House purchase - things being left which we don't want

[Loueytb3]

In the process of buying a house. The vendor has said he is going to leave a trampoline and a swing in the garden (it's literally just the frame, no swing is attached). We don't want either – we already have a trampoline which will be moving with us. They will be a hassle for us to remove them. As buyers – can we stipulate that the vendor removes them before we complete? He is also leaving various other things inside the house but I have not come across this situation before.

[IAmcuriousyellow]

I think your solicitor will organise it that they have to leave the house clear of everything which isn't detailed in the long list of fixtures and fittings. Talk to them and ask them to put it in the contract.

[wheresmyphone]

There will usually be a clause saying it in the contract but given vendor already warned you there is going to be a potential issue get solicitor to make it very explicit.

[SingingBabooshkaBadly]

Ask your solicitor to make it clear these items have to be removed on completion. It's not ok for anyone selling a house to just decide to leave whatever old junk they can't be bothered to take or dispose of!

[iknowimcoming]

Agree tell solicitor to clarify and suggest dropping the offer price to cover your costs of disposing the unwanted items if that's preferable to the vendor.

[wowfudge]

Just say you don't want them and want them to be removed. The vendors should organise a skip if they can't dispose of them themselves.

[Cacofonix]

Yes get your solicitor to be very clear. A few houses ago our vendors tried to leave us their cat!

[neonpidgwidgeon]

When we moved we had all sorts of shite left. Vendors clearly didn't want to deal with it themselves. House was filthy too. We got a skip. Annoying!

[Tinselistacky]

When my friend left fitted wardrobes that thenew folk didn't want they skipped it and sent her a bill for the removal.
I mean who would do that??

[SkyIsTooHigh]

The swing will be concreted in probably and will be a pain to remove.

Stipulate they need to take them through your solicitor. There is a risk they will get pissy about it and take the light bulbs, curtain rails and towel rails to spite you though. If they are also leaving some stuff you want without charging you extra, it might be easier in the long run to suck it up.

[GETTINGLIKEMYMOTHER]

When buying a flat some years ago I suspected that the vendor was going to leave a load of stuff - mostly rubbish - although id made it clear that I wanted the place empty.
I told the estate agent that I was NOT going to complete unless he cleared the place completely - I didn't see why I should have to pay someone else to take his junk away.

I arrang
Ed to meet the EA at the property shortly before scheduled completion time, i.e. before the money was paid over.
Sure enough, he had left a manky old sofa and all sort of rubbish.

I refused to complete until he cleared it - it delayed us by half day. Vendor was not happy, but tough, it was his own fault.

Put your foot down, OP, it's up to your vendors to get rid of stuff they won't be taking, if you don't want it.

[therealreason]

I'm a property solicitor - ask your solicitor to have the seller's solicitor confirm in writing that the items will be removed prior to completion.

Even better, ask to have it removed prior to exchange of contracts - that way you can arrange a viewing right before exchange (on the day of or day before) to satisfy yourself that everything has been removed as agreed before you commit to buy the house.

I see tonnes of sellers agree to get rid of things and then they don't bother on the day!

[Alicetherabbit]

Surely the fitted wardrobes are part of the house and should be left, much like a fitted kitchen or bathroom? Surprised they could claim costs back for that.

[Loueytb3]

Update - we went back to the house over the weekend to look at the trampoline and swing in case we changed our mind. But the swing is concreted into the ground and would be a pain to move and the trampoline is tatty. So we have asked our solicitor to request that they are removed prior to completion. Will see what the vendor says. It's a tricky one because he is leaving other things in the house which are useful so we don't want him to throw his toys out of the pram over this.

[Allaboutthatcake]

Sounds tricky! Especially concrete swings...

[johnd2]

Agreed you have to get it all written in legally, get your solicitor to hold a retention if possibly to cover the cost of removing anything, until you have checked after completion.
In our case the house was clear but the previous owner bought it to rent out and had builders clear or. The junk was mainly left over from the old couple before them - a bit in the loft but loads in the garage, greenhouse, shed, and generally dumped in the overgrown area at the bottom of the garden.
In the end we filled the bin every week for over three months and got rid of the majority that way, but at least the house was clear and we would have paid more if everything was perfect!

[Loueytb3]

Update - vendor agreed to remove them and I went back to the house yesterday (for an unrelated reason) and they've already gone!

[raglansleeve]

We moved into a house many years ago and the previous owners had left piles of tat, including a filing cabinet filled with profiles of people who had signed up to their dating agency (this was pre-internet days). We spent a hilarious afternoon looking through these files before having a massive bonfire and burning them.

It appeared that the previous owners had also run swingers parties, so we spent several months expecting random people knocking at the door and looking for a bowl in which to leave their car keys............