Buying within a property chain

• All Redrow properties are chain-free, so you don’t need to worry about any onwards chain.
• Our Help to Sell service is designed to get your existing property sold as quickly as possible.
• If you’re selling a home to move into a Redrow property, as long as you’ve got a buyer for your existing home you can reserve with us.

A chain, in property terms, is a situation where sellers and buyers are connected - so for example if you need to wait for the person buying your house to sell theirs first. This is called an 'upward chain' - when a property will only be sold when the current owner has bought another.

Property chains can make the buying process more difficult, causing delays to how long it takes to sell a house. If there are multiple properties and sellers in a chain, it gets more complicated and could potentially even cause a sale or purchase to fall through.

How do property chains work?

Put simply, if you're in a chain during a house move, your purchase is dependent on at least one other party. So, a standard property chain's steps might look like this:

1. A first-time buyer, with no property to sell, puts in an offer on a property.
2. The homeowner of that property is in the process of buying another home to move into.
3. The seller of that home is waiting for their offer on a new home to be accepted before they can sell.

Because of the sometimes complex nature of house purchases, adding in the buying chain process can sometimes cause even further delays. This is why communication is absolutely key - making sure you're constantly in touch with the seller and your estate agents can help avoid unnecessary delays.

At Redrow, our Help to Sell scheme can help if you’re in a chain, with our team on hand to assist in the sale of your existing home. It’s also worth noting that if you’re selling your home to move into a Redrow property, you’ll need to have a prospective buyer in place before you can reserve your new home.

What can cause a broken property chain?

Unfortunately, sometimes even with perfect communication on your part, you might find yourself affected by property chain collapse. If the completion or sale of a home falls through, this can have a knock-on effect and affect other buyers further down the chain.

There are lots of possible reasons for property chain failure:

• A buyer or seller pulls out of their transaction.
• A mortgage application is delayed or rejected.
• There are delays from mortgage lenders, solicitors or estate agents.
• A valuation survey may reveal issues with a property.

Of course, you’ll have the reassurance of knowing that there is no chain above Redrow - meaning the home you’ll be buying with us isn’t dependent on any other sellers or buyers.

The sale of a property that's advertised as 'chain-free' or 'no chain' isn't dependent on another purchase. This might mean the seller already has somewhere to move to, the sale of a second home, or new build homes. For example, all Redrow homes are ‘no chain’ properties.

One of the advantages of buying a new home with Redrow is that you won't have to worry about an onward chain. Once you've got your mortgage offer and have had an offer accepted, you won't need to wait for the property to be released or worry about a seller changing their mind.

All Redrow new properties are chain-free - your dream home is ready whenever you are. Find a Redrow development near you to get started on your new home search.

Back to guides