Gazumped on exchange date

greenw00d

Hi, I've just been gazumped on the day I was supposed to exchange. Pretty gutted, but I'm turning my mind to the practical matter of if I can get any costs back.

I've heard people say solicitors will sometimes transfer costs over to the next property if you buy again. Is that common practice? Also, do I need to pay a land registration fee, or is that after completion?

Cheers

NyimaR

That sucks! I'm so sorry for you. The sellers clearly don't know which side their bread is buttered on. Good luck with trying to get some of your costs transfered - I don't know anything about the feasibility of that I'm afraid.

casperlarue

I feel for you, I was in the same position once....my buyers decided on exchange day that they didn't want to live together after all! I did chuckle when I heard via the estate agent that they couldn't understand why they still had to pay their solicitor!

Unfortunately you will most likely have to pay for all the works the solicitor has done for you, other than the Land Registry fee....as you don't have a property to register, unless yours was a no sale no fee type transaction.

PasturesNew

Many solicitors will keep your file open, without you being billed, if you use them for the next place. That's most likely to be for the "fixed fee" types, rather than the hourly types.

There's still a chance you can get this place again, when their shiny new buyers disappear... don't forget to gazunder though!

My dad bought a house after we'd been gazumped. Many, many moons ago. He was buying it, he was gazumped, then it ended up ours again, with the garage rebuilt and a gas fire thrown into the bargain.

I hope it all works out for you.

myhouse_2

Lots of sales are not going through to completion. Be ready to offer again (the orginal offer minus a few thousand pounds) if the transaction fails.