Our Toughest Purchase Yet – With a Happy Ending, or How We Developed Stockholm Syndrome
This has been one of the most challenging purchases we’ve ever handled, yet it ended on a high note! Paulo and Edit’s journey to homeownership has been an emotional rollercoaster, and while we’re overjoyed that they finally got their dream home, there’s also a strange sense of emptiness now that something that had become part of our weekly routine is over.
Let me explain. 💡
Edit first reached out to us in February 2024, eager to buy a property with her partner. After assessing their situation, we saw that their goal was realistic, and we were excited to start the process. By early May 2024, they had already found the perfect home—things were moving quickly, and we were thrilled! But then came the first hurdle.
The bank declined the initial mortgage request but said that if they reduced the loan amount by just £300, they would approve it with no issues. We laughed at how small the difference was, quickly adjusted the numbers, and by the end of May, the mortgage offer was in place. At this point, we were still optimistic. Yes, it was a leasehold purchase, and yes, summer transactions can be slow, but we had no idea what lay ahead.
The property was marketed as chain-free, meaning the sellers had no onward purchase and could move out at any time. However, as weeks passed, our solicitors got zero responses from them. No updates, no cooperation—nothing.
Then, when we were already way past the expected completion date, we discovered the awful truth: the property was never chain-free. Months had passed, and the sellers had yet to secure their own purchase.
By this time, the six-month mortgage offer had expired, so we had to extend it for another six months. Now, it’s easy to say,
❌“Just walk away; the sellers are unreliable!”❌
But at this stage, emotions run deep. Edit and Paulo had already envisioned their life in this home, and they were willing to wait.
The most frustrating part? The sellers and their solicitor refused to communicate. Every single update had to be squeezed out of them like blood from a stone.
For months, Paulo and Edit, like most first-time buyers, weren’t familiar with what’s normal in a purchase process—what they could push for and what they had to accept. But after six months of zero progress, we knew we had to step in aggressively.
We started chasing the agency and the sellers, confronting them about their misleading claims and pushing the sales progressor to step up. This became our weekly battle, a ritual of demanding answers, issuing ultimatums, and warning them that our buyers were ready to pull out—risking the collapse of the entire chain.
Then came Christmas. Then New Year’s. By this point, the purchase had been ongoing since May.
January. February. Still nothing. Just empty promises.
Honestly—what would you do in this situation❓
And now, finally, the happy ending.
After more than 320 days of waiting, doubts, setbacks, and sheer frustration, at the very last moment in late March 2025, we received the golden message from the solicitors: “Case completed. The keys are ready to collect.”
The relief and joy were beyond words! And this is where the Stockholm Syndrome kicks in—when captives start forming an emotional bond with their captors. This whole battle had become such a weekly routine for us that now, in a weird way, we almost miss it. (Of course, just kidding—but seriously, this level of difficulty is rare.)
And one last note: Paulo and Edit deserve all the credit in the world. In today’s world, it’s rare to meet people with such incredible patience and composure. Through this painfully long process, they never lost their cool, never lashed out, and handled every setback with remarkable resilience. Hats off to them. 🎩
I have no doubt that when they finally stepped into their new home, a few tears of joy were shed.
Huge congratulations to both of you for your perseverance and hard work! You truly deserve this beautiful home, and we’re beyond happy that we made it here together. 🎉🏡👏
