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What is a Property Chain and How Can You Avoid Them?

Moving Home Mortgage Advice in Leeds

Property chains can be a common hurdle for homebuyers going through the process. The moving home journey can be interrupted if you are in a property chain as some factors can stall the process.

Having said that, you may encounter a range of problems and hurdles when obtaining a mortgage. It could be that your application is stuck in the pipeline or there might be an issue with your offer not being accepted, it’s possible that you can encounter issues when going through the journey of moving home in Leeds.

What is a property chain?

A property chain involves a group of sellers that are connected so will be relying on each other for each purchase to go through. In the case where you are a first time buyer in Leeds, you will always be at the beginning of the chain, unlike a seller who would be placed at the end.

For example, a person is ready to move into a property they’re buying. From this, the buyer needs to wait for the seller to move out first. Then if that seller is in the same situation, they will also be waiting for them to move out to move in.

How long will the process take in a property chain?

This all comes down to the seller’s situation which you will be unaware of.

Sometimes, you may not even know that you are in a property chain, and the full process could run smoothly. This is the ideal situation for everyone because it makes the moving home process go smoothly and straightforward.

On the flip side, if things don’t run as well, this can involve waiting. This is why our team recommend you start your process with at least six months of preparation. Within this time, you can look for that perfect home and provide some time if you get stuck in a property chain.

What happens if my property chain breaks?

The full chain could suffer if you are linked with a property chain and one purchase does not go through. Therefore, if this chain breaks, you will either have to wait or look for another property.

In the case where the property chain breaks at your purchase, there can be a way to stop it from damaging the overall chain if you act fast.

An option for sellers could be to contact the people planning to buy your property by speaking to your estate agent. By doing this, you can inform them of the situation sooner rather than later.

It’s best to prepare for a break in the property chain regardless if you are on a seller’s level or your level.

You could buy a property that isn’t in a chain or a small chain, sell your property, rent temporarily, buy a new-build property etc.

How can a property chain break?

There could be a number of reasons why a property chain can break. This could happen at your’s, your seller’s or even your buyer’s level:


Above is just a small number of examples, there are many more reasons. As mentioned, the length of the property chain you are in will depend on how these situations impact your ability to move home.

How can I avoid a property chain?

Avoiding a property chain can be difficult, especially if you are buying at a busy time of year or when the market is hot.

Furthermore, you could research and speak to your estate agent to get an idea of your position in the midst of the application stage. It is best that you organise your finances as early in the process as possible. Being prepared for things that could go wrong, the better.

In the case where you avoid a property chain (also known as ‘chain-free), the moving process will more likely be straightforward. This is obviously factoring in that you provide evidence that you can afford a mortgage and deposit the property.

Are you thinking of moving home to Leeds?

Our moving home Mortgage Advisors in Leeds can help you through the process if you are looking to buy and sell your property.

If you are looking for help with the moving home process, book yourself in for a free mortgage appointment.

Date Last Edited: December 6, 2023

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