‘Difficulty securing a mortgage’ contributing to rise in number of property sales falling through before completion
41% of property sales fell through before completion in the second quarter of 2025, up from 32% in the first quarter.
The data from Quick Move Now suggests that 45% of failed sales fell through due to difficulty obtaining a mortgage. Other reasons include chain break (18%), the buyer changing their mind (14%) and legal problems (9%).
Why did property sales fall through in Q2 2025?
| Reason | Percentage of failed sales |
| Difficulty securing a mortgage | 45% |
| Chain break | 18% |
| Buyer changed mind | 14% |
| Legal issues | 9% |
| Other | 9% |
| Seller withdrawing due to higher offer | 5% |
Danny Luke, Quick Move Now’s managing director, says: “Despite recent news about proposed changes that aim to make mortgages more accessible, difficulty securing a mortgage remains the dominant reason for property sales falling through before completion. In the first three months of 2025, difficulty obtaining a mortgage accounted for 35% of failed sales. In the last three months, it has been cited as the reason for 45% of failed sales. We’ve also seen a rise in the percentage of failed sales being caused by chain break, up from 4% to 18%.
“Looking at positive changes in the fall through figures, the percentage of failed sales attributed to the buyer changing their mind has fallen from 26% to 14% in the last quarter. This suggests that buyers are more committed when they make an offer on a property, and failed sales are more likely to be caused by factors beyond the buyer’s control.
“With price growth slowing and even falling in some areas, mortgage lenders want to ensure their investments are secure. As a result, they are increasingly cautious about lending on riskier properties or to buyers who present additional risk.
“We’re living in a time of growing global uncertainty, and financial markets are susceptible to political uncertainty and international conflict, but the Financial Conduct Authority (FCA) are making moves to widen access despite that uncertainty. Potential changes to mortgage lending rules and interest rate stress tests have the potential to make mortgage lending less of an obstacle when trying to successfully get a property purchase through to completion.”
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