UK property chains: Nearly half of sellers face disruptions

Research from the House Buyer Bureau indicates that nearly half of UK home sellers involved in property chains experience a break during the sales process. Of the 1,072 sellers surveyed, 52% were part of a chain, and 45% of those experienced a disruption.

Buyer indecision was identified as the primary cause of these breaks, accounting for 60% of incidents. This significantly outpaced other factors such as mortgage or financing issues (8%), sellers changing their minds (8%), and property survey problems (6%). Other contributing factors included legal delays, changing personal circumstances, gazumping, and mortgage down-valuations.

The impact of these breaks includes significant delays and financial loss. Approximately 36% of affected sellers faced delays in their property sale, while 24% experienced delays in their onward purchase. Additionally, 10% saw their sales fall through entirely, 10% lost money on legal or survey costs, and 10% were forced to find new buyers. For those who eventually completed their sales, the wait times were often long; only 7% completed within a month, while 38% waited between four and six months.