What do I do if my house sale falls through?

Life (and house sales) are a rollercoaster

When it comes to highs and lows, you’d be hard-pressed to rival the house-selling process — even with the best will in the world, all your ducks in a row and all the right intentions, things can go wrong. This isn’t necessarily anyone’s fault, but circumstances change — it’s the nature of the game. 

But that doesn’t make the journey a particularly settling one, and we understand that. Which is why, if you’ve had enough of the rigmarole, the maybes, the what-could-have-beens and the heartache, we can help. 

Because we know that when a house sale falls through, it’s quite a wrench. And more often than not, it’s been a long road to get to that stage in the first place. But don’t give up hope, you’re not alone (far from it in fact, 1 in 4 sellers experience this unfortunate turn of events, according to recent figures. Your house-moving dream is still very much alive — you just have to know what to do next. 

How do we know? We’ve helped hundreds of homeowners in exactly this situation and have helped them turn their fortunes around. And we’re very happy to do the same for you.

Why do house sales fall through?

House sales can fall through for all sorts of reasons — most of which are entirely outside your control. But there are a few common themes that emerge. Here, we’ll take you through some of those and why exactly they happen.

C-c-c-cold feet

We’ve all done it. Be it a flight, a new outfit or — in this case — a property. You let the excitement get the better of you and agree to something that, on reflection, might not be exactly what you want. This happens, it’s normal, and it isn’t anyone’s fault. 

It can also be the case that personal circumstances change — be that in terms of employment, finances, or health. And, again, nobody is to blame for this. 

We keep repeating this mantra because it’s very easy to feel frustrated — angry even — when a house sale falls through. But these things happen, and it really is just part of the process. 

But that doesn’t make it any nicer from a seller’s perspective, and we do understand and sympathise with that.

Surveying the scene – survey issues?

A final approval and a mortgage agreement in principle are two very different animals. And this happens time and again — it may be due to discrepancies with the underwriting process, new problems or issues with the property coming to light (such as damp or structural damage), or other new information that the survey uncovers. Whatever the cause, it’s fairly commonplace, but this means the buyer either has to pull out altogether or renegotiate the offer.

A broken chain

1 in 5 house sales that fall through have property chains to thank. It stands to reason that they’re fairly fragile, with so many moving parts, and it really is something of a ripple reaction — once one part goes, it’s very tricky for the rest not to collapse. 

Which is why being part of a chain is both almost inevitable and fairly stressful — after all, you’re reliant on a lot of people over whom you have absolutely no control.

You’ve been gazumped

This is when a seller accepts a higher offer from another buyer, despite having agreed to sell to someone else, and is known as gazumping. It’s not nice and it’s not pretty, yet a whopping 37% of buyers have been gazumped — 6% of which were in the last two years. 

You may be disappointed to hear that, while it’s a bitter pill to swallow, gazumping is not illegal. And it has its downsides even for the seller — as they’re once again at the mercy of the new buyer’s offer falling through. 

On the flip side — gazundering

This is when a buyer changes their offer to a lower one just before the exchange of contracts. The idea being that the seller is pressured into accepting, in fear of losing the sale altogether. 31% of UK sellers in the last two months of 2023 were victims of exactly this.

What can I do to stop my house sale falling through?

Let’s level with you here — you simply cannot control all the moving parts when selling your property. You are completely reliant on the honesty, reliability and stability of everyone else — and, at the end of the day, they will do what’s best for them, not you. 

But there are actions you can take to minimise the risk of your house sale falling through, and we’ve listed a few of those here.

Be picky with your buyers

Wanting to buy a house and having all the elements you need in place to actually do it, are two very different things. We hope you never have to become too wise to this, but there are tell-tale signs to look for that your buyers might not be as serious as they claim about purchasing your property — or, might be very optimistic about how exactly they’re going to manage it. 

Try to focus on buyers who appear to be in a strong position, and don’t let emotions (i.e. who you might like/want to have it the most) get in the way of your decisions. 

Having their finances in order (or as much as you’re able to glean) is a good start. Not being part of a complex chain (or in fact a chain at all) is a huge bonus, if you have the choice. 

Do remember that it is perfectly normal to request proof of funds and/or a mortgage agreement in principle before accepting an offer.

Transparency is the key

It’s not as clever as you might imagine to sugarcoat the reality of the condition of your property, as this can totally upend your sale further down the line. Be brutally honest — let them know exactly what your property is like, warts and all. That way you are in a much stronger position going forward and are far less likely to have buyers backing out.

Be upfront, be honest, be transparent. 

Need to move fast? Why not consider a quick house sale company?

This is one of the pitfalls of the traditional property market — nothing happens in a hurry. Companies that buy houses regardless of its condition, location and history — like Sell House Fast — can offer you a guaranteed, fast, fuss-free sale. And when we say fast, we really do mean it. We buy any house in the UK. It’s as simple as that. The process is free, it’s fast and it’s reliable. Goodbye chains and waiting around, hello money in your bank account.

What to do if your house sale falls through

Firstly, don’t worry — we know it’s annoying but you still have options if your house sale has fallen through. Which steps to take (and in what order) very much depends on your situation, but here are some of the choices available to you. 

Re-list, retry, go again

This is the most obvious solution, and is perhaps also the most straightforward — but are you ready to start the whole process again from the very beginning? Think about it before you dive in. 

And, similarly, consider why the last sale didn’t go through — is there anything you could do differently? Perhaps you could work on the condition of your property, change the price or think about moving estate agents. But be aware that if your property was on the market for a while previously, it might well be again. 

Cash is king

If you’re in a hurry, don’t want to start all over again, and can’t deal with the risk of your sale falling through again, selling your house for cash to SellHouseFast.uk should be a serious consideration. 

With us, you can sell your house fast, with absolutely no fees. It’s a win/win. 

Negotiation stations – can you negotiate with the old buyer?

The deal might not be dead in the water, and is sometimes worth revisiting. You might want to consider going back to  the original buyer and negotiating with — you may well be able to salvage the sale. 

This might be by changing the price, or making some significant repairs. This won’t guarantee a sale, of course, but it might be a faster option than finding a brand new buyer.

Do solicitors charge if a house sale falls through?

Sadly, probably yes. This depends entirely on your chosen solicitor’s terms and conditions though, and is not a given. The most common outcome when a house sale has fallen through, is that a solicitor will charge for all work completed up until that point. 

There are some solicitors who offer a “no sale, no fee” deal though, so you don’t pay unless you complete on the sale. 

Discuss this with your solicitor well in advance — before you sign on the dotted line with them.

Don’t panic, you can still sell your home

Remember, you can and will still get to where you want to be. It’s just a matter of time. If you’re looking for certainty and speed though, SellHouseFast.uk can help.

Ours is a personalised, fast, transparent service, built entirely around you, your situation, your property and your needs, so you can sell your house in a hurry and have the money in your account in no time. 

We provide a quick, reliable alternative to broken chains, gazumping and the uncertainty of the traditional market. Start your stress-free house sale journey today and sell your property fast. Get in touch for a free cash offer.