Will being in a chain affect how long it will take me to move?

Moving to a new home requires a lot of things to come together at the same time. There’s the mortgage application to complete, the solicitor checks, the valuations, choosing fixtures and fittings, and planning for the actual move itself.

However one thing that everything hinges on is how fast several other sales are moving. After all, if you’re buying an existing property then your move will depend on when the seller can leave it – and potentially when your own buyer can complete on your current property.

It’s what’s called a property chain: a line of buyers and sellers all connected together and dependent on each other for their moves to go through. If someone a few steps ahead or behind you in the chain runs into a difficulty or delays for any reason, it can hold up everyone else’s sales.

That’s something that most movers have to deal with, and both new home developers and estate agents are experienced in encouraging the chain along. However, it can affect your own house purchase and may seem to be beyond your control.

A survey of home-movers carried out by consumer champion Which? showed that around 3 in 10 people have experienced a property purchase fall through, a sizable number of those being because their seller pulled out as the process was taking too long[1].

This can cost buyers almost £3,000 on average and, of course, can be heart-breaking to buyers who have seemingly found their dream home, only to then lose it.

Avoiding a chain

There are ways to avoid becoming caught up in a lengthy chain. After all, the fewer links in the chain, the less chance that something will go wrong.

For example, if you need to sell a property and there are several offers on the table then it could be useful to choose a first-time buyer or investor to sell to, as they will not be in a chain themselves. You could even take yourself out of a chain by selling and renting, allowing you to buy chain-free. Of course, that can also add to the expense.

At the other end of the market, buying an empty property can help you avoid an upward chain. If you need to be in your new home by a specific date then you can make that a condition of sale, putting pressure on the property vendor to be out by a certain date. If they know that the sale depends on it then they may decide to move into rented accommodation themselves to avoid the sale falling through.

Skipping the chain entirely

One way to simply sidestep the whole chain process is to buy a newly built property.

Not only do you have a unique opportunity to choose the interior décor before you move in, but you’re buying from an experienced sales team who will be able to work with you to ensure everything goes smoothly. Best of all, there will be no upward chain so the property will be ready for you to complete on and move into as soon as construction is finished. You can even buy while it’s still being built if that’s more convenient.

For first-time buyers, that means a much easier first purchase because there is no chain at either end. They can simply buy as soon as their solicitor has completed their legal checks and the mortgage is ready.

For those who already own a home and are looking to move, David Wilson Homes makes it even easier to move into your new home. With our Movemaker offer, we will help you by instructing an estate agent on your behalf and then paying their fees when you sell.

And with our Part Exchange Xtra scheme, we take the hassle out of selling your existing home by handling the sales process for you, so you can simply look forward to mobbing into your new home.

Our sales teams are highly experienced in buying and selling homes, and are on hand to guide you through the moving process. Find your nearest DWH development today and come and talk to our knowledgeable team about how they can help you move.