My buyer wants to wait until after the Budget. What should I do?

Is it normal for a buyer to want to wait for the Budget?

Yes. Budget nerves are a familiar autumn pattern, and this year a survey of 1,193 home buyers in England, published on 16 September 2026, found 27% had decided to delay or pause until after the government's autumn fiscal announcement, and another 21% were undecided.

The Autumn Budget is the government's yearly statement of tax and spending plans. This year it is on Wednesday 28 October 2026. A buyer asking to wait is usually nervous, not necessarily leaving.

Is my buyer's worry about the Budget justified?

Partly. The mortgage worry is real: the average two-year fixed rate was 5.73% on 15 September 2026, up from 4.84% at the start of March, according to Moneyfacts. The Bank of England also announces a Bank Rate decision on 17 September.

The stamp duty worry is weaker. Changes to stamp duty at this Budget were ruled out in July 2026. Stamp duty is the tax a buyer in England pays on a purchase above set price thresholds, so a buyer waiting for a stamp duty cut may be waiting for something that has already been ruled out.

The honest point to make to your buyer is that nobody can promise a wait makes borrowing cheaper. Lenders have been raising rates, not cutting them, through September.

What is normal, and what is a red flag?

What should I do if my buyer wants to wait?

1. 1. Ask what exactly they are waiting for

   Ask your agent to find out which part of the Budget worries them, because a mortgage-rate worry and a stamp duty worry need different answers.

2. 2. Separate a pause in signing from a pause in work

   Agree that nobody exchanges contracts before 28 October if that settles them, but ask that both solicitors keep working so the sale is ready to move the day after.

3. 3. Put a date on it

   Agree in writing, through your agent, a target date for the buyer to confirm they are still going ahead, ideally within a week of the Budget.

4. 4. Check what they have actually spent

   Ask your agent whether the buyer has instructed and paid a solicitor, ordered searches, submitted a full mortgage application and booked a survey, because money spent is a better guide than words.

5. 5. Keep your own solicitor moving

   Have your own solicitor prepare the contract pack and answer enquiries now, which costs little and means a delay cannot be blamed on your side.

6. 6. Hold back on the big, irreversible moves

   Wait until your buyer is financially committed before you pay for costly extras, commit to your onward purchase or tell other interested buyers you are no longer available.

7. 7. Decide your own deadline

   Work out privately how long you can wait before you would go back to the market, so the decision is yours if the buyer's date slips.

Should I keep my house on the market while my buyer waits?

You do not have to take it off, and the choice is yours. Many sellers keep the listing marked as sold subject to contract and ask their agent to keep a note of anyone who shows interest. That keeps a back-up without breaking faith with the buyer you have.

If your buyer has not spent real money yet and will not commit to a date, it is reasonable to tell them, politely, that you will accept viewings again after a set day.

Is my sale more likely to fall through if we wait?

A longer sale gives more room for something to go wrong, but most failed sales go wrong early, not late. TwentyEA data published in April 2026 found 38% of fall-throughs happen within the first four weeks, and after week 12 the weekly collapse rate drops below 3%.

• A buyer who is several weeks in, with a solicitor and searches paid for, has more to lose by walking away.
• A buyer who asks to wait in the first fortnight, before spending anything, is the one to watch more closely.
• Mortgage and lending problems caused 33% of failed sales in the second quarter of 2026, according to Quick Move Now, so a buyer with a mortgage offer already in hand is a safer bet.

A pause in signing is fine. A pause in work is where sales go quiet and stop.

How do I stay in control while I wait?

Keep the decision anchored in facts you can check. Know what your home is worth today, what your buyer has committed, and the date you will act if nothing moves.

ValuQ gives UK homeowners free, side-by-side property valuations from competing local estate agents, so if you do need a back-up plan you can see current local figures on one screen before you decide anything.

Common questions about buyers waiting for the Budget