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Original poster

Buyer threatening to pull out

37 replies

ThePandoricaOpens · 12/09/2025 10:44

We've had a long slog with selling our house. Put it on the market a year ago and it sold this April. The people we're buying from didn't find a property until 6 weeks later, which was a little annoying, but I totally get it! We still haven't completed - there's 6 people in the chain, we're ready to go and the 2 below us are ready to go, there's one outstanding query on the property that we are buying, which our solicitor is chasing daily!

We've just had this from our buyer 'Hi, hope you're doing okay during this stressful waiting game. We've heard from the EA in May that you may have an option to move in with your parents, may I ask why it's not the case anymore?
I've started looking at no chain houses as this is too stressful for me.)

The bit where they say the out EA said we could move in with parents should never had happened, we categorically told the EA (she's since left) that this couldn't happen - there's no way we can do this as we have a dog and 2 cats, my son also has ASD and is getting extremely stressed. They've been told this previously by our EA, but they just keep bringing it up! The people at the bottom are stressing as their mortgage offer runs out in October. Our solicitor says we are just a couple of weeks away (if that). I just think they're bluffing but don't know what to do?

OP posts:
2Magpies24 · 12/09/2025 10:50

Oh it's a nightmare isn't it! In a similar position ourselves.
I think you need to put in writing to your solicitor that this one query is putting the whole chain at risk and could have enormous financial implications. Make it clear that your buyer is threatening to pull out because of this one hold up. Might sharpen the sellers solicitors urgency a bit?

DancingNotDrowning · 12/09/2025 10:50

That doesn’t look like a threat to pull out, rather a buyer who is exploring all options because they are stressed at the length of time this has been going on.

The problem is despite saying you’re ready to go, you’re not. There is an outstanding query.

if you’re absolutely confident this will be resolved in a couple of weeks just bluff a little and tell your buyer that you’re planning on exchanging on 1 October and if that doesn’t happen you’ll move in with your parents.

they’re being cheeky, you’re being cheeky. Anything goes in the craziness of the English house buying system

Fayaway · 12/09/2025 10:54

Don’t engage directly with your buyer. That’s awful and absolutely none of their business. Estate agents lie, they just like to smooth things at the time with no thought of the longer term. Says everything that’s she’s left! Message back and say their information is incorrect if you like, but best to go to the current agent and say this incorrect information is upsetting. This brings back such awful memories of my recent house sale. Good luck.

Alacazoo · 12/09/2025 10:54

Do they have your direct contact details? Your estate agent should be dealing with communication like this on your behalf.

Just reiterate that it's not possible and state that your solicitor says you're nearly at exchange. They would be idiots to pull out, it would put them right back to the beginning of the process.

Mrsttcno1 · 12/09/2025 10:57

Other than really chase your end, there’s nothing you can do really. If they’ve been waiting since May and there’s no clear end date in sight I can’t really blame them for thinking it’s time to start looking at another property so if you want to keep your buyer you need to do whatever you can to hurry things up & let the buyer know dates.

ComfortFoodCafe · 12/09/2025 10:57

Message back and say their information is incorrect or go through your new EA and get them to repeat this.

Original poster
ThePandoricaOpens · 12/09/2025 11:02

Thank you all - I've just spoken to my EA and they are going to call them, also spoke to my solicitor and they are going to speak to their solicitor. I'm hoping it might pacify them and hoping they're just bluffing! After 6 months I think they would be ridiculous to pull out?!

OP posts:
DrySherry · 12/09/2025 11:36

I think it's fair of them to let you know they are now actively looking at other options and I dont think you should read it as any kind of bluff or threat. Its probably genuine. Six months may not be unusually slow for a complex chain but equally - if they were informed, rightly or wrongly, that you could move in with parents and now can't. That must be incredibly frustrating for them.
You might want also to consider how difficult the market has become in the last 6 months - and accept that it's entirely possible that they could find a ready to go property that suits. Prices are continuing to slump, chains are falling appart regularly and it sound like yours is on the edge - if you loose this buyer not only are you back to square one but possibly will need to lower your price to get another sale.
If it really is impossible to move in with parents you just have to cross your fingers and keep pushing your solicitor 🤞. Crappy system we have unfortunately.

YetiRosetti · 12/09/2025 12:44

Sounds like it isn’t your fault OP, but I cannot blame them for being pissed off. If they’re ready to go and want to look at chainfree properties where the upward chain won’t be an issue that is probably true but as long as they’re reassured it’ll happen quickly then I think they’ll stay.

Id be worried about the bottom of the chain and their mortgage offer expiring though. My mortgage offer also expires in October, I can’t extend it further and I’m pulling out if we don’t complete by then as mortgages are more expensive now.

i don’t know what this outstanding query is but your vendors need to pull their finger out and deal with it

HelloGreen · 12/09/2025 12:50

Is there any way round the query? I’d be chasing it every hour, not every day, at this stage with this much at stake.

ShesTheAlbatross · 12/09/2025 12:56

Speak to your seller’s estate agent and ask them to speak to the seller asking them to chase up their solicitor. Bit long winded, but our house move finally got sorted once our seller heard their solicitor was not responding and told them to pull their finger out. He was really cross because he’d gone back to them with all the info, and had no idea our solicitor was still waiting weeks later.

columnatedruinsdomino · 12/09/2025 12:59

Yes, what is the query? It might be something that can be dealt with afterwards. Eg An electrical certificate.

tripleginandtonic · 12/09/2025 12:59

Mrsttcno1 · 12/09/2025 10:57

Other than really chase your end, there’s nothing you can do really. If they’ve been waiting since May and there’s no clear end date in sight I can’t really blame them for thinking it’s time to start looking at another property so if you want to keep your buyer you need to do whatever you can to hurry things up & let the buyer know dates.

This. I'd be annoyed if I were them.

kirinm · 12/09/2025 13:01

ThePandoricaOpens · 12/09/2025 11:02

Thank you all - I've just spoken to my EA and they are going to call them, also spoke to my solicitor and they are going to speak to their solicitor. I'm hoping it might pacify them and hoping they're just bluffing! After 6 months I think they would be ridiculous to pull out?!

We pulled out after 6 months. The house we are now buying came back onto the market after 9 months!

PotteringAlonggotkickedoutandhadtoreregister · 12/09/2025 13:03

If I had been waiting since may then I would be giving you a deadline of October 1st and then pulling out,

if you want to keep your sale you need to move into rented accommodation.

SheilaFentiman · 12/09/2025 13:22

They may be at risk of losing their own buyers, as you say the 2 below you are ready.

TeenLifeMum · 12/09/2025 13:26

What on earth are you still waiting on from your vendor? I’d be going nuts by this point. We sold in May and moved first week of August. I was calling the solicitors daily by the end.

FeelinTwentySixPointTwo · 12/09/2025 13:33

We were in a very similar position to you when our buyer threatened to pull out unless we moved in with parents to break the chain.

We agreed to move in with parents; packed up; booked movers etc etc...all ready to go. They pulled out anyway.

The point of this is just to say that they have been waiting a really long time now and the market is shit. In your shoes I would be camping on the doorstep of the solicitor and doing everything in my gift to keep that buyer.

ErlingHaalandsManBun · 12/09/2025 13:36

@ThePandoricaOpens people do pull out, even if you think it would be ridiculous for them too as they will just be starting all over again. Our sellers threatened to pull the plug after 5 months of waiting for our buyers to sort an issue. We tried to pacify them and did all we could. We were thinking that surely they wouldn't because they would be back at square one. They warned us they would and they followed through. We lost our onward sale through no fault of our own due to our buyers solicitors being slow and non communicative and taking AGES to do anything. Despite daily calls and emails reiterating how urgent this was and that the chain was about to collapse, our buyers solicitors still had no urgency to do anything.

So it does happen. People just get fed up and find it not worth the stress. So don't just assume they are bluffing.

I think all you can do is keep jumping up and down and putting pressure on and reiterating the chain will collapse but ultimately you are relying on everyone else doing their job.

I hope it all comes together for you, I really do, it sucks when it goes tits up and there is nothing you can do about it. Good Luck.

KievLoverTwo · 12/09/2025 13:49

Your buyers clearly thought you moving back home was a backup plan if things drag on for too long, and they've always had that in the back of their minds.

"as this is too stressful for me"

A direct communication, saying they are looking at other houses, and you're choosing to believe that they're bluffing?

After 6 months I think they would be ridiculous to pull out?!

Depends on the conditions they're living in. If, like us, they can't cook in their home, it gets to 42 degrees when sunny or 10 degrees with heating on, and they have 7 rats living in their loft, using the house deposit to move into a hotel suddenly starts to become a really viable alternative. Perhaps, like us, they find £500 a month heating bills in winter completely intolerable.

I should know - I've just walked away from a purchase, and that's exactly what we're considering doing.

Never assume to know how much stress a buyer can and cannot (or rather - will or will not) take.

SheilaFentiman · 12/09/2025 13:52

After 6 months I think they would be ridiculous to pull out?!

Not if their own sale/mortgage offer/plans are at risk. If they can find a chain-free purchase, then their 'ready' buyers can act and so can they.

rainingsnoring · 12/09/2025 14:24

I don't think that reads as a threat or as them calling your bluff.
It's annoying if they are repeatedly asking you to move in with your parents but I think they are feeling stressed and frustrated and are trying to find ways to get things moving. They may pull out if they find something suitable and chain free. If I were you, I would be chasing my solicitor every day or two and speaking to the agent to chase them too. I don't see a call from your EA would pacify them.

rainingsnoring · 12/09/2025 14:25

As others have said already. mortgage offers only last 6 months or so and the rates have risen a little recently.

80smonster · 12/09/2025 14:45

Have they asked for a discount yet? Sounds like they are lining you up.

poetryandwine · 12/09/2025 16:40

Do you have any idea what’s going on with your sellers, and further up the chain, OP?

It sounds like your sellers found their new place by early June at the latest, 3 months ago. If that was a simple transaction they could have moved by now. In your buyer’s shoes I would be worried that this could still go on for a long time. I could lose both my mortgage offer and my own sale.

Your previous EA may have spoken incorrectly about your plans, but your buyer received her information in good faith. Emphasising that the information was wrong is, unfortunately, only going to muddy things.

I’m not suggesting that you should fall in with someone else’s lie if it doesn’t suit you - but do bear in mind that most of us would be serious in your buyer’s position - or even cover it up. Only that dwelling on it won’t help anything.

This is a mess and yes, only in the UK AFAIK could it happen. Good luck getting it sorted.