Absolutely gutted!

rosie383

I agree with nubbins. I think it is perfectly acceptable to instruct a solicitor on a no win no fee basis. The vendor will start to get paperwork but at that stage there is still limited risk to the buyer.

movilogo

@OP

In future, go for chain free properties if possible. If property is vacant, seller will be in pressure to sell it quicker (he is either losing mortgage or interest).

You can also negotiate better in a chain free property. Often people go for chain free buyers even if accepting a slightly lower price.

connors07

Thank you for the replies ladies and gentleman. I foolishly believed by having everything tied up my end it would ease the sale - how wrong I was! I will certainly put this down to experience and learn from the mistakes. Thank you for all of the comments and advice, I will certainly take them on board for future attempts to buy - very much appreciated.

rosie383

Hope your next purchase is much smoother. We all learn from this process. Certainly first time around I didn't know any of this and it never occurred to us that our purchase wouldn't happen.

penguingirl

moneysavingvixen wrote: »

We had a different recent experience with an adverse survey but due to our conveyancer's built in insurance we got all our expenditure back.

This was with Stephensons. Feel free to PM.

We are using Stephensons for our sale/ purchase and previously used them 6 years ago. Although they don't charge if you have problems with your survey (valuation more than £1k less than offered price) their insurance clearly states that your vendor withdrawing the property is not covered, so it wouldn't have helped the OP in this situation.

connors07

Hi Guys,

I had expected this thread to pretty much draw to a close but there has been another development. So the house was taken off the market and I was informed that it would be for 1-2 years approximately. Guess what... the house has gone back on the market within days for exactly the same amount it went on for in the first place with the same estate agent - the price which was agreed with me. Can this really happen? So they've wasted my time and money and then put the place back up as it was originally.

This is borderline fraud or is the vendor/EA a bunch of professional time wasters?

lee111s

I would personally contact the EA and find out what was going on, however, I wouldn't then make an offer on this house. These jokers have messed you around enough.

It maye be, for whatever bizzare reason, that they just didn't want to sell to you?

jackomdj

It could be the EA's are advertising it, when it has actually come off of the market.

We had the same happen to us, although it was back in 2000 as by the time we were looking again we were priced out of the area we were looking in. (Tight budget as we were taking on a second mortgage as our house in Cornwall was now deemed unmortgageable as a standard test for Mundic had been brought in).

The last time we moved, we said we were not prepared to start any searches, surveys etc until the vendors found somewhere. As it was they delayed too long, we told them we we were going to start looking elsewhere and we pulled out. They still live in the same house.

nubbins

lee111s wrote: »

I wouldn't then make an offer on this house.

I would!!!! I would offer 10k over and take it right to the day of exchange and pull out :mad:

There are a lot of strange people in this world who do not think and act like the majority of people and it sounds like you have come across one. It could be any number of reasons, maybe they thought you wouldn't wait any longer and best to find a new buyer, maybe thye heard something about you or your circumstances they did not like, maybe they are serial sellers and like to have their house on the market but never go through with it. I would definately contact the EA but I would imagine you are going to have to walk away, accept the loss and learn from the experience.

connors07

Oh there is no way I'd deal with this Estate Agent again; they have fed lie after lie for weeks on end and absolutely wouldn't deal with this vendor again; they are as bad as each other.

Only person I ever met was one of the staff members who showed me around for the viewings so I dunno if I can even take it personally.

Awaiting an explanation but to say I'm fuming is an understatement.