The seven scariest things in the housing market, and how to survive them.
It's Halloween, so let's talk about what genuinely frightens people when they move. Not ghosts, but the moments that keep sellers and buyers up at night. Most of them can be avoided if you know they're coming.
1. Being ghosted
A buyer loves your home, makes an offer, then goes quiet. Usually it isn't personal: their mortgage isn't agreed, or they're still hoping something better turns up.
How to survive it: before you accept an offer, ask your agent to check the buyer's position properly: mortgage agreed in principle, deposit in place, and whether they have a home to sell. A slightly lower offer from a ready buyer often beats a higher one from a maybe.
2. The zombie listing
A home that's been on the portals for months, reduced twice, still not moving. Buyers start to wonder what's wrong with it, even when the answer is simply that it was priced too high on day one.
How to survive it: price it right from the start. The first few weeks bring the most attention you'll ever get. If it isn't selling, change something real (price, photos or presentation), not just the wording.
3. The haunted chain
Your sale depends on your buyer's sale, which depends on someone else's purchase, somewhere you've never been. One delay at the far end and everyone feels it.
How to survive it: ask how long the chain is before you agree anything, and ask your agent to keep in touch with every link, not just the next one. Chain-free buyers and first-time buyers are worth their weight in gold.
4. The jump scare: gazundering
The week before exchange, your buyer suddenly lowers their offer, knowing you've already planned your move around the sale.
How to survive it: deal with surprises early. Getting your paperwork ready before you go on the market (title, building regulations, guarantees and certificates) leaves fewer reasons for a late renegotiation. A good agent will also make sure any survey issues are raised and agreed early, not at the last minute.
5. Skeletons in the survey
Damp, subsidence, an old extension without sign-off, or Japanese knotweed in the garden. Problems that were always there, discovered at the worst moment.
How to survive it: if you're selling, be upfront about what you know: it builds trust and avoids a collapse later. If you're buying, get the right level of survey for the age and type of home, and read it properly.
6. Vampire costs
The costs that quietly drain you: service charges and ground rent on flats, removal costs, survey and legal fees, and on more expensive homes, stamp duty.
How to survive it: write the full list down before you start, not just the deposit. For a flat, ask early for the service charge history and any planned major works.
7. The witching hour: an expiring mortgage offer
Mortgage offers don't last forever, typically around six months. If a sale drags on, you can find yourself racing the clock, or facing a different rate.
How to survive it: keep the timeline realistic from the start, and speak to a mortgage adviser early so you know how long your offer lasts and what happens if you need to extend it.
The least scary way to move
Almost every horror story above comes down to one thing: surprises. Get the price right, get your paperwork ready, check the buyer, and keep everyone talking. If you're thinking about a move and want a clear, honest answer on any of this, ask for a free market appraisal.
General information only, not financial or legal advice. Mortgage offer validity varies by lender. Your home may be repossessed if you do not keep up repayments on your mortgage.