Buying or selling a home isn’t always smooth sailing. In fact, it’s one of the most stressful things many of us will ever do. Chains can collapse, surveys can bring bad news, and mortgage offers can suddenly disappear. While these bumps in the road are frustrating, knowing what to do — and staying calm — can help you move forward.
Here’s a practical and down-to-earth guide to help both buyers and sellers when things go off track:
For Sellers:
1. The Buyer Pulls Out
It’s a blow — disappointing and often infuriating. But don’t panic. Take a breath and try to find out why it’s happened. It could be anything from a change of heart to a bad survey or lost finance. If it’s something to do with your property (e.g. survey issues or title restrictions), see if you can fix it before going back to market.
Next steps:
- Relist the property quickly — consider the price, especially if you had agreed to a discount before.
- Focus on getting the chain back together. Sometimes a small adjustment now (e.g. timings, price, items left behind) can make the difference between a chain being re-built or falling through.
2. Price Re-negotiation After the Survey
Surveyors often use cautious language, and buyers can take a pragmatic approach, but some use the report to try and reduce the price. That doesn’t always mean the request is fair, but sometimes may be justified.
What to do:
- Ask to see the relevant parts of the report. Are the issues real? Would they worry you if you were the buyer?
- Get your own quotes for any work mentioned.
- Take advice from your estate agent — they’ll know what’s reasonable and what’s not.
- If you feel the buyer is being opportunistic, it’s okay to say no and re-market — but be aware that legally serious issues must be disclosed to future buyers.
3. Your Onward Purchase Falls Through
If you lose the house you were buying, your buyer may worry about an open-ended delay.
Options:
- Be honest — some buyers are willing to wait if kept informed.
- Consider moving into rented accommodation or staying with family to keep your sale on track.
- Offer an exchange with an 'on/or before' completion date.
- In some cases, you might be able to rent the property back short term (though this is unlikely with mortgages).
4. Conveyancing Delays
One of the top reasons sales fall through is slow conveyancing.
What helps:
- Get your house paperwork in order early — warranties, planning permissions, guarantees, etc.
- Choose a recommended solicitor — ideally one known to your agent.
- Instruct a solicitor before accepting an offer and ask them to prepare the contract pack in advance.
- Remember, the solicitor works for you. Make sure they understand your timelines.
- Be prepared for frustrating questions — often these come from lenders, via the buyer's solicitor, not the buyer themselves. Answering them promptly helps avoid delays.
- Clearly communicate your ideal timelines (e.g. holidays, exchange/completion preferences) from the start — in writing, but don't be unrealistic or dogmatic — conveyancing will always take longer than expected.
For Buyers:
1. The Chain Falls Apart
If someone else in the chain pulls out, it can jeopardise the whole move.
What to do:
- Speak to your agent and solicitor — they may be able to work with others in the chain to get things moving again. Sometimes small compromises can help to rebuild it.
2. Mortgage Offer Withdrawn
Changes in income, low valuations, or withdrawn products can all cause this.
Act quickly:
- Speak to your broker or lender right away to understand what’s gone wrong.
- If it’s a valuation issue, you may need to renegotiate or try a different lender.
- If it’s about the property (e.g. unusual construction, annexes, or proximity to commercial sites), a specialist mortgage broker may help — your agent may be able to help.
3. Survey Problems
Older houses frequently come with long reports. It’s important to tell the difference between serious structural issues and normal age-related quirks.
Tips:
- Learn what’s typical for the property’s age — many older homes don’t have damp courses, and some building materials naturally hold moisture.
- Talk to your agent and the seller. Share the relevant survey parts and get quotes for the work.
- You might agree on a price reduction or that the seller will carry out certain repairs before completion.
4. Delays in Conveyancing
A lot of the same issues apply to buyers too.
What you can do:
- Get your solicitor on board early — even before you find a property.
- Put money on account quickly, so they can instruct searches immediately when the sale memo is issued.
- Let them know if you have deadlines (like mortgage expiry dates).
- Don’t push for dates too early — setting unrealistic timelines can frustrate everyone.
- Keep communication open and expectations clear.
Tips for Everyone:
- Stay calm and stay in touch — regular, open communication keeps things on track. Nothing spooks buyers/sellers/agents as much as radio silence.
- Choose the right professionals — your agent, solicitor and broker can make or break a deal. Pick people who communicate well and are proactive.
- Have a backup plan — whether you’re buying or selling, plan for delays or setbacks.
- Consider insurance — home buyer/seller protection policies can cover costs if a deal falls through.
- Goodwill matters — a smooth transaction relies on everyone pulling in the same direction. Flexibility and fairness go a long way.
In Summary:
If your sale or purchase runs into trouble, don’t assume it’s game over. Most problems have solutions — whether it’s renegotiating, switching lenders, or simply better communication. Stay level-headed, be open with your agent and solicitor, and focus on the end goal: making your move a success.
Need advice or support with your property move? We’re here to help — just get in touch.
