Ready to set exchange date, seller has no where to go, options.

eddddy

Gizmo22 wrote: »

As in by Christmas is now the challenge, well in anywhere really as gone past caring haha!

Bear in mind that the next property you find might also have a chain - or end up with a chain - above it.

(And some sellers may make rash promises that they will move into rented and/or move in with family - but change their minds when they realise the real practical details.)

You could try concentrating on properties that are currently empty - so no chain.

But they might have other delaying factors - like sellers waiting for Power of Attorney, Probate etc.

Gizmo22

Edddy,

Valid points, looking on all the usual websights, I am rubbish at visualising how rooms look without furniture, but empty properties and the words no chain are really cheering me up, lowering my standards to the above and a roof and walls will do!

VintageHistorian

What a cheek expecting you to wait a year for them to get their new place! Well done to your OH for going round the agents office, bet that gave them a shock!

When you're viewing empty properties just ask why it's empty and up for sale. If you get a "the owner has moved into a care home" then you might have delays, but a "the tenant moved out after it was listed for sale" then it might be a bit smoother (especially if the owner doesn't want to be paying a mortgage or council tax for too long without rental income).

Good luck!

martindow

VintageHistorian wrote: »

When you're viewing empty properties just ask why it's empty and up for sale. If you get a "the owner has moved into a care home" then you might have delays, but a "the tenant moved out after it was listed for sale" then it might be a bit smoother (especially if the owner doesn't want to be paying a mortgage or council tax for too long without rental income).

Good luck!

And also check that it's not being sold after someone has died where probate might take some time.

BJV

OP I am gutted for you. We where 2nd to top of a very very long chain. We had everything done and the day of exchange found out our sellers had issues. The house we where buying had like yours been on for some time. 3 years in fact. They had multiple charges on the house. mega bucks in fact.

I used to read about house moves being stressful and used to laugh. Really what can go wrong after if you are organised and committed????? The issue is that everyone in the chain has to be like that.

It was really hard. Your home is not just a house. I know I should not of but I had already started planning furniture, renovation etc.

We also had a heavily pregnant lady buying our house. This was Christmas 2015. We did some soul searching and have to say ti was horrifically bad but we exchanged and moved anyway. We where in a caravan until we had rented and then May 2016 we got the house.

It was a bad time and we had started looking else where. Cats in cattery, dog with friends, kids crammed into one bedroom. Not good. We also found out that they had done this many times before and in fact the house had been "sold " at least three times before that we know of. Each time the seller having to pull out because they could not wait.

Fast forward until now. All the heart ache, worry and nights lying awake wondering what the hell we had done are gone. We have a beautiful home ( well it will be once we have finished). I still pull into the driveway and pinch myself.

If anything it has made me realize what we have. It also made me realize that home is where the people you love are not bricks.

I hate to use the what will be is mean to be rubbish as I honestly don't believe that. Instead I think if you want something you make it happen. You may have to fight but you will get it.

While we where in rented we looked at other houses. We even put an offer in on one. They rejected it, strange the day we finally completed on ours the called to accept ?????

While all this was happening I wrote letters to the vendor. Hounded the EA. Not just once a week but every day. Most of the time they did not even take my call but no matter I called. Emailed the solicitors once a week.

In the end my mortgage had been extended twice and we gave them a do it or we are off date. The so and so's kept us waiting until the day and we exchanged and completed the same day.

I know it is easy for me to say but if you can try to control what you can, apply pressure where you can and keep looking. FTB's are like gold dust and your vendor needs reminding about this.

Really wish you good luck

westernpromise

Gizmo22 wrote: »

We are indeed in a chain, our sellers have had and still have their sights on one particular property, the property in question is still on the market as the owners have yet to find anything suitable.

I have been asked if I'm willing to wait 6-12 months! No chance.

Sellers so far refusing to consider rented!

In your shoes I would withdraw my offer, noting that as the seller refuses to vacate, they are not proceedable and are simply timewasters. You then find somewhere else. Be under no illusions - this seller wants you to sit around chucking money away on renting while you wait to maybe buy their house, so they don't have to do these things. Wait 6 months to a year? What?! And pay for two more mortgage offers no doubt?

Find somewhere else. They deserve to lose their buyer. If as I think possible they come back to you in 3 months and say "We've finally 5hat and got off the pot, are you still there?" your reply is then "Yes but our offer is now £10k lower than before, which is the flaky seller discount - and if you don't exchange by x date it drops another £10k and if you don't complete by y date it drops another £10k".

Gizmo22

Thank you all once again,

Being a lot firmer with the agents has caused another flurry of ping-pong, it's turning into a joke/game that I'm not amused with at all.

Yes everyone has their own agenda but for goodness sake some straight talking and answers would go a long way at this stage.

After lots of consideration (probably wrong) but ho hum, we will search hi and low, they have 3 weeks today to exchange and set a completion date.

Suits us as half term falls over 2 of the weeks and I can't think of anything worse than house hunting with children who will love a house purely because a wall is pink or there is a rabbit to cuddle haha.

Oh and when I pointed out we had offered a very good price and the area was dropping slightly, I was informed that this always happens, everything will go up again after Christmas! Coincidence after the wait for 6-12 months I think not

Sorry for long post/rant, thank you BJV gives us hope, all I can say is I am gobsmacked this happens so often!

anselld

Gizmo22 wrote: »

After lots of consideration (probably wrong) but ho hum, we will search hi and low, they have 3 weeks today to exchange and set a completion date.

No way can they find somewhere and be ready to exchange in three weeks. Keep looking!

Gizmo22

Anselld

They could consider rented, more than that I felt I needed to put a date down somewhere as getting a lot of waffle off the estate agent, we can at least have a point to draw the line.

If she asks me again when my mortgage offer expires I'm going to scream. She wants to work towards that date, told her that's the date for me to work towards getting a house, any house.

Think the estate agent missed her calling, would have made an excellent politician!

Just read that back, sorry makes me sound like I'm biting your head off, really not my intention!

VintageHistorian

Gizmo22 wrote: »

Anselld
If she asks me again when my mortgage offer expires I'm going to scream. She wants to work towards that date, told her that's the date for me to work towards getting a house, any house.

Sounds like she can see a large fee slipping through her fingers and a chance to get a house off her books after 2 years. Stick to your guns, 3 weeks is plenty of time for the vendors to find somewhere to rent.

This is now a battle between you and the vendors, effectively being fought by the estate agent. Just make sure the agent is more worried about losing you than !!!!ing off the vendor.