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Original poster

New owner sending parcels to a house they do not own yet

105 replies

coffeeneeded · 01/12/2022 20:39

We complete on the house next Tuesday.

I have just received a sizeable package for the next owners. It came from overseas and the only option for the courier was to send it back.

My conscience got the better of me and I took it in. But I will have to give it to a neighbour to look after so it doesn't get packed up with our stuff.

House house is small- no room to store things.

Would it be awful of me to refuse any other packages that happen to arrive for them?

WWYD?

OP posts:
cosypeppermint · 01/12/2022 21:48

Just call the EA and ask them to arrange to have it picked up for safekeeping?

Priminister · 01/12/2022 22:04

What do you mean you’re ‘worried about their parcels getting accidentally packed or broken’? Surely you’d just put them in a corner then tell your packers/movers that it’s for the new owners?

It rather sounds like you’re being a bit territorial about it.

Thoughtful2355 · 01/12/2022 22:04

Happened to me in a move, i completely didnt mind. I cleared out some cupboards and put all parcels and letters in there for them. if it gets lost it isnt your issue. id maybe messsage them and say that but i can see why they did it if the item could have potentially not been delivered til after the completion date

pavillion1 · 01/12/2022 22:34

Oh god we complete in 7 days and I've started giving out new address because of Xmas , postal strikes , we've got a bday coming up too ..
to me it's more reliable with 7 days to go to use the new address then our old one .

onlythreenow · 01/12/2022 22:48

It’s really rude of them. Could you ask the estate agent to tell them to collect it as you’re over run with boxes as it is.

There's always one!

upfucked · 01/12/2022 22:51

Parcels or one parcel?

Herejustforthisone · 01/12/2022 23:33

I’d probably take it in, but I’d store it in the garden and fuck it if it gets damaged. Not my problem.

Allthegoodnamesarechosen · 01/12/2022 23:41

Well, legally you have accepted something which is not addressed to you. You don’t know what’s in it, either.

Unlike most pp, I wouldn’t accept a parcel from overseas which was not addressed to me. It’s not their house until the sale is completed, and that may still not happen ( speaking from bitter experience). So if anything else arrives, I would not take it in.

VioletPickles · 01/12/2022 23:46

I’d just be kind and accept it and put in a cupboard or similar to keep it safe. Absolutely no big deal!

2bazookas · 01/12/2022 23:56

I'd never accept unsolicited parcels from strangers abroad; could be drugs, guns.... just tell the courier "they don't live here".

Ask yourself why your buyer doesnt use the one they currently live in, or the conveyance lawyer who is acting for them.

BasiliskStare · 02/12/2022 00:03

I would probably not go down the it could be drugs or guns line . I would more keep the parcel as a pp said put a massive note on it saying Do Not Pack - Leave in House and stick it in a cupboard or somewhere out of the way . It seems to me a decent thing to do for your buyers & I am sure they will be grateful.

TooHotToRamble · 02/12/2022 00:05

It's probably a gift from someone or as it's from abroad it likely has v long lead times on delivery so they expected it to arrive after they moved in.

DNAwrangler · 02/12/2022 01:22

2bazookas · 01/12/2022 23:56

I'd never accept unsolicited parcels from strangers abroad; could be drugs, guns.... just tell the courier "they don't live here".

Ask yourself why your buyer doesnt use the one they currently live in, or the conveyance lawyer who is acting for them.

Because if they use their current address and the parcel arrives a few days later, they’ll have also sent it to someone else’s address?!

much more likely than them being criminal masterminds.

Christmasnero · 02/12/2022 01:35

I think it’s rude, if it’s one I’d accept it as a mistake.
DSIS had buyers sending furniture and ornaments weeks before they’d even exchanged, it’s poor form I think

EmmaGrundyForPM · 02/12/2022 02:32

2bazookas · 01/12/2022 23:56

I'd never accept unsolicited parcels from strangers abroad; could be drugs, guns.... just tell the courier "they don't live here".

Ask yourself why your buyer doesnt use the one they currently live in, or the conveyance lawyer who is acting for them.

Extremely unlikely to be drugs or guns (!) but even if it was, the OP wouldn't know as they're not going to be opening the parcel.

OP, I don't think it's cheeky of the new owners. We are moving next Wednesday and I've had a similar dilemma. I've ordered a present for a friend and the delivery estimate is Monday. I wondered about putting our new address down in case delivery was delayed, as we are moving 90 miles away. In the end I put our current address, but if I was ordering from.abroad I'd definitely put the new address.

I think it would be extremely mean to refuse to take a package for the buyers.

TheOnlyBeeInYourBonnet · 02/12/2022 02:38

You should already have a pile of things marked 'not to go in moving truck'.

Keys. Your handbag, overnight bags. Cleaning products for after it's emptied. Little things that go with the house e.g. weird light bulbs.

Keep the package with that stuff.

Kapalika · 02/12/2022 02:43

Oh I would just take them in but I totally get the small amount of space/storage issue. We would have the same issue here. All I can think of is a very large cardboard box to put their stuff in, very clearly labelled ‘not to be removed’. Bit of a ball ache but not insurmountable!
But just think, you'll be moving on Tuesday! Super exciting! Congratulations 😁

ChilomenaPunk · 02/12/2022 02:59

I can't recall that I knew the names of the people who bought our house when we last moved and might not have twigged that a parcel was for them and sent it away with the courier. People should really wait until they have the keys to order stuff to the house. Or at least communicate through the estate agent to ask if the current owners mind them ordering large items there. I wouldn't count on anyone being as reasonable and accommodating as the OP.

lifeinthehills · 02/12/2022 03:29

It's probably an unexpected timing thing. I'd just stick a note on it or put it out of the way somewhere.

When we moved I had professional movers coming who had been told to just take everything. After this was organised, the new people asked if they could drop some pieces of furniture early. I told them that could be okay, but the movers had been told to 'take everything', had written that down, and we wouldn't be responsible if they accidentally packed any of their things. They decided not to move anything in until we'd gone.

Toddlerteaplease · 02/12/2022 03:50

I really can't see the issue with this. It's not like they've asked you to wait in for delivery. It's a few days, not months!

TwoShades1 · 02/12/2022 03:53

I think it’s quite likely that the delivery estimate was for later after the move, or it was sent early due to the cut off dates for xmas. Postage estimates can be very random! I would put a big label on it not to pack it and put it somewhere. This close to moving (and xmas) it seems quite mean to refuse parcels unless it’s an absolute insane amount of them.

onlythreenow · 02/12/2022 06:22

You would think at age 63 I would be beyond being surprised by how strange people can be, but every few days there is a thread on MN which shows me that there are indeed some very strange people in the world. This is such a non issue and yet there are posters who seem to think this is terribly inconvenient, and that the new owners have done this just to be annoying (or to cover their criminal activities ffs). Mind boggling. How on earth do some of you navigate life if something like this sends you into such a spin Confused

FridayNightIsWineNight · 02/12/2022 07:54

It's December for goodness sake - I know it's not ideal but their either preparing for Christmas or more likely if from another country that friends or family have sent presents and they've arrived quicker than planned. It may not be the buyers fault other than telling people what their new address will be.

elevenplusdilemma · 02/12/2022 07:57

Given that it's come from abroad, my guess it's probably the sender sending / the new owner ordering Christmas presents slightly early in anticipation of delays with the mail as can often occur at this time of year. They were probably playing safe to ensure the gifts arrived before the big day and just got it a bit wrong guessing how long it would take.
I'd just place it in a shed / corner of the garage or you could even message the estate agent to ask the buyers to pop over and collect it now so it doesn't get muddled with your outgoing stuff.

gannett · 02/12/2022 08:04

Gawping at the paranoia level needed for your first thought about this to be it might be drugs or guns.

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