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Original poster

Vendors of house I'm buying have still not found anywhere

42 replies

ScoobyDoesnt · 24/04/2025 15:43

I'm not sure at what point I should start to worry....

I've sold STC, and we are nearly 6 weeks into legals on that sale.

I found my onwards purchase reasonably quickly and had an offer accepted almost a month ago, on the 25th March. Mortgage all approved.

The vendors of the property I'm buying still have not found anywhere. They are staying local, and according to the agent they have sold through / I've bought through, they are actively looking. I do appreciate you can't make a snap decision on such a big purchase, but I'm wondering at what point I start to get more anxious than I already am?! My buyers ideally want to be in by end of July, as do their buyers.

I really don't want to risk breaking the chain and moving out - whilst it's only me and DD, plus 2 DDogs, we are moving around an hour away, and I don't want to risk losing my current cheap fixed rate I'm porting (I can still keep it up to 3 months post sale), having to store belongings, find a rental or move in with family - or not sure what other options!

My agent says usually 4-5 weeks is ok, so they've said to give it another week - but didn't offer any guidance to the solution after that!

Also of course, I don't currently know what the position will be if my vendors find somewhere, if then their vendors then need to find somewhere.

I'm probably just suffering from moving stress (I am not doing this again!) - but any thoughts?!

OP posts:
MidnightPatrol · 24/04/2025 15:46

I’d just say it needs to be by, and if the vendors need to rent then so be it.

They will probably not want to lose a buyer tbh.

It’s a huge flaw in our housing system IMO - round here you can’t even view a property without an offer on yours. But then you need to wait for the right house to move… which could take several months or worse.

Original poster
ScoobyDoesnt · 24/04/2025 15:51

Thank you.

They had actually only been on the market 2 weeks when I offered, so I'm worried they'll just assume they can sell quickly again! It was just the right house at the right time for me.

OP posts:
Brocsacoille · 24/04/2025 15:52

They need to move into rented.

are you still looking at properties? Book a viewing on something with your agent. Tell them that you want this property, but are getting concerned and want to cover yourselves.

CarmellaSopranosKitchen · 24/04/2025 15:53

I'd give them a deadline. Are they really serious about moving? I know a divorcing couple where the wife is really dragging her feet as doesnt want the sale to go through, as there will be downsizing. I think she will spin it out.

Pootles34 · 24/04/2025 15:55

I wouldn't spend on more on the solicitors for your sale until the chain is agreed.

Namechange13101 · 24/04/2025 16:04

I think it’s really tricky, I was like your vendors until yesterday when we had an offer accepted. We sold ours back in March (had offers offered rejected on some other houses because we hadn’t sold ours before that and lost out on a couple of houses. To give some context Our search criteria were really specific due to school catchment so we were literally looking at everything that that came on the market in our search area as soon as it came on but there just wasn’t anything the ticked enough boxes for us until this week (and we were on holiday for two weeks so obviously that added more time!) We are also porting so going into rented isn’t an option . We’re really upfront with our buyers who are really keen to get going but ultimately, my husband and I weren’t going to be pushed into anything even if that ultimately meant that we’d lose our buyer. We’re now in your position though of Hopeing that our vendors find something quickly as they have only started looking this weekend as they are relocating a fair distance so imagine we could be waiting a while for them to find something to!

lalaloopyhead · 24/04/2025 16:04

See if you can find any history of the property being 'sold before' and also push for a potential date, and whether they would consider moving into rented. Don't waste any money on surveys and solicitors until they have found somewhere.

I had an offer on a house accepted when I was pregnant, we said we were keen to move before baby arrived and they were very positive that it wouldn't be a problem etc.

Well some months later someone (telephone engineer) saw the property details on my desk at work (thats how long ago it was) and asked if I was thinking of buying it...turns out their sister had made an offer on the house the previous year and the sellers hadn't budged because they were basically waiting for a house to come up for sale in a small sought after village! Who does this? I couldn't understand why they didn't just wait to put their house up as clearly had no issue getting offers. Anyway I ended up buying another house (signed contracts day baby was born) and didn't bother telling them - the estate agent rang me up months later just to check in and I told them exactly what I thought.

Doris86 · 24/04/2025 16:16

Pootles34 · 24/04/2025 15:55

I wouldn't spend on more on the solicitors for your sale until the chain is agreed.

This. It’s normal practice to not start any conveyancing work until the chain is complete.

Doris86 · 24/04/2025 16:24

MidnightPatrol · 24/04/2025 15:46

I’d just say it needs to be by, and if the vendors need to rent then so be it.

They will probably not want to lose a buyer tbh.

It’s a huge flaw in our housing system IMO - round here you can’t even view a property without an offer on yours. But then you need to wait for the right house to move… which could take several months or worse.

I wouldn’t count on them going into rented. Many people won’t want the hassle and cost of moving twice, and would rather lose their buyer if they think they can get another buyer relatively easily.

MichaelandKirk · 24/04/2025 16:30

I have moved a few times over the years. At the beginning most people selling say they will go into a rental and then don’t!

If they have children, dogs, or are a bit half soaked don’t rely on them trying to find somewhere for a few months and as you say you brought soon after they put their place up for sale so will be thinking it will sell easily next time too.

Ask the EA firmly and see what they say. Give out dates too so people know what you are working to.

Original poster
ScoobyDoesnt · 24/04/2025 16:33

I have a 'no sale / no purchase no fee' thing with the solictors as they are through the estate agent I have used to sell (that's no fees for their time if it all goes tits up). I've had to pay £75 so far on the sale and that's all - and not sent any money for the purchase yet for searches.

@CarmellaSopranosKitchen I would hope they are serious - definitely not divorcing (apparently!).

@lalaloopyhead they bought the house about 5 years ago, when it was brand new. It's a couple, I would guess in their 50's/60's, so no children at home, which makes it slightly easier for them I would have thought to move temporarily if they have to.

@Brocsacoille not still looking - but maybe I should! Although so frustrating as this one really does tick all the right boxes for me in terms of location, size, layout etc.

OP posts:
Whynotaxthisyear · 24/04/2025 16:35

You placed an offer on a house where the seller had not found anywhere else, which is always a risk. With the best will in the world, they may not find anything that suits them, and leave you and your chain waiting.
At some point you need to give them a deadline. Ask the EA what progress they have made so far with looking and whether they are close to making an offer.
What a pain for you. Fingers crossed.

SheilaFentiman · 24/04/2025 16:37

Going into rented was never easy from a hassle perspective (moving twice etc) but is probably getting harder as more landlords sell up. As a LL, you would probably pick the couple prepared to commit to 18 months rather than a short term lease, if you could.

Original poster
ScoobyDoesnt · 24/04/2025 16:42

I've just left the agent another mesage to call me with an update - I called her yesterday, but she was out, and I've not had time until now to follow up due to work meetings.

She's there, but on another line. Apparently. I suspect she's fed up with me calling, although I haven't spoken to her since last Wednesday (not called sooner due to being away for an extra long birthday weekend away).

OP posts:
TreesOfGreen99 · 24/04/2025 16:52

We’re in the same position as your vendors. I feel quite guilty but honestly we will not move unless the right house comes up. We thought one property would work, hence putting ours on the market, but when we had a second viewing we realised we couldn’t make it work so didn't make an offer.
we have been totally upfront with the agents, and will withdraw from the market if nothing comes up by the end of May as that will be nearly 2 months and I don’t feel it’s fair to keep people hanging.

Original poster
ScoobyDoesnt · 24/04/2025 16:52

I'll give her her dues, she's called me back.

Apparently they saw one last week that is very positive. It's an older property, and when the agent saw it to value it it was full of furniture. It's now empty and there's evidence of minor damp which hadn't been noticed when furniture was in, so they are awaiting a damp report to see the extent of the issue. But it's not a no as they love the house itself and the location.

And it's chain free.

She says she has been very blunt with them that they need to crack on, and they've apparently also expanded their search area.

OP posts:
Namechange13101 · 24/04/2025 16:54

Sounds positive especially if they’ve expanded their search area, as in our position it wasn’t something we were willing or able to do

Sofiewoo · 24/04/2025 16:54

Am I the only one who doesn’t think 4 weeks is very long?!

Newgirls · 24/04/2025 16:58

All you can do is keep looking at other houses so you have some control here.

commonsense61 · 24/04/2025 17:02

This reply has been withdrawn

This has been withdrawn by MNHQ at the poster's request.

AliasGrape · 24/04/2025 17:19

We were similar to your vendors unfortunately. Accepted an offer on ours then took 7 weeks to find, and have an offer accepted on what we wanted to buy.

We sold (stc obvs) ours within 10 days of putting it on the market.

Still very much a sellers market round here. For weeks absolutely nothing was coming up in the specific area we need - it’s quite a limited search area for various reasons, and not one we were prepared to expand as that just wouldn’t work for us. The ones we’d liked and might have offered on before ours sold went quickly, and then once we sold there didn’t seem to be anything else coming up for ages.

Whilst we are moving because our house just isn’t big enough for our needs anymore, we do quite like it and have been making it work long enough that it didn’t feel urgent enough to move for anything less than the right house.

We have now offered and had the offer accepted on a house that I’m really excited about, but of course they know need to find somewhere.

Its definitely stressful all round really.

Twiglets1 · 24/04/2025 17:36

I would be worried already. I think the EA needs to find out their views on going into a rental if they can’t find somewhere to buy.

Moveoverdarlin · 24/04/2025 17:40

In every email, letter or phone conversation I would include the phrase ‘with completion no later than Friday 25th July.’

If the majority of the chain aim towards the same date, the people you are buying off will just have to sort something.

SheilaFentiman · 24/04/2025 17:48

Moveoverdarlin · 24/04/2025 17:40

In every email, letter or phone conversation I would include the phrase ‘with completion no later than Friday 25th July.’

If the majority of the chain aim towards the same date, the people you are buying off will just have to sort something.

Or pull out, of course.

WhiskyandWater · 24/04/2025 17:49

OP we had this, knew I needed to be in quickly as divorcing but faffed around. I ended up viewing other properties with another agent, offering and having one accepted and getting to exchange before house 1 rang to exchange (was open about looking with original agent). House 1 wasn’t meant to be, love my current house so much more and house 1 got a higher offer from their next purchaser so the right outcome all round. I’d honestly keep looking, you don’t have to not buy it but it gives you some feeling of control. (I asked who was going in to rental, no one in the original chain would, but the vendor of the house I bought did, and we completed within a month of offer agreed).