Buyer suddenly springs a completion date on us for 3 months time

worriedhouse

Hi all
Just wondering what we should do in this situation, we've never sold and bought before, only bought our first house. We accepted an offer on our house in August and this meant we were able to go ahead and offer (which was accepted) on the house we wanted which is currently empty as the last owner died and it's being sold by her son. So in theory our chain is pretty good, first time buyer, us and an empty house. We got straight onto solicitors and got everything going quickly, as did the person we are buying from whilst the people buying our house generally dragged their feet and didn't do anything, constantly using the excuse that "they're teachers" so couldnt go to the bank, solicitors etc.. though I don't really think this was a good enough excuse not to POST back the forms and cheques they asked for. Anyway, finally they have had their survey done on our house and we should be able to exchange end of this week and we put forward some moving dates in half term, thinking that would suit them better. Then, completely out of the blue, they have turned round to us and the estate agents and said "we want to move at christmas because it will be convenient for our holidays and we need to give two months notice on our rented flat". We're absolutely furious, they've never mentionned this before. Our estate agent has been trying to ring them back but again, they're too "busy" to take his calls and haven't replied. We're worried the guy we're buying from is also going to be annoyed, he just wants to sell the empty house and won't want the cost of running it (heating etc so the pipes dont freeze) over winter months. What would you do???? Our estate agent seems to think they won't budge because they wont be able to afford the rent and mortgage? :mad:

missile

Did you not discuss entry dates, before accepting their offer?

This is only one of the issues you can have with the antiquated English property conveyancing system. You can either accept or reject their terms.

betmunch

Agreed, either stick to your guns and say half term.

or, cave and agree to a christmas move.

worriedhouse

I had to fill in a form to give to my solicitors at the very beginning on dates we couldn't move, and i presume they had done the same. I'm sure they should be aware that if they put in an offer in August.. but didn't intend to move until December, they should have mentioned that little caveat at some point!

LandyAndy

worriedhouse wrote: »

I had to fill in a form to give to my solicitors at the very beginning on dates we couldn't move, and i presume they had done the same. I'm sure they should be aware that if they put in an offer in August.. but didn't intend to move until December, they should have mentioned that little caveat at some point!

They are FTBs . Don't assume they know anything.

They may not even realise that not completing until Christmas is a ridiculously long time.

POPPYOSCAR

Not a lot you can do in the scheme of things, if they really dig their heels in about this.

pinkteapot

Yep - unfortunately the decision over the completion date is a negotiation between all the parties in the chain. I would certainly try negotiating because it is a long time to wait, but if they refuse to budge you don't have a lot of choice.

Canada has a much better system - you're committed to the purchase as soon as your offer is accepted, and at the time you agree on either 30, 60 or 90 day completion.

What I would say though is, as stressful as this is right now, once you're in the house you're buying you'll forget about any delay there's been. Our sellers dragged their heels when we bought. There was no chain - we were in rented and they were going into rented, but the whole thing took five months from offer to completion which was ridiculous. I got so wound up at the time but it's soon forgotten afterwards.

RAS

worriedhouse wrote: »

Then, completely out of the blue, they have turned round to us and the estate agents and said "we want to move at christmas because it will be convenient for our holidays and we need to give two months notice on our rented flat".

Well unless you are in Scotland or NI, this is garbage.

Their rental agreement may well say they have to give 2 months' notice but by law in England and Wales the tenant needs to give one month's notice and the LL has to give two months' notice.

Huge numbers of tenancy agreements have the two month period fot tenants but they are wrong.

worriedhouse

It's just so frustrating... and like I said, we haven't spoken to the guy we are buying from yet, he's elderly and I don't want to ring him hundreds of times changing the story and worrying him every call, I'm waiting to hear what the buyers response is and then we will call him. They even had the cheek to say can we wait in for them next Saturday so they can come round and take some measurements.. I don't think I can even pretend to act polite at the moment I'm so annoyed! Yes, Canada sounds like it has a much better system!

worriedhouse

Hi RAS, really, that's interesting!!! I did wonder if this could be the case or if they're using the "two months" as an excuse to get what they want. Do you know any legal sites that quote this anywhere I could throw at them?

clarabelle41

Do they teach in the private or state sector as private schools may start their holiday earlier. My children are at a state school in Essex & break up for xmas on Friday 21st Dec, so xmas eve is the following Monday. With the new year period I can't see how this really works out as more convenient, unless they want to complete in the first week of Jan 2013? I would speak to the vendors EA and find out what the vendor really thinks before you make a decision and if you decide to proceed with them get them to put a firm date in writing via the solicitors. Also worth checking on all the solicitors opening hours etc over the xmas period.