Bought house but they’re still in it now!

Did they not have to surrender the keys? It’s a piss take - it’s like selling a car but saying you’ll hang on to it for the rest of the day

I'd be rounding up all my heavy friends...

This exact thing happened to me, I was furious, but even more angry when I discovered they had found the time to remove several light fittings leaving bare wires for my then children to play with. 😱Eventually I told them time had run out, I threw them out and told them to come back tomorrow for the rest of their things. They left a dirty minging house, a full attic, a full garage and more crap on the drive. It took 3 skips to get rid of the leftover crap and weeks to get it properly clean. I’m still furious 8 years later. My solicitor said I could have sued to get the skip money back but I was so sick of the whole drama that I just wanted to put it behind me and move on. I should have sued though. Honestly, so RUDE! 😡

Agree with all the comments saying take pictures of them still in situ and send them to the estate agent and solicitor tonight so that you have evidence in the form of a time stamped paper trail.

They are in breech of contract and you can reasonably sue for additional costs like hotel, storage, additional payment to removal firm, etc.

Would your movers be willing to help pack the house up to get things moving faster? You can ask the occupants to sign something to say that they accept liability for anything damaged and you can give the bill to your solicitors to pass on.

Big girl pants time, OP.

Be firm and tell them you’ll be moving in without further delay!

Can they move their stuff into the garage while you move your stuff in to the rest of the house?

Take possession of your house. They can come back to collect anything not removed

Really the previous owners should go to a hotel, not the new owners.

Why buy a house and sleep in a hotel ?

This. And mean it

Oh I would be furious, lazy selfish wankers.

At 6.00 o'clock in the evening you have already given them 4 extra hours. I would definetly expect to go into the property as its now your house.
I would prioritise which rooms you want them to be empty now with rest complete by 8.00

A few hours very understandable at this time no ..phone the police and get them removed from your house.

I’d also be getting a locksmith out and charging them storage CF.

You insist their van is moved to the road outside your house. Your park YOUR vehicle on YOUR drive and you go inside.

Insist they clear the children's rooms immediately if they aren't already. Then start moving your things into those bedrooms so your kids will have beds tonight, while they fanny aqbout with their crap downstairs. You don't have to wait until 8pm to do this. Their inadequacy isn't your responsibility to accommodate.

It's unbelievably common. So many people have absolutely no clue how much crap they own and how long clearing out and packing will take. They are obviously not going to be leaving it in a decent state, either, because they haven't left enough time to pack never mind clean, and that's incredibly frustrating.

When we moved into our first house, the seller's dad was helping them move out and he accidentally dropped the van keys in the back of the van under the boxes. This delayed them by 4 hours until it was discovered - she was in tears, he was threatening to murder his dad, the dad was embarrassed as hell and making it worse by faffing.

Deep breaths, OP.

Depends on kids ages but I wouldn't want them round arguments and any possible aggression from the sellers.

I'd want them elsewhere till teen years - before I got really bloody angry at the sellers and started moving their shit out my house.

Ask them if they will pay for your whole family to spend the night in a hotel. Three separate bedrooms. Hopefully that will focus their minds a bit.

can you reclaim any money you incur due to them not completeing with vacant property?

Yes. Easily. However (as noted) there is a duty to minimize the expense to the other party.

Did your solicitor say anything before they closed - can you reclaim any money you incur due to them not completeing with vacant property?

As you have kids I might look at a cheap hotel room for the night to get them settled or family if near by. It's easier to get stick in and start kicking them out without kids there but this is why I hate them compelting on a Friday - no-one there till Monday to do anything - estate agents may be there Saturday.

Sometimes I wish this would happen to me so I could unleash years of Pent hp rage 😂. But seriously, throw their stuff out of YOUR house. Or sell it. Don’t be a push over.

If you have keys, just walk in. Explain you need to move in tonight at 7pm. They can stash what they haven’t packed in one room and then return tomorrow. Do not let them stay overnight as you may struggle to get them out. Any aggression, call the police as they are already trespassing.
They should have let their solicitor and the estate agent know they were not going to meet the time dead line. No excuse.

Email solicitor and estate agents to make them aware of whatever happens .
Go round now and move in. They need to be out . Document all and any actions and in the case of damage and email to solicitor . I'd cover my back incase they damage anything. I'd also be asking the solicitor and estate agents on Monday to be having words.

Why should the buyers get a hotel room??
It’s the sellers who need to do that…they’re the ones who have royally fxxxed up.

As annoying as it is id go and check into a hotel for the night. You could sit at the end of the driveway demanding they leave now but if they're not packed up that's just not going to happen,. you'll end up getting more stressed out as time ticks by & the kids will be bored stiff . Find a hotel, have some food and a few drinks and tell them you'll be back at 9am.

If they’ve got a van outside the house they are at least heading to leaving. I’d be more worried if they hadn’t. I think it’s absolutely right to start unpacking and getting your kids settled if you don’t think the situation will freak them out. Hopefully that’ll accelerate the pace further - and I’d personally offer to help if it moves them out quicker but that’s not what everyone would do.

A friend bought a house once and turned up with all her things to find the current owners in situ totally as usually with nothing packed. They told her they didn’t think the sale meant they needed to leave immediately and they’d booked to move the following day as they didn’t want to move on a Friday. There was absolutely nothing she could do that she felt comfortable doing (it was late afternoon) but they did at least bugger off the following day.

I'd be there right now. No way would I give them until 8!!