Meant to be moving house next week, chain broken down, we have nowhere to live.

[Pawslikepaddington]

Is there anything we can do? The buyer's buyers are now refusing to complete until the 2nd July (they were meant to complete in April) and our tenancy runs out on Tues with no extension. My solicitor really doesn't care (despite her knowing this deadline since January), and so everything is going into storage on Tues, and we have nowhere to live until the 2nd July. Has this ever happened to anyone else? Where did you live?

On no

have you any family to stay with?

Or could you afford self catering cottage , b&b, cheap travel lodges etc

We can't afford a travellodge, but don't know what else to do. We could stay at dp's mum's, but it's 200 miles away and dd needs to go to school. Would it be silly to ask if we could rent the house we are buying until it completes? It is empty, so we won't be turfing anyone out, but don't know the legal ramifications. It's so annoying, as we have 75% of the money now, we just need the extra from this house to go the whole hog. We are so close, but yet still stuck!

Bridging loan?

This happened to us - we had 3 weeks between houses. Luckily we were able to borrow a friends house while they were away for 2 weeks, and then stayed with DH's grandmother for a week. Other friends rented an out of season holiday cottage when they were in the same situation.

Have you exchanged? If you have exchanged, then I would think renting the house you are buying until completion would be fine. If not, I would expect the seller may be reluctant just in case things fall through and they then have you there as a tenant to deal with.

by the by, I presume you mean seller's seller rather than buyer's buyer (am guessing you are at the end of the chain since you're renting at the mo?)

Good luck

I've never bought a house, but can you ask to see a different solicitor? Or talk directly to the vendors / their solicitors? If you have a large percentage of the money then I am sure they must be able to come to some arrangement. Moving 200 miles even temporarily with Dc's at school would be a last resort really, especially as it would be for nearly a month.

I'd ask about renting - I certainly know people who have done it when in the same situation.

And, I'd have strong words with the solicitor, and ask to speak to the senior if you aren't happy

The house was my mum's, so I rented it out as we weren't able to live in it, so are in the weird situation of not living in the house we are selling. We are halfway up the chain. It starts with our buyer's buyers, who are cash buyers, and are refusing to exchange as they are not keen on the light switches or something. Therefore my buyer cannot complete on mine, although she has signed the TR1 and paid the deposit. We have paid the deposit on ours, which is empty, but haven't exchanged yet, although TR1's have been signed.

I don't know what to do, the solicitor has just barked at me so strongly she made me cry, so now I feel like a total ijit on top of it all, argh!

I know Kirsty and Phil say never to let someone rent a house you are selling them (because spending time in it you may begin to see what's not perfect about it, I guess) but I certainly think it is worth a shot. Talk to your Estate Agents about it ASAP. Tell them that is the ideal solution, but also ask if they have any short term lets available. There may be houses on the market at the moment that aren't shifting where the sellers would be willing to have tenets in, especially short term, while they show the house.

Alternatively, are there any short term lets available through gumtree that you could try?

What a boody pia though. Our buyers' buyers are also totally dragging their heels and it is making all planning impossible.

Storage and van all booked, the packing boxes have arrived, it's all getting serious now! Am tempted to stay at MIL's for the two weeks and just take dd out of school, as the expense is crazy (we live in Cambridge so rents are high). Dd and I are moving abroad for 9 months in August anyway (dp is living in the house alone until next summer), so she is changing schools then anyway, I don't know if we can all cope with the upheaval! It would be nice to have some time together too. It would be nice to see us into our new home in the UK before we move but it is getting ridiculous!

Are you looking to rent somewhere for 2 weeks in Cambridge, PawsLikePaddington?

Could you try the Brett Ward accommodation list?

How much can you afford for the 2 weeks? I do know a friend whose flat is, I think, still between renters.

We need somewhere from the 21st June until the 2nd (ish, but later would be fab) July. We can prob afford around £200-300 per week, but will have to check with dp.

Will defo try Brett ward, thank you so much Grendels.

I know someone in a similar situation and they paid rent on the house they were buying and moved in early.

That's what we want to do cece, but can't until the person way down the chain exchanges, as otherwise the whole chain collapses. Fingers crossed it will be soon though