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Original poster

Buyer dragging their feet.. help?!

112 replies

llihl13 · 04/03/2023 10:48

Hi everyone, I could really do with some advice here as I’m starting to pull my hair out and I’m not sure if I’m worrying unnecessarily (it could be my crazy hormones this month.)

I accepted an offer on my house last Wednesday from a cash buyer. From the beginning they have been notoriously bad at answering the phone when the agent has tried to call, whether that was when booking viewings, talking about offers etc.

Anyway, offer accepted Wednesday and the agent still hadn’t heard anything from them by Friday about solicitor details. Finally they got back to the agent end of the day Friday with their solicitor details. Memorandum of sale got sent out Tuesday.

Had a call from the new build developer I’m buying from on Thursday to say they’d called buyers solicitor and the solicitor said the buyer had not yet instructed them. Since then, the agent has tried to contact the buyer to get an update and they haven’t answered any of their calls. I called agent this morning and they said they will keep trying and to give it a few days as sometimes people just don’t have that sense of urgency (even though they know we are needing to exchange within 4 weeks).

Am I right to be worried here? Granted they have been slow at communication from the beginning, but it isn’t giving me much hope that they are serious. What should I do moving forwards?

OP posts:
WinterMusings · 20/03/2023 22:45

@llihl13

Hi. I was just wondering how you were getting on?

Original poster
llihl13 · 22/03/2023 09:07

WinterMusings · 20/03/2023 22:45

@llihl13

Hi. I was just wondering how you were getting on?

Hi, my buyer pulled out after 3 weeks of no contact. The house went back on the market and luckily I’ve found another buyer quite quickly. Although I’m now on day 2 of waiting for them to instruct their solicitor, and they are self employed so might struggle to get a mortgage. Oh the joys of selling a house!

OP posts:
CoffeeWithCheese · 22/03/2023 13:53

We looked at new builds and found their assisted moves looked so stressful in terms of making others wrangle to the developers timescale that we ended up going in the complete opposite direction and bought a 1920s house - woman on the market in case she got a good offer but with no real NEED to sell - so she was in a position to wait while we had buyers dragging their feet. In our case it was the buyers being overseas and not having a fucking clue about house purchases in the UK combined with time differences meaning everything took bloody longer with waiting for responses... and a few attempts at gazundering toward the end of it all as well.

WinterMusings · 22/03/2023 14:23

llihl13 · 22/03/2023 09:07

Hi, my buyer pulled out after 3 weeks of no contact. The house went back on the market and luckily I’ve found another buyer quite quickly. Although I’m now on day 2 of waiting for them to instruct their solicitor, and they are self employed so might struggle to get a mortgage. Oh the joys of selling a house!

Show quote history

@llihl13 🍀 better luck this time!! I'll 🤞🏼For this buyer.

how are you getting on with your purchase??

so bloody stressful isn't it!!

Original poster
llihl13 · 22/03/2023 15:13

WinterMusings · 22/03/2023 14:23

@llihl13 🍀 better luck this time!! I'll 🤞🏼For this buyer.

how are you getting on with your purchase??

so bloody stressful isn't it!!

Show quote history

Keeping everything crossed! We’ve still got our new build reserved (hanging on by a thread haha) but we’re holding off paying anything else until we know a bit more about this sale. Learnt my lesson the hard way!

OP posts:
WinterMusings · 22/03/2023 15:25

llihl13 · 22/03/2023 15:13

Keeping everything crossed! We’ve still got our new build reserved (hanging on by a thread haha) but we’re holding off paying anything else until we know a bit more about this sale. Learnt my lesson the hard way!

Show quote history

@llihl13

I'm glad your new build is still hanging in there!

Yeah, definitely hold back from paying out as much as you can! it's bad enough being mucked about, but having to pay out just makes it that much worse!!

I'll keep 🤞🏼For you! Let me know how things go!! 🍀 🍀

YaWeeFurryBastard · 22/03/2023 15:31

OP, do not let your agent take your house off the market until your buyer has provided proof of funds and instructed a solicitor. We stopped taking viewings once this was done but left the house on Rightmove until the buyer had full mortgage offer, that way we were still taking details of potential buyers until we were sure we were proceeding.

WinterMusings · 22/03/2023 15:54

YaWeeFurryBastard · 22/03/2023 15:31

OP, do not let your agent take your house off the market until your buyer has provided proof of funds and instructed a solicitor. We stopped taking viewings once this was done but left the house on Rightmove until the buyer had full mortgage offer, that way we were still taking details of potential buyers until we were sure we were proceeding.

@YaWeeFurryBastard

you need to read the OP's posts.

if you don't know you can use the 'see all' or 'see next' at the bottom of their posts.

YaWeeFurryBastard · 22/03/2023 15:59

WinterMusings · 22/03/2023 15:54

@YaWeeFurryBastard

you need to read the OP's posts.

if you don't know you can use the 'see all' or 'see next' at the bottom of their posts.

Show quote history

I have read all the posts thank you and was referring to the OPs update where she has a new buyer, and advising her how not to get caught again.

I think it’s you who needs to read the full thread before making smart arse comments 🤣

Original poster
llihl13 · 22/03/2023 19:39

YaWeeFurryBastard · 22/03/2023 15:31

OP, do not let your agent take your house off the market until your buyer has provided proof of funds and instructed a solicitor. We stopped taking viewings once this was done but left the house on Rightmove until the buyer had full mortgage offer, that way we were still taking details of potential buyers until we were sure we were proceeding.

So bit of a story behind that - after last time I made my agent guarantee my house would remain on rightmove until my buyer had his mortgage offer (especially with him being self employed). Looked the morning after I accepted the offer and shock, they’d taken it off!!! I was SO annoyed after being so explicit.

However, I did find out my buyer instructed his solicitor today and has an appointment with the mortgage advisor on Friday to get his mortgage sorted. To be honest, at this stage I’d prefer if they put it back on what with the uncertainty of my buyer getting a mortgage (I think he’ll be waiting until the new tax year to properly do it tbh). BUT I’m also on with another agent as I’m doing an assisted move with a developer and they put it on with two, so I’ll just leave that up for now.

OP posts:
WinterMusings · 22/03/2023 20:52

YaWeeFurryBastard · 22/03/2023 15:59

I have read all the posts thank you and was referring to the OPs update where she has a new buyer, and advising her how not to get caught again.

I think it’s you who needs to read the full thread before making smart arse comments 🤣

Show quote history

@YaWeeFurryBastard

well if you had I apologise, it seemed like you were replying to the original post, which is usually what happens when someone posts on a thread another poster (me) has refreshed.

it's obvious I HAVE read the full thread.

It wasn't at all 'smart arse', my post was intended to be helpful as a lot of posters don't realise you can do that.

joycies · 19/05/2023 17:38

I don't think the EA would charge for putting up again. They only take commission once the deal is done. I would be very wary of a cash customer who doesn't keep in touch

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