

Speak to your (new) local council re school admissions. They will be able to accept new applications after the 15th Jan. People move house all the time.
If you have proof from the solicitors that you are moving, they will probably be able to accept this. Definitely worth ringing on Tuesday.

ChiefStockingStuffer · 02/01/2022 17:50

Can you get a bridging loan while you push for them to close as fast as possible?

Arren12 · 02/01/2022 17:50

Be very careful here contacting the buyer directly. It sounds like its your solicitor that's prolonged this not the buyer. I understand its them choosing to go away but in all honesty they have waited a long time and probably heard nothing.

We were waiting on our vendors solicitor who were rubbish with communication. Meanwhile the vendor kept contacting me crying about her dying father and telling me how much she needed to move NOW. I did sympathize but it almost made me pull out. It made an already stressful situation worse. I was trying to prepare my autistic children for the biggest move of their life and there she was contacting me stressing out. I told the solicitor and estate agent if she contacted me again id pull out. I meant it.

Its not your buyers fault sorry but while I sympathize with your school situation its not their problem. Take it up with your solicitor.

thisplaceisapigsty · 02/01/2022 17:59

We had a very similar thing happen to us, where buyers just breezed off on their month long holiday when we were expecting to exchange and complete. I have to say there was absolutely nothing at all we could do about it. We went round in circles thinking of different ways round it but there were none. We were in a chain of about 6 houses and we all just had to sit and wait for the buyers to come back. Also they needed time once back to pack up their house, book movers etc, they weren't willing to do a quick turnaround when they came back. They were actually nice people but scatty I think and just had no idea at all what they were doing. It was very very stressful and you have my total sympathy.

TooWicked · 02/01/2022 18:03

We’ve had an exchange ana completion for through while we were on holiday on a rental property we were buying.

Is their purchase of your place actually dependant on a sale and physically moving out of their own property?

Original poster
shoopashoop · 02/01/2022 18:09

Buyer is pulling out
I’m absolutely heartbroken

OP posts:
Original poster
shoopashoop · 02/01/2022 18:10

No they were first time buyer at the beginning of the chain

OP posts:
DelphiniumBlue · 02/01/2022 18:12

@chillied

Or, arrange a bridging loan? Expensive but would mean you can move?
No, not a bridging loan! They could get stuck abroad, pull out or anything ... that's a really risky strategy! Tell they them they have to exchange before they go, and if that means a long completion date ( early Feb, )then that's a compromise you'll have to make. But do this through the agents, or even speak to them in person, that will be the quickest way of agreeing a date. If you wait for the solicitors to agree it all, it will take longer. You need to agree a date to complete that the buyer can manage, and exchange before they go. This means the buyer has to pay the the deposit to the solicitors pronto, and you all need to instruct your solicitors IN WRITING and verbally that these are the dates agreed. Tell the agents, and ask the agents to chase the solicitors regularly until the exchange has happened. Phone your solicitors EVERY DAY to check progress. Have you signed all the paperwork yet? Because any delay on your part makes exchange before the go less likely.
TooWicked · 02/01/2022 18:13

Bugger! Get it back on the market on Tuesday. Sorry it’s so stressful. Flowers

woodhill · 02/01/2022 18:16

So sorry OP

thisplaceisapigsty · 02/01/2022 18:24

So sorry to hear the update, op - that's awful.

ChiefStockingStuffer · 02/01/2022 18:29

That's really shit, OP. They should have pulled out long ago if they weren't that keen on it in the first place ... it's been more than half a year!

Original poster
shoopashoop · 02/01/2022 18:31

Thanks all. What a start to the year Sad did I mention we all have covid too??!

OP posts:
Bunnyfuller · 02/01/2022 18:32

Twats. Sorry, op.

InFiveMins · 02/01/2022 18:36

@shoopashoop

Buyer is pulling out I’m absolutely heartbroken
Sorry to sound harsh but you were considering re-listing anyway in your first post, simply because your buyers were going on holiday. Had you gone ahead and re-listed and your buyers wanted to proceed, they would be heartbroken, no? It's swings and roundabouts.

It's very unfortunate, but it is what it is.

Find a new buyer and allow your estate agent to negotiate dates in the future, with the consent of the solicitors involved. It won't prevent people from withdrawing of course, but will prevent unnecessary stress of trying to get people to agree to dates when it is for the estate agent to do.

LivingDeadGirlUK · 02/01/2022 18:38

Sorry OP :( Hope yoi get a new buyer soon.

Malibuismysecrethome · 02/01/2022 18:40

You can exchange a complete without being there.
Ask them if they are prepared to do this as you don’t want to lose the school places etc. Call their bluff

sunshinesupermum · 02/01/2022 18:41

So sorry Sad What reason have they given for pulling out shoopashoop?

You hadn't exchanged then?

Flowers500 · 02/01/2022 18:43

Fuck I’m sorry, what absolute idiots!

PoshWatchShitShoes · 02/01/2022 18:57

That's dreadful behaviour from your buyer. What an asshole!! Karma will hopefully bite them in the bum when it comes to their next purchase

Unsure33 · 02/01/2022 19:08

If you had just pushed for exchange the completion date could have been later . Exchange is the most important.
Why have the buyers dropped out?

Bostonbullsmumma · 02/01/2022 19:08

What's their reason for pulling out? Maybe the estate agents can have a chat with them on Tuesday!