Vendor misrepresenting?

[secondtimebuyerr]

Hi,

As per user name I'm only a second time buyer so not much experience of this.

Want to move so put my house on the market, got an offer close to asking price (very happy in this market) from a FTB so no chain. Happy days!

Viewed a few properties in the area I want to move, really liked one house but what was also appealing is the vendor told me she was moving abroad for work, so there would be no chain on that end.!Made an offer which was accepted. She gave a timescale that she would want to aim for with the move and her plans which worked well for me (she asked for asap, my buyers keen too so pushing everything along).

Now 4 weeks down the line, searches gone in l, mortgage application in. I have received a call from her agent telling me that she is now going to be purchasing another property , a new build, and they will let me know when they get a date that it will be ready!

I know these things can happen I suppose, but is it normal? I feel pretty misled and annoyed...

Sounds like she got cold feet about working abroad. Or the job was pulled. Or her visa denied.

>that she is now going to be purchasing another property , a new build, and they will let me know when they get a date that it will be ready!

Well if it's a timescale that doesn't suit you, she can go into a rental, can't she?

I think you have to be quite firm in these chains. I'd be telling the Estate Agent that I've switched my alerts on and am actively viewing as not having a date to aim for is not acceptable to me.

But then I'm ambivalent and DGOS about almost every single house I view/don't have kids, so I suppose I can afford to be that way.

Lo and behold I told her estate agent how disappointed I was, how I've got such a good price for my own property and with FTB that I don't want to lose my own sale... I may have to pull and go into rented myself...

Just had a phone call to say the vendor will go into rented now.

Not sure how much to trust!

OP, it doesn't really sound as if the vendor is deliberately misleading you- their plans changed so now buying a property (which you were informed about) and you stated you didn't want to wait so they are moving into rented as per your request.

There's nothing sinister here!

It happens quite often. People say the house is chain free, they want a quick sale, don't need an ongoing mortgage, then it changes and holds things up. Nothing you can do. If you still want the house you need to hold on.

I do think she has been a bit misleading. She told me she was moving abroad to a certain destination, for a dream job.

Her agents have just told me that she was always moving to another part of the UK, but now having looked around it has decided it's not for her and wants to stay in the same area now.

Ah so it can be something people say to get a sale... I think I'm just quite trusting. It's on a newer estate and plenty of houses for sale in the locality. I looked at one very similar which I liked equally but the vendor of this one being keen and being "chain free" is what sealed it for me, so just disappointing.

If I back out now at 4 weeks into the process I might be delayed as long with something else.

Under normal circumstances I'd say it's just how life goes with property sales/purchases and something to suck up.

However, the new build puts a whole other twist on it where it could be an extremely long way before she's ready to complete and the developer has all the power on moving the date, so you are wise to keep pushing for her to complete asap and be prepared to follow through on any threats to drop out.

It's not that people say things just to get a sale, it's that it's a hugely complicated process with lots of risks and moving parts. You're dealing with human beings with lives, jobs, families, fears, dreams etc, not a multi-national business selling a manufactured product. You have to accept that things will change during the process.