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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

To think previous owners of our new house were being unreasonable?

261 replies

TheGrumpyAccountant · 08/08/2025 21:11

Today was moving day. Having sold our house, we packed up and cleaned yesterday so that we could do a final clean/take last minute stuff today. All of our belongings were out and being stored as of yesterday afternoon. We handed in keys at 10.30am this morning and our funds were transferred to the solicitor of our sellers before 11am. At 1.15pm we were told that we could collect the keys to our new house from their solicitors. When we arrived at the new house the previous occupants were just ‘chilling’ in the house (despite having meant to have handed all keys to their solicitors). Standing with my toddler and newborn, when I (very politely) spoke to them they said that they had not yet been told they could collect their keys for their new house and so refused to leave until they knew they had somewhere to go as if something went wrong they’d have nowhere to go. I pointed out that if they don’t leave WE would have nowhere to go. After some quick calls to lawyers they were told they had to leave, so they eventually did.

We are in Scotland in case that makes any difference to legalities etc.

AIBU to this that they were unreasonable in this situation? They’ve really taken the shine off of moving day for me since it all got quite tense and stressy. We are also in the new house over 2 hours later than we could have been.

OP posts:
PlacidPenelope · 08/08/2025 21:21

FWIW, I wouldn’t leave my house until I got the completion call from my solicitor either.

It is no longer your house Didimum once the buyers have paid for it, it is their house. If you have nowhere to go because your payment for the house you are purchasing has not gone through then that is your tough luck you no longer own the property you have sold and have no business being in there.

Didimum · 08/08/2025 21:20

W0tnow · 08/08/2025 21:19

But it wouldn’t be your house, would it?

Until you’ve had your completion call, you don’t know you’ve completed. As above, it is supposed to move from top of chain down for this very reason. Solicitors’ error.

fthisfthatfeverything · 08/08/2025 21:20

If u paid for it, it was your house they were in …

Didimum · 08/08/2025 21:19

Whyx · 08/08/2025 21:18

Shocked that anyone would think this was ok. Pure cheeky fuckery!

(I think) The house was legally yours. Their onward chain had nothing to do with you at that point!

In a chain, it’s meant to move from top down. The solicitors are supposed to communicate with each other from top down.

W0tnow · 08/08/2025 21:19

Didimum · 08/08/2025 21:15

Bit of a mountain out of a molehill, OP. Everything ended up fine.

FWIW, I wouldn’t leave my house until I got the completion call from my solicitor either.

Edited

But it wouldn’t be your house, would it?

Blimeyblighty · 08/08/2025 21:18

Cadenza12 · 08/08/2025 21:17

A relative moved only to find that the sellers had to be woken by the Agents at 10.30 am and told to get a move on. They had barely packed and relative ended up moving in while they were still faffing about. That's stress.

when we moved in our sellers hadn’t even finished packing!! In the end our movers put their crap in the garage and they spent the next few days going backwards & forwards with a van taking it away…

Didimum · 08/08/2025 21:18

TheGrumpyAccountant · 08/08/2025 21:17

in the end it was their solicitor that told them they had to leave

They clearly hadn’t been told that before you arrived though.

Whyx · 08/08/2025 21:18

Shocked that anyone would think this was ok. Pure cheeky fuckery!

(I think) The house was legally yours. Their onward chain had nothing to do with you at that point!

Cadenza12 · 08/08/2025 21:17

A relative moved only to find that the sellers had to be woken by the Agents at 10.30 am and told to get a move on. They had barely packed and relative ended up moving in while they were still faffing about. That's stress.

TheGrumpyAccountant · 08/08/2025 21:17

Didimum · 08/08/2025 21:15

Bit of a mountain out of a molehill, OP. Everything ended up fine.

FWIW, I wouldn’t leave my house until I got the completion call from my solicitor either.

Edited

in the end it was their solicitor that told them they had to leave

OP posts:
Didimum · 08/08/2025 21:15

Bit of a mountain out of a molehill, OP. Everything ended up fine.

FWIW, I wouldn’t leave my house until I got the completion call from my solicitor either.

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