Vendor pulled out just before exchanged

[LastPeony]

I’m shocked and in rage.

We’re 3 months into the process and the vendors estate agent gets a one sentence email saying they’re pulling out. We find out that one of the children (it’s a probate property) have decided to take it on themselves. When we’re talking exchange dates and I have half the house packed up.

How can people be so cruel?! They’ve been difficult the whole way through and now I have to break it to my children that we won’t move into our house. They’re going to be heartbroken.

Now we’re stuck in our house that’s too small as there’s no houses coming on to the market with mortgage rates being how they are. God, I hope these awful people get the karma they deserve!

I’m sorry this has happened to you, it is difficult to cope with.

I don’t think they’re being cruel or awful, though. They’re putting their family above strangers, which is, I think, what most people would do.

We've bought/sold 7 times and never began packing up prior to exchange. Nothing’s a given until at least then.

That's awful for you, but from the vendor's side, it must be an awful emotional wrench letting go of your dead parent's house. I guess they just couldn't bear to let it go.

I hope something great materialises for you soon OP.

I understand that was happened must be terribly difficult for your family, and I’m sorry. But it doesn’t make the vendor awful. We once had to pull out of selling a house, a couple of months into the process because our child had fallen seriously ill. Perhaps the family circumstances have changed to allow them to afford to keep what is essentially their family home, perhaps they have fallen on hard times and have to move in there as a last resort. We don’t know. And, gently – probably best not to describe it to your children as “our” house until it is.

Wishing you best with your next purchase.

Unfortunately that's our system - nothing is final until exchange.

It's fine to be totally fuming, but also it's a time to think through the situation and the options rationally.

I understand how distressing this must be but it's really important not to get emotionally invested in a move until the contract is signed, and certainly if your children would be upset you don't tell them it's definitely happening until contracts have been exchanged. Better luck next time.

I am so sorry
this happened to us a few years ago on the day we were due to exchange and it is so painful :-(
unfortunately in England, until contracts are exchanged it’s all very tenuous
Don’t lose hope - sept can be a good time to look for houses as people return from hols etc and want to get moving before Xmas

We got information from the estate agent that they pulled out to take it out as they thought they should have gotten more money from it.

So yes, they are being awful and not something you decide to do just before exchange

It's just bricks and mortar, there are other houses and you will find one and make it your home. . By all means be angry/disappointed at the money you have spent on searches et. but don't be angry at the vendors who might be emotionally attached to the house and not in a position to let go yet due to the grieving process. Of course they might just be twats (or somewhere in between the two) but they have the right to change their minds, just as you may have done up until exchange. Buying a house is always a risky business until you have exchanged and entered into a legally binding contract) before that point any changes can happen.

Don't build stuff like this up to children until you know it's in the bag! They are only "heartbroken" because of what you've said/promised about the new house. Children are resilient - they'll get over it and do will you. Stay positive and hopefully you'll find a new house you love

Just seen this - so more twattish than grieving!

You'll find something - just don't compare it to the house that has been withdrawn from the market , because nothing will compare!

I think about 30% of sales fall through before the exchange point.

It's common. A sale can even fall through after exchange but rarely does because of the large financial penalty that can occur.

Sorry to read the @LastPeony
It's a horrible thing to happen at the last minute and a pretty horrible thing to do unless the buyers/ sellers have very good reasons.

I hope you find something much better in time.

Sounds like you had some horrible vendors there. They ought to have thought out the price and/or whether they wanted to sell before putting it on the market. I think if they were genuine in changing their minds about wanting to keep the house in the family they would have had the common decency to at least have offered to give you some money towards your expenses, like surveys etc. Assuming that they they haven't, I think that have just behaved very badly.
I hope you find a better house. And I hope that if them pulling out is a price thing that they end up having to sell it for less. A lot less.

Thank you xx

From dealing with them for 3 months they just don’t seem like decent people at all.

I would get pulling out if it was too emotional for them (bare in mind they’re in their 50’s so won’t have lived there for a long time) or something had happened, but greediness is not an okay reason to pull out that late in the game in my opinion.

Thank you again for such a kind comment x

I'm so sorry OP we have been there its not nice I remember breaking down crying the amount of work packing the money we lost its exhausting and heartbreaking 💔 I do think that if this did not work out its not meant to be and will be something better waiting for you wish you all the best 🙂

How selfish.

There will be somewhere else op, I know it's easy for me to say.

It's such a stressful process even when it's smooth!!

I know that when you're in the middle of a crisis, you feel like crowning anyone with a frying pan who says stuff like 'things happen for a reason', but it's surprising how often things do work out for the best in the long run. I think that's because when things go wrong we've often had a bad feeling long before because subconsciously we're seeing the signs that all is not well with a transaction, and though we're rightly furious, a small sense of relief kicks in. We had two houses fall through badly once, but in the end, it forced us to consider one I'd said 'no, never' to, and we ended up living there happily for over 30 years, being part of a happy community to which we gave a lot back to over the years as well.
I suspect you might feel a bit relieved in time that you're out of it with that lot. A set of owners under probate has a lot of potential to be a pill- you only need one to be a greedy creep who wants to try every grubby trick any clever dick down the pub told them about to make a killing on price, and the rest tend to get dragged along with it.
All the best.