Buying a home can be complicated and time consuming. Each stage of the process will take time, especially if you are involved in a chain of people who are trying to buy and sell at the same time.

It is usually less complicated if you are a first time buyer, or the property you are buying is empty. If you get stuck in a chain, it is not always possible to speed things up.

• The seller decides not to sell
  
• The seller accepts a better offer
  
• Your survey or homebuyer's report shows problems with the property
  
• You can't agree the conditions of sale
  
• You can't arrange the mortgage you need
  

The seller decides not to sell

This can happen at any stage before you exchange contracts.

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The seller accepts a better offer

The seller can accept a better offer at any stage until you exchange contracts. This is known as 'gazumping'. It is not illegal.

To avoid gazumping, you may be able to persuade the seller to sign an agreement that the sale can't be called off as long as contracts are exchanged within a certain period of time. You will usually have to pay extra legal fees if you want to arrange this sort of agreement.

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Your survey or homebuyer's report shows problems with the property

Most surveys and homebuyer's reports will indicate that some repairs are needed. Surveyors often point out the worst possible outcome of any problems they find, particularly if you are buying an older property. However, some repairs are relatively simple and inexpensive, so this doesn't necessarily mean that the property isn't worth buying.

The report may say that the property is in very poor condition and expensive repairs are needed. You may decide that you want to negotiate a better deal before the sale becomes legally binding. Your solicitor can do most of the negotiation involved in this as part of preparing the legal contracts. This can take a long time and the seller may not agree to all of the changes you want.

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You can't agree the conditions of sale

There may be a considerable delay as the seller may not agree to everything you want. For example, you may want to:

• pay less than the price you originally offered,
• get the seller to carry out repairs.

The conditions of the sale need to be agreed before contracts are exchanged. Solicitors normally do most of the negotiating on your behalf. Your solicitor should be in regular contact with you to discuss any changes.

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You can't arrange the mortgage you need

You may not be able to get a mortgage to pay for the property you want to buy. You may still be able to purchase the property using the Co-ownership scheme.

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