• Seller Needs To Delay Completion By 3 Weeks Because Of Illness

    By Guest on 19th Apr 2016

    I'm selling my house and have exchanged contracts (buyer has no onward chain). But I have broken my leg making moving house on the completion date very difficult. I would like to delay the completion date by 3 weeks - by which time the cast will be off and I can drive. We've contacted the buyer and they refuse to delay completion. What are my options? How much will a compensation to the buyer be, if any, if I delay the completion date in the contract by 3 weeks?

  • 2 Answers

    By Guest on 24/04/2016

    It isn't possible to calculate the amount of compensation as it depends on the losses suffered by the buyer but it could be very high - basically any money they have to spend that they wouldn't have had to spend if you had completed on time you could be liable for, so the cost of temporary accommodation such as a hotel short term let, eating out, additional travel costs etc. This is subject to a duty on the buyers to mitigate their loss, so they can't claim for meals at Michelin starred restaurants where cheaper options were reasonably available but by the same token they are not expected to live on tins of cold beans. Also, after 10 working days they could withdraw from the purchase altogether and get their deposit back and buy something else in which case you will be liable for any additional legal fees, mortgage fees, survey fees as well as temporary accommodation and the difference in price between the price agreed with you and the price paid for the alternative house (provided it is similar to yours (same number of bedrooms, similar area etc) and provided they don't pay over the odds for no reason).

    You need to speak to your solicitor as soon as possible but I recommend you do everything you can to complete on time.

  • By Guest on 24/04/2016

    Ok. Thanks for the detail. Very helpful.

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