Should we be worried?

BigMank

Hi
We accepted an offer on our property. The buyers said they had a buyer. Few days later we had a call to say they lost their buyer, but another has jumped in.
Were about 6 weeks in, have had questions from their solicitors. They asked to come and measure up, curtains, carpets etc. 
I have no problem with that.
Now we find that their property is "Under Offer", and that their buyers property is "Leasehold'. 
We only found  this out through our developer,. Our estate agent knows nothing about it.
Our Estate agent has tried to talk to our buyers buyers estate agent, but get told they are busy.
( I smell a rat).
Q1. Should we have been told?
Q2. Should their agent have informed ours.
Q3. I was present with our estate agent when they came to take measurements. Should they have  told me.? 
Wer'e not worried about they stamp duty freeze, inas much, we'd rather get the "right" house, BUT, are not prepared to wait too long. 
Thanks in advance. 
Keith

AdrianC

Sorry, the property your buyers are selling is "under offer" and leasehold?
And this is somehow making you think they're not serious buyers? Why?
Who do you think should have told you what?

"Under offer" simply means that there's been a sale agreed but not yet completed. Same as yours...

And, yes, a lot of places are leasehold. Just about every single flat, for a start, along with huge swathes of prime central London and a lot of modern developments.

user1977

Glad I'm not the only one baffled about what the problem is. Unless something's been omitted from the story? 

TBG01

We only found  this out through our developer,

BUT, are not prepared to wait too long. 

Does your buyer know you're buying a new build? Are you willing to split the chain? 

BigMank

Wow
Sorry!
Didn't t realise people on here could be do officious. When only asking for advice opinions. 
There are ways to talk to people. 
Andy C
NO, sorry UNDER OFFER & SOLD are not the same.
You can wait and wait for a better offer.
Just how long do you wait? 
No, our buyers buyers are leasehold, NOT our buyers. 
Leaseholders are having more expense put on them if they want to "buy" the leasehold, ie more legalities. 
I dont live in London!
We sold in 18 hours, took it off the market, NO other viewings, UNDER OFFER will allow them viewings on their place.

USER 1977
? It would be nice if their agent informed our agent, and not from the developer.
Courtesy?

TBG001
Yes, our buyer does know we are in for a new build.
Split the chain?
Wouldnt like to split the chain, but, our interests come first, as anyones would, then i'll help anyone.

AdrianC

BigMank said:

Andy C

If we're getting huffy about wording and manners, it'd be polite to get people's names right, don'chathink?

NO, sorry UNDER OFFER & SOLD are not the same.

Yes, they are. Right up until the point of exchange and then completion.

"Under Offer", "Sold STC" - or, as one agent round here cringingly puts on their signs, "It's GONE!" - all mean the same thing.
It's just an agreed sale. Offer made, offer accepted, memorandum of sale issued, legals underway...

No legal compulsion on either party, the whole thing could collapse for any reason or none.

No, our buyers buyers are leasehold, NOT our buyers.

Even more baffling why you think you should be told, then.

The point remains - whether they are selling a leasehold or freehold property makes zero difference whatsoever to the likelihood of the transaction reaching completion.

We sold in 18 hours, took it off the market, NO other viewings, UNDER OFFER will allow them viewings on their place.

You're reading far too much into an EA's choice of a couple of words.

There's nothing to stop you allowing more viewings, there's nothing to stop them ceasing marketing same as you have.

AnotherJoe

We sold in 18 hours, took it off the market, NO other viewings, UNDER OFFER will allow them viewings on their place.

For someone that gets very upset about words and upset about the meaning of them it's ironic that you think you "sold" your  house in 18 hours. So, the money was in your bank?
Didnt the people who bought it complain you were in their house? Since if it was sold it was no longer yours?
As others have said when you accept an offer that does not mean you  have "sold" even if people colloquially (and incorrectly) refer to it as that. 

You have got bent out of shape with the situation through misunderstanding what the words mean in common parlance. In your case you are also still under offer, / sold subject to contract the same as your prospective buyers who have no more bought your house than you have sold it.
So, to answer your question no you shouldn't be worried unless there's other information you have left off.. The fact a property at the bottom of the chain is leasehold is no reason to be worried any more than your buyers house is under offer, since your house is also under offer. The only one who  has bought a house is you, assuming you have exchanged on your newbuild, eg you are contractually bound to buy it, with penalties if you don't. No one else is in that position, you included on your sale.

Sunsaru

We have one estate agent in my area that ONLY uses Under Offer, the rest use Sold STC. Yes they are the same thing  nowadays but never used to be. Under Offer used to mean that there was an offer but you still had a chance to jump in there, nowadays EA's want to limit the chance of gazumping so primarily use Sold STC (with the odd exception).

Redwino222

Okay his got heated very fast😄!

You need to calm down and take a breath.  Moving is stressful you are making it much worse for yourself.

The house won’t be sold yet, they still live there and are probably still going through the conveyancing process.  Your concern seems to be that because their estate agent describes it as under offer rather than sale agreed they are open to more offers?  I think that is unlikely to be the case, but a polite, calm email to the estate agent checking that they are progressing with their and aren’t still having viewings etc  is all you need to do.

as for the leasehold, my house is leasehold.  It hasn’t slowed anything down.

you will make yourself ill if you continue like this.  Also your communication style is quite defensive,  you have massively over reacted to people here.  This is a great site and people will really try to help you of you let them.