How to Protect a House Sale Falling Through (SecureMove vs Standard Selling)
Selling your property can be one of the most stressful, yet important, decisions you can do in your life. Therefore, it's vital that you have assurance and protection during the process.
You’ve accepted an offer. You’ve started planning removals. You might even be mentally arranging the furniture in your next place…. Then the dreaded message lands:
“They’ve pulled out.”
In England, until contracts are exchanged, either party can withdraw with no compensation to the innocent party, which is exactly why fall-throughs remain such a painful (and expensive) part of moving home.
Government-backed commentary has previously highlighted hundreds of thousands of transactions collapsing each year and the significant financial cost that comes with it. So let’s compare the two approaches sellers face:
- Option A: “Hope for the best” (the traditional system)
- Option B: SecureMove (certainty, speed, protection)
The “Hope for the Best” method (traditional UK selling)
This is the default way most homes are sold:
- Offer accepted
- Property marked Sold STC
- Legal work begins… slowly
- Survey, searches, enquiries, chain delays
- Everyone crosses their fingers until exchange
The issue: until exchange, there’s nothing stopping a buyer from:
- pulling out because they “changed their mind”
- attempting a late renegotiation
- delaying things until the chain snaps
And when it collapses, sellers can be left with wasted months and real costs (legal fees, searches, surveys on an onward purchase, etc.). The HomeOwners Alliance has published research showing many sellers lose money when a sale falls through.
What is SecureMove?
SecureMove is Nicholson’s system designed to make property transactions faster and far more reliable by combining two key things:
1) A Buyer Information Pack (prepared upfront)
At Nicholsons Estate Agents, the process begins building the Buyer Information Pack as soon as we’re instructed. It’s designed to give buyers and their solicitors what they need to make informed decisions at the point the offer is accepted, so potential issues are tackled immediately, not weeks later. The pack includes items such as:
- TA6 Property Information Form
- TA10 Fixtures & Contents
- Land Registry title/plan/deeds
- Local authority search
- Environmental search
- Water & drainage search (plus mining search where applicable)
2) A Law Society-approved Reservation Agreement
Once an offer is agreed, buyer and seller sign a reservation agreement and the property is formally withdrawn from the market. This agreement is designed to stop either party from simply walking away or trying to renegotiate the price after acceptance.
If someone breaks the agreement without justified reason, compensation is payable, and £1,000 is awarded to the innocent party to help cover wasted costs such as abortive legal fees.
The agreement is handled by a third-party who guarantees the compensation payment and provides legal support if questions arise.
SecureMove vs “Hope for the Best” (simple comparison)
✅ Certainty
Hope for the best: either party can withdraw before exchange, often with no compensation.
SecureMove: reservation agreement adds commitment + £1,000 compensation if someone withdraws without justified reason.
✅ Speed
Hope for the best: legal work typically starts after the sale is agreed.
SecureMove: much of the legal work is completed upfront; searches are ordered on day of instruction and are transferable to the buyer.
✅ Reduced fall-through risk
Hope for the best: nationally, a significant proportion of agreed sales fail to reach exchange (and research estimates run into the hundreds of thousands each year).
SecureMove: Nicholson’s state this reduces our fall-through rate to around 1 in 20.
Why fall-throughs happen (and why sellers get caught out)
Most collapsed sales come down to a few predictable triggers:
- Buyer gets cold feet
- Mortgage issues after valuation/survey
- Chain problems
- Late renegotiation attempts
And the longer the process drags on, the more chance something derails. That’s why speeding up the legal process and adding commitment early can make such a difference.
The real benefit: you don’t just get an offer… you get a completion plan
With SecureMove, you’re not relying on a handshake and good intentions. You’re:
- front-loading the legal work
- reducing surprises later
- creating a clear expectation of progress
- protecting yourself against time-wasters and tactical renegotiators
FAQs
Can a buyer pull out after an offer is accepted in England?
Yes. In England, until contracts are exchanged, a buyer (or seller) can withdraw, and there’s typically no automatic compensation for the innocent party.
What is a reservation agreement when selling a house?
A reservation agreement is an agreement between buyer and seller designed to create commitment before exchange. With SecureMove, Nicholson’s use a Law Society-approved reservation agreement that includes compensation if either party withdraws without justified reason.
Does SecureMove stop gazumping or gazundering?
It’s designed to reduce the risk of both:
- gazumping (seller accepting another offer later)
- gazundering (buyer attempting a late price drop)
Because both parties sign an agreement and the home is withdrawn from the market, with penalties/compensation if someone breaks it without justified reason.
Who pays for SecureMove?
Nicholson’s cover the upfront cost of setting up the reservation agreement and the upfront costs of the Buyer Information Pack, and once an offer is accepted, the buyer is charged for the searches (a fee they would ordinarily pay via their solicitor).
How much compensation does SecureMove provide if the sale collapses?
SecureMove provides £1,000 compensation to the innocent party if the other side withdraws without a justified reason, to help cover costs such as abortive legal fees.
The takeaway
If you’re selling, the biggest mistake is assuming “Sold STC” means “sold”.
Hope for the best leaves you exposed to delays, cold feet, chains snapping, and last-minute renegotiation.
SecureMove is built to do the opposite: speed up the process, reduce fall-throughs, and give you real protection and peace of mind.
Thinking of selling in Bassetlaw?
If you want a sale that’s built to complete (not just go under offer), we’ll talk you through SecureMove and create a clear plan from day one.
📞 Retford: 01777 808777 | Worksop: 01909 492299
Or book a no-obligation valuation below or by clicking here.
