Sellers who don't really want to sell

[Shwish]

So I know we hear a lot about buyers who change their mind and pull out at the last minute but in my personal experience it's ALWAYS been the seller. I've owned (including my current) 3 properties over the years. I have never had a buyer change their mind (have only sold 2 places so far admittedly) but have recently had the seller of the place we're buying change their mind about selling, right when the whole chain was ready to exchange contracts - literally everyone has returned their signed contracts in he chain except these guys who have decided to pull out.
This is the 3rd time in my life that the SELLER has decided not to sell their place at the 11th hour. One time we'd already given notice on our flat and we're forced to stay with family for 5 months and this time that's happening to our buyers. It's such a shitty thing to do and I really don't get it. Buyers pulling out I suppose I can sort of understand, maybe they've had a panic about the costs, or lost their job or something, but people who just decide not to sell? Seriously what's the point? And how do they sleep at night?
Sorry. Just had to get that off my chest. I'm absolutely gutted. And it's coat everyone SO MUCH MONEY.

The seller is probably always a buyer as well though - so they are the SELLER to you but the BUYER elsewhere in the chain. It's still people pulling out of a transaction which shouldn't be allowed this late in my opinion!

I had a friend who would put her property on the market every couple of years, on a whim wanting 'a change'.

She'd find a buyer, get so far along the process, and then decide she didn't want to move after all.

Absolutely awful thing to keep doing. With my purchases, I've always needed a motivated seller for peace of mind.

Honestly that's so bloody self centred. Don't people like this know how much they're messing around with people's lives? I actually think unless there's a decent reason you're pulling out - I guess these could be legislated for, things like poor surveys, or change of life circumstances or whatever, then the person pulling out should have to cover the fees / expenses for everyone else in the chain.
I bet that would stop people.
And I hope karma comes after them. I'm secretly hoping for a major flea infestation in the house our "sellers" have decided NOT to sell. Twats.

No she really didn't care.

A lot of people don't really think things through, and the reality of moving hits home so they change their minds.

I've heard of people justing wanting to see what they could get, then pulling out after accepting an offer.

There are many genuine reasons why someone would pull out, but I suspect a minority don't have a genuine reason.

That's shit behaviour and I don't understand people who do it just for shit and giggles tbh.

I'm sorry op

This is awful. What a huge waste of so many people's time, as well as her own. Putting a property on the market is not a simple or fun process. I wonder why she keeps doing it? There are easier ways for her to get attention, which cause other people much less hassle and inconvenience.

Yes, this happened to us twice. And each time, we had a buyer for our house with no chain below, and no chain above us as we were moving in with ILs.

First house had just come into the market. Market was fairly slow at this point. We offered asking price. Seller turned it down on the basis that if we were willing to offer asking price, someone else (no other viewings lined up though) might pay more. We declined to bid against ourselves with no other bids, and found somewhere else to buy. The ended up selling for the asking price six months later.

Second house was being sold by a couple with teenagers. This was about the January. Again, offered asking price. Has already exchanged on our house. Couple decided that they didn’t want to sell that year as their eldest was doing GCSEs the following summer. Why they put it on the market I don’t know, as the timing of GCSEs was not new information. We found somewhere else to buy. They sold for £37k below asking price about 18 months later.