What does it mean if you’re part of a property chain?

Moving house can be a complicated process, or at least it can seem that way, especially if you’ve never bought and/or sold a property before. One term that you hear frequently in relation to house purchases and sales is that one or more people involved in the transaction are part of a property chain, but what does that actually mean?

As Property Reporter explained, a property chain is simply what happens when a buyer needs to sell their house before they can purchase their new abode. When you have multiple people in this position, it becomes a property chain.

This isn’t necessarily a bad thing, although the nature of property chains does mean that they can lead to more complications when it comes to sales and purchases. This is simply because each person needs to have their mortgage arranged, their solicitors instructed and to be ready to move when everything is ready to go ahead.

As a result, everyone in the chain is reliant on the other people being in the same position at the same time, which is why there can sometimes be delays.

When you’re looking for your removals company in Bournemouth, Westbourne, Christchurch, Ringwood or elsewhere in the South West, it’s important that you tell them that you are part of a property chain.

We know that the house buying and selling process isn’t always straightforward, and we will always do our best to accommodate your move, even if it comes together on short notice.

Estate Agent Today revealed earlier this year that 32% of property sales fell through in the first quarter of 2021 in England and Wales, with one quarter of those because the buyer failed to secure a mortgage.

If you’re part of a property chain and are waiting on other people within that chain to be able to move, there are a few things you can do to make sure that you’re able to exchange and complete on your new home quickly and with minimal stress.

Firstly, making sure that you have contacted a house removing company like Removals Unlimited to get a free, no-obligation quote for your move is advisable. Secondly, you may want to start the packing process, at least boxing up your non-essential items, in case you exchange and complete quickly.

You can order packing materials and boxes from our Box Shop if you want to get started before you have a confirmed moving date.

Another top tip if you are part of a property chain and unsure of your completion date is to start decluttering your home so that you are only moving with the belongings you want to keep. You can check out our top tips for decluttering here.

You could also consider putting some of your belongings into storage if you want to reduce the amount of furniture and other items you are transporting on your moving day and ensure you are ready to go on short notice.

We are always happy to provide a free, no-obligation house survey so that you can begin planning your move. Get in touch with us today to speak to one of our friendly team who can tell you about all the support we can offer. We pack, move and store!