Did estate agent scupper our house purchase

rootless45

Titus_Wadd said:

Whatever the real reason, the vendors didn't pull out over exchange dates I'd bet!  You just have to keep looking and move on, just as you've said.  It's frustrating having invested time and money towards buying that house but you'll find a better one and by the time you move in you won't give that house another though.

Yes absolutely. It's just gone back on the market for £50k more than the last time. Previously it went on for offers over £400k. We offered £430k. It's now gone on at offers around £450k.

rootless45

I just thought I'd complete our story on this thread. We did find another house. The vendor was lovely and everyone behaved well throughout the process. The estate agent behaved as we might expect, working for both sides to get the purchase through. We moved into our new house in October 2021, and it is smaller but in very good nick and in a lovely area. We are very happy here, and recovering from our rather traumatic year of moving. We believe we dodged a bullet with the other house, which needed lots of work and, as it turned out, the area wasn't very nice.

What did we learn?

1. Selling your house outside of a chain can be precarious. I don't think we'll do that again.

2. You really have to, if at all possible, vet your vendor to make sure they are serious.

3. Don't rush into a house purchase. 'Winning' a house in the face of vigorous competition puts you in a very vulnerable position.

4. More mystically, you have to let the universe guide you. If something isn't meant to be or right for you, you will be shown why. It's up to you as to whether you listen or not.

Thanks for all the comments.

JReacher1

As a matter of interest how much did the previous house sell for in the end?

Tiglet2

@rootless45 glad you're happy in your new home

london21

Some sellers do not like waiting and waiting, it's a seller's market at present. There were probably other buyers waiting in the background.

The seller might not have been willing to wait until your rental property was sorted.

Communicating expectations and keeping all parties informed is essential.

They probably selected you because you were a cash buyer and 4 months seems quite long.

TheJP

london21 said:

Some sellers do not like waiting and waiting, it's a seller's market at present. There were probably other buyers waiting in the background.

The seller might not have been willing to wait until your rental property was sorted.

Communicating expectations and keeping all parties informed is essential.

They probably selected you because you were a cash buyer and 4 months seems quite long.

The threads a year old and the OP has moved on.

Titus_Wadd

OP posted an update this morning.  So glad you're enjoying your new home and if there is a house-trading karma spirit it will catch up with your original sellers eventually.  Thanks for popping back with an update

SugarDatesAndPistachios

I like it when people come back and finish their stories, I really like your 4th learning point, congratulations on finding the right home.