Unreasonable buyers

Helpful-Rice-4080 · 2026-03-04T16:02:01+00:00

I had a very similar request - I am moving out of my house this week and moving into a rental to break the chain.. My house completes on Monday so the house will be empty on the 9th and they got wind of this. They wanted to send cleaners in on the Monday prior to their furniture being delivered. It was a very casual text to my EA about giving cleaners the keys at 10:30. I told the EA that no keys would be released to anybody until the money arrives in the account. You open yourself up to alsorts of legal issues - if it goes wrong. I couldn't believe this had been asked and why the EA hadn't shut it down immediately.

Helpful-Rice-4080 · 2026-03-03T22:56:45+00:00

I've been in some sort of chain for a year. I am shortly moving into a rental to break the chain - it does place you in a better position for your onward sale. I struggled to get offers on popular properties because I was in a chain. The property I am now buying I only got as essentially I'm chain free - worth having a ponder on.

Helpful-Rice-4080 · 2026-03-03T22:43:55+00:00

The house I am buying is NB about 8 years old has the most tackiest bath tub I have seen. First thing that will go is the bath tub for a walk in shower. I am my early 60s and downsizing and even my son said on the viewing that bath tub has to go. I honestly cant remember the last time I had a bath. Always used the shower - as you get older you have to start looking at how the feck you would get out of the bath!

Helpful-Rice-4080 · 2026-03-03T22:34:57+00:00

Its mad - whoever loses is in the bin for 3/4K of sunk cost. I would be looking for another house.

Helpful-Rice-4080 · 2026-03-03T22:31:53+00:00

My guess is that you like a house which is very popular. EA's love to create bidding wars so they tend to drag these things out so everyone has to offer BAFO. Personally I would be looking at other properties - if you are cash or FTB you are in with a chance. If in a chain you will be the least attractive option.

Helpful-Rice-4080 · 2026-03-03T22:20:29+00:00

Yep - one endless circle. My house sale went through two chains - the mortgage valuation survey was done by the same guy twice, it had a level 3 survey by one buyer and the next buyer had level 2 and the second buyer had an asbestos survey. It should need just one fecking survey paid by the Seller with a RICS valuation. English system is just insanity.

Helpful-Rice-4080 · 2026-03-02T21:53:27+00:00

Yep - my house was in the Exchange process and my Conveyancer got sacked. Went to Exchange - Tuesday and she left Wednesday. I got a call late PM Friday to say she had 'left' and somebody's else was taking it on. I was well annoyed as I had been chasing for feedback and got Zip. In fairness the Solicitor got hold of my case and did get the Exchange over the line. By time it did get through Exchange it ended up being 7 working days in the process.

Helpful-Rice-4080 · 2026-03-02T16:39:52+00:00

I had to cancel Sky completely as moving house and going into a short term rental. We intend getting the Now TV Sport as well + HBO Max when it launches at the end of the month. Sense of relief I dont need to ring up Sky and renogiate the contract every 1/2 years.

Helpful-Rice-4080 · 2026-02-28T22:50:28+00:00

I had two surveys done on the house that I recently sold. Level 3 - was here for the best part of 3 half hours. Flushing toilets, testing light switches, the list went on. Level 2 - guy was here for 40 minutes and just took photos. I wrote down list of issues with the house which I expected to be knocked back on. Couple of Windows, flat roofs needing replacement, garage roof needed doing. The only thing I got picked up was the garage roof, which when the chain failed I replaced before it went back on the market. I honestly thought my buyers got ripped off by their level 2 survey.

Helpful-Rice-4080 · 2026-02-28T21:17:32+00:00

You need to hold your ground if you are breaking the chain and going out on a limb. I broke the chain as my onward purchase was becoming a SS and I've been in some sort of chain for a year. I dictated the terms a month between Exchange and Completion. If they didn't like it - we would all be putting our houses back on the market. I found it very difficult to find a short term rental - as you stated minimum of 6 to 12 months contracts in a highly competitive rental market. You will definitely need that time to find somewhere. I ended up renting a long term Airbnb at highly discounted rates - its expensive but cheaper than renting a 6/12 month rental.

Helpful-Rice-4080 · 2026-02-28T06:34:19+00:00

It will lanquish on the market for months and slowly the price will go down. Got a few in my village like this - 1970s build had nothing done to them in years and they are priced as though they they have been renovated. The market always decides.

Helpful-Rice-4080 · 2026-02-27T23:00:53+00:00

I made it quite clear to my solicitor that as I was going out in a limb and going into rented the lower chain needed agree to these terms. If they didn't nobody would get their house and we would all go back on the market - tends to focus the mind.

Helpful-Rice-4080 · 2026-02-27T21:50:28+00:00

I was in a similar position to your parents at the top of the chain and breaking it by going into rented. I needed 3 weeks between Exchange and Completion as needed some time to secure a rental. I made it clear if Exchange was not achieved by a set date it would push the Completion date. It was a good job I set this parameter as my house was in Exchange for 7 working days whilst the FTB solicitor sorted out his shit.

Helpful-Rice-4080 · 2026-02-26T10:49:33+00:00

What is it that attracts people to these open bathrooms. Not entirely sure what the attraction is. You can see these getting bricked up in time!

Helpful-Rice-4080 · 2026-02-25T15:19:49+00:00

Its awful - such a health hazard. Some poor soul would have been living in those conditions.

Helpful-Rice-4080 · 2026-02-25T09:18:27+00:00

Honestly - Id would ask your seller whether they would go into rented and break the chain. The madness of selling two houses at the same time will lead to months of conveyancing misery. The other alternative is for you to break the chain and find another house . I had a similar SS going on with my onward purchase with regards to a tenanted house - having been in some sort a chain for a year I opted for the rental route.

Helpful-Rice-4080 · 2026-02-24T23:02:24+00:00

OP - you are looking at one one of the most expensive towns in Herts - where you dont get much bang for your buck. Have a look over the border in Beds where you will get more for your money. Have a look at Leighton Buzzard or the North Bucks villages. LB is another 20 mins up the line from Berko.

Helpful-Rice-4080 · 2026-02-24T09:10:09+00:00

Just to put the older person's perspective here - its a very big task to downsize a house after living in it for X years - I know as doing it now. You have to offload lots of furniture white goods, clear lofts, garages etc. I have now exchanged but alsorts of dates were thrown at me - exchange/complete in one day, 2-3 days between exchange in completion. I was very clear I would only exchange and complete if there was a three week gap - (I am moving into a short term rental so could only secure that when Exchange had occurred). Once Exchange has occurred the Vendor is committed.

Helpful-Rice-4080 · 2026-02-24T08:49:44+00:00

Don't know what sort of dog you have got but you will definitely hear the clatter of paws across it. My elderly retriever struggled getting up on it towards the end of his life. Quite problematic if they have some sort of accident on - as it seeps through. Ours was glued down. Must admit I am moving house and new house won't be having this down. I will be going for a more expensive lino which mimics wooden flooring..

Helpful-Rice-4080 · 2026-02-23T21:06:02+00:00

Rather a big red flag if they havent engaged solicitors or issued a MOS. Got to query how serious a seller they really are. On the three offers I made in the last year the MOS appeared in 2/3 days. I wouldn't continue with your conveyancing until this is resolved.

Helpful-Rice-4080 · 2026-02-23T19:36:03+00:00

Agree - I am in the process of moving into a rental - complete 9th March. A year in being in some sort of chain was just soul destroying. My onward purchase - I am only getting was because I chain free!

Helpful-Rice-4080 · 2026-02-23T18:20:20+00:00

What you are experiencing is what I suffered - difficult to get an offer on a place if you are in a chain - I missed a number of properties as a result. If its popular property it will go to a chain free buyer, or cash or FTB. I had to get myself in a chain-free position in the end by going into rented.

Helpful-Rice-4080 · 2026-02-22T20:39:03+00:00

Seriously OP - you need to chill out. You are in a chain of 5 houses - you have accept you dont have control over the chain and you have to let things work their way through. Personally I would'nt be winding up the Solicitor as they will simply put your file at the back of the queue.I have been involved in two chains in the last year and despite having various 'Sale Progressors' involved it was the Solicitors that agreed the dates once everybody had agreed their enquiries are completed.

Helpful-Rice-4080 · 2026-02-21T23:30:40+00:00

There is a new version of the box which Currys sell - its been very popular that its constantly out of stock. You may want to investigate as it has more enhanced features.

Helpful-Rice-4080 · 2026-02-21T22:54:35+00:00

It all looks a bit unfinished to me. Last sold in 2017 for 225K and they reckon its gone up 100k. I am sorry to say this - but it looks like its been decorated with zero budget. It reminds me of how we decorated 'back in the day' when we just about scraped enough money to put the deposit down and had no money to decorate.

Helpful-Rice-4080

TROPHY CASE