1 week to go - Will sale go through?!!

[MissTiss]

Grateful for any advice or reassurance anyone could offer.

I'm in a panic over an email from our solicitor suggesting our house sale may be pulled a week from the move date. We agreed with a buyer for our house back in December 2021, had to pull out after a survey in February 2022 but found another house, and have agreed on a move date with both our buyer and the seller of one week from now.

Then just this afternoon our solicitor (who is frankly pretty useless) sends this casual comment at 4.45pm on a Friday sending me into an absolute tailspin:

"They [our buyer's solicitor] have also said that they are still waiting for an indication of when the buyer’s purchaser will be in a position to proceed and will revert to us as soon as they hear further."

So basically, the whole chain could collapse because this man (our buyer's buyer), who we heard was a cash buyer, seems to not have his ahem, stuff, together. Our buyer's solicitors have been so fastidious- wanting every box ticked - surely they could not have let something like this slip through if he didn't have the money or something else serious?

I can't believe it. Is this actually possible? I mean it's possible, but is it likely? Anyone have experience of this?

For context I'm 7 months pregnant, got PGP, and not dealing with this very well!! Maybe I'm catastrophising and all will work out?!!

We're similar - were expecting to exchange next week and then complete the week after. Theoretically it's chain-free although we later found out our seller has to wait for probate to be granted on his onward purchase. Found out yesterday that vendor now 'doesn't have time to complete' for end May, then has a 3 week holiday booked (first we'd heard of it), and suddenly we're looking at end of June. Possibly heading into July.

We had a similar thing last year, all going along nicely, one week to moving date at end of August and our buyers solicitor emailed our solicitor to advise they had heard nothing from their buyers solicitor! Nothing! Wait what! Why haven't you told us before now! I contacted my buyer directly and she had been told we were the hold up! We both then involved the estate agent who contacted the buyers buyers directly. It turned out he was a BTL landlord who always instructed his solicitor not to do anything including comms with the chain(to save money) until his mortgage offer was through so he wasn't aware that we were all organised including removals booked for the next week. This is Scotland so home reports already done so no surveys to organise etc. but still searches.

Everyone had to wait on his mortgage offer, the house we bought threatened to pull out repeatedly because of delays with his BTL mortgage!

We eventually moved in October after he got his mortgage sorted.

Prepare yourself it may delay but you will get there.

Think you are reading too much into it. They may be awaiting searches or draft contract to sign.

Thanks all. Sorry to hear about those experiences. Sounds like we are likely in for a delay. Yes our buyer has gone on holidays! Lucky her! I'm stuck here pregnant not knowing whether to stay talking down the curtains!! You do have to wonder what these solicitors are at, not keeping up to date on the chain ...

Maybe they're all going on hol to the same place?! Our seller is off on hol for 3 weeks in June stopping anything happening then. I'd love a 3 week holiday. I haven't even had a holiday since 2019!

I think it is a tad unfair to blame the Soldiers. I was acting for a couple ftb they came in to see me and their vendors told my clients it was my fault that things were not progressing as I never responded to any communication.
I gave my clients their file to read, they could see I had responded to every phone call, letter and email immediately I had received them. My clients went away happy with me but not with the other Solicitor for lying. Some Solicitors are slow but not all. Hope you can get this sorted out soon