Offer on house not sure if I should accept

Burtieboobengal

I put my house on the market 3 weeks ago and since then I have had 10 viewing and today just had a first time buyer offer me the full asking price.
Since putting the house up for sale after a week we found out that the areas we love are not in the catchment area for the good high school. So we now have a very limited area we can look in less than a mile squared. We have viewed the available houses and nothing is suitable. The estate we like which is just over a mile away is in the catchment for a poor school even though its closer to the good school.
We have looked out of the area at another area with a good school and larger catchment but that would mean changing primary school which I don't want to do as it would be the third school and my oldest is doing very well after a very distressing few years (his dad getting severely injured in Iraq)
And now on top of this I have just found out I'm having baby number 3.
What I would like to know is can I pull out now without accepting the offer and stay where I am without it costing me? I would love to move but don't want to move unless I'm 100% and I don't think this will be possible to to the school issue.
I know how lucky I am to get an offer in this market. I don't want to accept this offer and not be able to find something and then mess my buyers around.
Moving in with family is not an option and we would not rent due to the high cost (small mortgage) and also still having the school issue with rented.
So what I'm asking is can I just say no to the offer and take my house of the market? I have a no sale no fee agreement and have to stay with them 20 weeks.
Many thanks

jonewer

You dont have to accept the offer.

Dont please accpet it and let the buyer spend money before backing out later. Thats a bad thing to do.

adamzetec

jonewer wrote: »

You dont have to accept the offer.

Dont please accpet it and let the buyer spend money before backing out later. Thats a bad thing to do.

Good advice, think how you would feel if you were proceeding with a property and the person has no intention of selling it to you despite you shelling out money.

mummyroysof3

If you won't find somewhere to go ASAP and aren't even sure you going than the right think to do is turn it down and take house off the market imo

Burtieboobengal

That's what is bothering me I don't want to mess the buyer around and I don't want them to waste money. I have 2 properties to view at the weekend and I'm going to tell the estate agents I will let the buyer know if I find these properties suitable.
Can I take my house of the market without getting charged or do I need to keep it on for another 17 weeks? If so can I refuse viewings?
Our only reason for selling is due to my husband wanting a detached due to PTSD he can't cope with the noise of the neighbours( they are very quiet) and I never thought it would go this quickly I though we would have plenty of time to look and also a larger area.

Slinky

If you don't want to move, then turn the offer down, but I have a feeling the agent will still be due their fee as they have introduced a proceedable buyer who has offered you the full asking price.

Davesnave

What does your contract with the agent have to say about this?

You can say no to the offer, but your agent may have found you someone willing & able to proceed, so they could then invoke any penalty clause in the contract you signed.

That would still be better than selling unwillingly, or giving someone else the run-around for nothing.

Burtieboobengal

Is that the full fee it's about £4000 I though I had to accept can it be refused due to me not finding anything and the buyers wanting to be in before August??

mummyroysof3

Tell them you haven't found anywhere yet... They might not be willing to wait and withdraw offer...problem solved. Or tell ea to tell them to wait while you have a think over the weekend and decide after you viewed them two houses

LuSiVe

As a buyer I didn't proceed anyway until I had confirmation the vendor had found somewhere to buy.

Burtieboobengal

In the fees part of the contract it says that fees are payable on exchange of contract.
It says we will be liable to pay commission if at anytime unconditional contracts for the sale are exchanged, with a buyer introduced by us during the period of our sole agency or with whom we had negotiations about the property during that period or with a buyer introduced by another agent during that period