Owner of house I was buying has pulled out

[OpalFruitsMakeYourMouthWater]

I’m really stressed out about this. I’ve spent an absolute fortune on a divorce, associated solicitor fees and selling my house.

My house sold early April and I put an offer in on a house about a month later. It’s taken this long for solicitor’s to do their bits but everything for my house was sorted and I was just waiting for a completion date.

Apparently, there are now 2 more properties in the chain at my buyer’s end. Not sure how but someone has put other properties in the pot so this was going to slow things down considerably. As a result, the owners of the house I was buying have pulled out and are going back on the market. I’ve been told to look for another house.

This has added stress to my already stressed life! I’m guessing I now have to pay 2 lots of estate agent fees, 2 lots of solicitor fees (as I’m starting again) and pay for another mortgage broker??

SO FED UP!!!

Why 2 lots of estate agent fees? Ours were only ever payable on completion of the sale.

Talk to the solicitor, and see what needs paying.

The English house buying system is pants. I'm sorry you are going through this.

Are you sure you have to pay all the fees? I only pay my estate agent when the house sells, regardless of sales that fall through. Also i only pay my conveyancer her fee when the sale completes. I have paid for the searches but that is only a couple of hundred pounds.
It's so frustrating for you. I hope you manage to find another house soon ❤

I bet if your sale finally completes the seller will be interested again. Just hope they don’t find a more proceedable buyer in the meantime.
You will only pay one set off fees to the estate agent, but will have to pay for the work the solicitor has done so far.

And it’s not ‘more properties in the pot on my buyers end’. You and your buyer are in the same chain, so your seller is worried the chain is getting too long.

Maybe not two lots of estate agent fees but don’t I have to pay for any work done in my house sale?

Have a look at your contract with your solicitor. It should set out your terms.

But your house is still selling?

I’m really sorry OP. That’s crap. The market is shit so you may find your vendor doesn’t find another buyer and you can still have it (if indeed you still want it) but I think it’s awful how people can just pull out. That said, if a buyer has said they don’t need to sell a property to buy and has gone back on that, thats shitty too. Ultimately it isn’t your doing and I really feel for you. House buying is bad enough when it isn’t part of a divorce but when it is - oof. Right there with you

I'm buying a house in very similar circumstances. Check your agreements. I pay the mortgage broker and solicitor on completion. As long as I continue to use them I get searches on a second property for no cost.

Also, can you break the chain by going into air bnb or living with family? That way your house completes and you're ready to go once you find another house.

Your house is still selling isn’t it?

What you might have to pay twice for is the legal work for purchasing your new property, if you then purchase a different property instead.

This is my experience - my chain broke after 6 months due to the leaseholder not agreeing to a DOV for a flat lower in the chain. As my house nearly went to exchange (3 times and failed) - I will need to pay conveyancing for the 'aborted sale' for the house I did'nt get when the chain broke- estimate £2-3K. The expectation is that I pay this element of the bill shortly. For my house, which returned to the market - the conveyancing for the abortive sale - I will pay this when the house finally sells. The EA will get paid when the house eventually sells. The house has now sold again - this time I will not spend any money on my forward purchase in terms of conveyancing until I see evidence of mortgage surveys both from my buyer and the FTB at the bottom of the chain.

Yes, my house has sold - that side is fine

My point being that you said you’d lose any legal fees you’d paid out in respect of the sale. You won’t because the sale is still going through.

It sounds really stressful and disappointing for you OP. If sellers pull out really late they should be made to pay.

My solicitor discounted their fees a lot when we had this. Speak to them and find another house that you love and it’ll be your happy place. Bet the other one had issues and you’re going to get something better (this is what I convince myself and I have to say it was true).

So they are still selling the house just not to you and because of the chain? Unless it is a hot market by you they are fools! The system here is a shambles and urgently needs reforming.

Right?! Never heard of this before and seems quite illogical on many levels unless I’m missing something.

Why are they putting it back on the market for sale when they already have a buyer?

Mine did some thing similar- got fed up waiting for the chain - went back to square one and remarketed house. We both have resold but will be at least 3 months+ with Xmas/NY in the mix - so frustrating when you get sellers like this.

Yes, it’s back on the market.

The offer was accepted in May. There are now two other properties further down the chain (of my buyers) and it’s going to delay things. My seller has pulled out.

I contacted the solicitor and they’ve said I have incurred minimal fees anyway so they’ll just keep the file open for when I get another house.

If I'm ready correctly you haven't "sold" your house, you've sold subject to contract.

If you're able to sell yours without somewhere to move to, it may be the case your sellers will be still on the market by the time you complete. You can offer a quick sale at that stage.

If you can't break the chain,find somewhere else quick before your buyers pull out. Do they know the chain has collapsed?

Ah, I see. Your house us under offer, not sold.

We had a sale fall through in December 2024. The solicitor fees were just parked until the next actual sale. No worries, unless you’ve been on those property Instagram photos..