We’ve discussed elsewhere how heart-breaking it can be when your property chain breaks, and what to do if your house sale has fallen through and you need a quick sale.
In this situation, a cash house buying company can step in and save the day, not only with a guaranteed, fuss-free sale in as little as 14 days, but also with a better offer than you would normally get.
In this article, you can find out more about how cash buyers can help with property chain repair to get you moving fast and stop you from losing your dream home.
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How can cash buyers help to repair a broken property chain?
When your sale falls through and your chain breaks, it’s important to act fast to fix things before your ongoing purchase of your new home also falls through. This is particularly important if your new home is the dream home you’ve wanted for a long time.
Cash house buying companies can help with property chain repair in a number of different ways to get your move moving. Here are some of the advantages of using a cash buyer for property chain repair, and how to check that your chosen buyer is legitimate.
- Buying your home chain free – cash house buyers buy your house as a single transaction, so they are never part of a chain and your sale is not dependent on any other sale. Reputable cash house buyers should have cash on hand to complete the purchase, or a pre-agreed line of credit, so that there are no delays waiting for a mortgage. Always ask your cash buyer for proof of funds, and if they can’t show you this, walk away and find one who can.
- Completing the sale fast – a cash buyer will be able to complete your sale in as little as two weeks, or sometimes even sooner if you’re prepared to accept less. Once again, ask for proof that they can complete this fast. Some cash buyers take much longer, as they’re actually trying to arrange a secondary sale in the background. This will not help fix your chain and these cash buyers should be avoided.
- Being flexible on completion date – unlike standard buyers, a cash home buyer will be very flexible on completion date. This means that they can fix your broken chain and help you get your dream home, without adding any new pressures to the transaction. A cash buyer will fit it with your existing plans and complete on any date you choose.
- Buying your home as is – if your sale failed due to problems with your home, a cash buyer is a good solution as they will buy your property as-is. Repairs can be expensive and time consuming, and that could mean you lose your ongoing purchase. By using a cash buyer, you don’t have to spend time or money on repairs, and your sale can progress without any delays.
- Giving you a guaranteed sale – if your seller finds out that your own sale has fallen through, they could get nervous and pull out. A cash buyer offers them the reassurance that you have a guaranteed sale, often sooner than your original sale would have completed. A reputable cash house buyer will communicate with all parties to make sure everyone is aware that your sale is certain and there is no cause for concern.
- Offering you more – thanks to special reliefs in the Stamp Duty Land Tax laws (see below), cash house buying companies don’t have to pay ‘Stamp’ on properties they buy to fix a broken chain. This means they’ll be able to offer you a little more than they normally would, making their services even more attractive.
What is Stamp Duty Relief for cash buyers?
Following the changes in Stamp Duty Land Tax thresholds in April 2025, many home buyers have had to pay more tax on their property purchases. The lower threshold, above which tax is due, reduced from £250,000 to just £125,000 on 1st April 2025, adding £2,500 in tax to a typical purchase. This means that cash home buyers have not been able to offer as much for homes as they previously could.
However, if a cash buyer is buying a property to fix a broken chain, then they are exempt from paying Stamp Duty under FA03/SCH6A/PARA4 of the HMRC regulations. Most reputable cash house buyers will pass this saving on in the form of a better offer for your home, making selling your home to a cash buyer to fix a broken chain an even more attractive option.
Should you avoid property chains as a seller?
Of course, the best way to avoid a broken home-selling chain is to avoid getting into a chain in the first place. You should always ask your estate agent to assess the current situation of any potential buyers, including whether or not they have a property of their own to sell.
If possible, you should choose buyers who have no chain, such as first-time buyers or cash buyers who have already sold their previous property. Similarly, for your onward purchase, you should always look for a chain free property, such as vacant or probate properties.
Unfortunately, it’s not always possible to find a chain free property, but it’s still advisable to look for the shortest chain possible. The longer the chain, the greater the potential for problems, so the fewer links, the better. It’s well worth getting the full details of any potential property chain before you accept an offer on your home or make an offer on an onward purchase.
Why might you look into a direct sale to a cash buyer?
A failed house sale costs the seller around £3,300 on average, and with as many as one in three house sales falling through before completion. 7.3% of those failed sales are due to chain break issues. Using Government statistics, this equates to over 35,000 homes every year.
One of the easiest ways to avoid a chain is to sell your home to a cash buyer. This won’t protect you from being part of a chain for your onward purchase, but at least you’ll know that any chain starts with you, halving the possibility of that chain breaking down.
If you sell your house fast for cash, and choose an onward purchase with no chain, then you will avoid house sale chain problems altogether, and you can go ahead with both your sale and your purchase confident that nothing will slow you down or stop you in your tracks.
By selling your home to a cash buyer, you can get a sale in just two weeks, and move into your next home as soon as conveyancing is completed. This is a stark contrast to the five months or more that it takes to complete a sale on the open market, even if everything goes smoothly.
Expert Insight from Kelvin Elliott
Kelvin Elliott, founder and buying director of myhomebuyers.co.uk explains how cash house buyers can really save the day when your chain has broken:
“Broken chains are one of the most common reasons why our customers get in touch. If their own sale has fallen through, they worry that they’ll lose their next home and have to start house hunting all over again.
“We work hard to get their sale back on track fast, with a guaranteed sale in as little as two weeks. What’s more, we keep everyone up to date with progress, so that the sale stays solid and no one gets cold feet.
“Cash home sales don’t work for everyone or every circumstance, but when your chain has broken and everything is on the verge of collapse, a quick cash home sale could be the answer you’re looking for.
To see what you could get from a cash house buying company if your chain has broken, click below for your no obligation estimate:
What is a property chain?
When the purchase of one property is dependent on the sale of another, this is called a property chain. Property chains can have multiple links, and the more properties that are involved, the more likely it is that the chain will break.
How often do property chains break?
According to research, 7.3% of failed house sales are due to a broken chain. Over the course of a year, this means that over 35,000 UK home sales fail because their home buying chain has broken.
How can a cash buyer fix a broken chain?
Cash homebuyers can step in to fix a broken chain by offering to buy a property for cash, fast, when the original buyer has dropped out. A cash buyer provides a guaranteed sale that is fast enough to fit in with the existing sales, so the chain can continue through to completion for all concerned.
What are the benefits of using a cash buyer to fix a broken property chain?
Cash buyers offer many benefits for fixing broken chains, including a sale in as little as 14 days, a sale that’s guaranteed, a flexible completion date to fit in with existing plans, and the purchase of properties as-is, regardless of any survey issues that may have caused the original sale to fail.
Will I get more selling my home for cash if my chain has broken?
Yes, you will often get a better offer from a cash homebuyer if your chain has broken, because they don’t have to pay Stamp Duty on this kind of purchase.
Conclusion
Broken chains are common in the UK housing industry, and the knock on effects can mean a failed sale for multiple buyers and sellers. Cash house buying companies can step in and save the day, not only for the seller whose buyers have pulled out, but for everyone else in the chain.
You may not get as much for your home as you would on the open market, but selling your home to a cash buyer will give you a fast and certain sale that will keep your onward purchase on track and stop you losing your dream home.
To find out how much you could get from a cash buyer to fix your broken chain, click the link below: