First time buyers advice

Gooner007

Hi,

My partner and I are attempting to buy our first home. We viewed many properties and finally put in an offer which was declined. Long story short the vendors ended up negotiating over the sake of £500. We are paying top price for the property but we were happy with it.

After the offer was accepted we booked another viewing to check over some things and the vendors told us that they were in a position to move out of the property in order to break any chain.

This was 10 weeks ago and we are looking to them for a date except they keep coming up with excesses of why they can't do it. They have entered into a chain with 5 people but they seem to be the ones holding the whole thing up.

They agreed through the estate agent to a date of the 27th of may about two weeks ago, and yesterday the solicitors informEd us that that won't he happening and they are on holiday now and they are not sure when they will be back.

We have had to chase for every tiny bit of information and they still won't commit to a date or even an idea of one.

We decided yesterday that it was the last straw and have booked other viewings for other properties.

Are we being too impatient or is this the normal thing for trying to buy a house?

cashbackproblems

No this is not normal, most vendors should tell you upfront that they are in a chain and have/haven't yet had a offer accepted on their next place.

It sounds like there has been a problem and they are just fobbing you off until they find somewhere else

I personally would start looking elsewhere.

ElsieMonkey

How can they be on holiday but not sure when they are back?! That's utterly ridiculous. Who knows what game they're playing, but I'd leave them to play it by themselves. It's been 10 weeks, from when they said they'll be happy to break the chain. By this I take it they would be happy to move into rented in order to get their property sold? If they are now in a chain, why aren't they moving into rented in order to at least get their sale/your purchase done and dusted? They're fobbing you off for some reason, maybe using your lack of experience against you (no offence meant). You've offered top whack and they're stringing you along. They're obviously scared of losing you as a buyer, but they're going about it all the wrong way. Inform their estate agent that you're now viewing other properties and have instructed your solicitor to put your file on hold. Say to the estate agent, in the meantime they're free to update me with SOLID information regarding their return and an agreed date to exchange contracts and complete (I take it you haven't exchanged contracts yet), and that if this requires them to go into rented to keep you as a buyer than so be it. Otherwise, as far as you're concerned, you're moving on.

Grenage

I would suggest you start looking at other properties.

Maybe you'll find something better, for less. Maybe you won't, and the existing house sale will eventually go through. You are first time buyers, you are in the strong position.

dc197

ElsieMonkey wrote: »

How can they be on holiday but not sure when they are back?! That's utterly ridiculous.

I think the OP meant that the solicitors told the OP that the vendors are on holiday and that the solicitor does not know when the vendor will be back.

Gooner007

Yeah, it was their solicitors who said they do not know when they are back from this holiday. The whole thing has been the least amount of information possible and they are being very vague about everything.

It's very frustrating as you would think that they would be keen to sell to us rather than us having to do all the running around for it. Everything our end is good to go!

ElsieMonkey

Gooner007 wrote: »

Yeah, it was their solicitors who said they do not know when they are back from this holiday.

Either way you're in the same situation - in the dark. If they were being decent they would have told their sol when they're due back and have asked for you to be notified of their departure and return date. They didn't, so they may as well have told you they don't know when they're back.

I do feel for you, some people are just so rude and thoughtless. We were selling to a couple last year who then suddenly just went AWOL. Never did hear where they went/what happened/why etc. We ended up wasting money on a survey for the house we were going to buy and having to let it go in the end. If they changed their mind they could have done the adult thing and just TOLD US. Best to stay well clear of anyone who is going to make the buying/selling process more of a nightmare than it already is.

ElsieMonkey

Also, they may be on holiday, but I'm sure wherever they are they have phone/email connection of some sort, in order to keep the sales process progressing, an/or lines of communication open if needs be.

Things happen for a reason, I really believe that. Move on, look at other properties. You will likely find something else within months which you prefer or like just as much and may get a better price AND a genuine seller!

bambi1980_2

How far into the conveyancing process are you and do you stand to lose a lot of money?

We're in a similar position having been told there was no chain and our vendor was free to move. We're 8 weeks into the process and the vendor is now in a chain and has declined 3 proposed completion dates. We were told she couldn't keep to 13th May as she couldn't get time off work to move despite having had 5 weeks to sort something out. She just won't firm up a date for us and is leaving us in limbo.