Your chain has collapsed. Here are your options, fast.
Your buyer pulled out and the house you are buying will not wait. There are three ways through, and the right one depends on how much time the seller above you will give.
First, find out how long you have
Ring the agent for the house you are buying. Ask, straight, how long the seller will hold for you and whether there is another buyer waiting. A week changes the answer; a month changes it completely.
Option 1: a cash buyer for your house
A funded buyer can exchange in one to two weeks and complete on the date your purchase needs. You take 75% to 85% of value, the chain is fixed, and your purchase goes through. Right when the seller above you will not wait and you cannot fund the gap. The process.
Option 2: bridge the gap
A bridging loan secured on your current house (and sometimes the new one) lets you complete the purchase now and sell your old house properly afterwards. You keep the full value; you pay interest and fees for a few months. Right when you have equity, the old house is saleable, and you can stomach a few months of owning two. On your own home it is a regulated loan through an FCA-authorised broker. Bridging guide and calculator.
Option 3: re-market and negotiate time
Back on the market at a realistic price with a proceedable-buyers-only instruction, while you ask the seller above for four to six weeks. It works when the market is quick and the seller is patient. It is where most people start and where some lose the house.
A combination
Many sellers get a written cash offer as a safety net (no obligation until exchange), then re-market for two or three weeks to see if an agent buyer beats it. If not, they take the cash offer on a date that saves the purchase.
What not to do
- Sign an option or lock-out agreement with anyone in a panic.
- Accept a verbal cash offer and take the house off the market before you have it in writing with proof of funds.
- Exchange on the purchase without the sale or the bridge in place.
A note on the numbers. Percentages, timescales and costs on this site describe what is typical in the UK quick-sale market in 2026. They are not offers. Any offer comes from the buyer we introduce you to, after they have assessed the property, and it is theirs alone. Take independent legal advice before you exchange contracts on any sale.
Common questions
How fast can a cash buyer exchange?
One to two weeks is realistic for a freehold house with an organised seller and solicitor. Tell the buyer your purchase date on the first call so they can plan to it.
Will the seller above wait?
Ask, and ask what would make them wait: a written cash offer on your house, or a bridging decision in principle, often reassures them enough to hold.
Need to sell fast? Find out what a cash buyer would offer.
Two minutes about the property. A vetted cash buyer calls you back with a genuine figure, usually within one working day. Free, no obligation, and you can walk away at any point.