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AIBU?

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Original poster

To think they should let us in!?

79 replies

akennyg · 26/03/2015 10:46

Hi there,

We exchanged last week on a family house and have set completion for 8th April. We made a good offer because we love the house (although we might have been able to get a little more off the price as we are cash, chain free buyers).

Annoyingly, had a bit of a run in at negotiation stage with the vendors as they wanted to charge £450 to leave the (bolted on, extremely ordinary) bathroom mirrors. We felt we had paid more than fairly to have the house as it is, and as the mirrors were mentioned as a selling point in the particulars we insisted that they be included.

The vendor agreed, and exchange happened last week. Since then, the agent has told us the lady is really angry and emotional about the mirror situation, as those mirrors were expensive. They are ignoring calls from the agent asking if we can have a quick look at the house now we will be living there. The agent has said she is shocked they are not returning calls.

We sent a really nice email to them two nights ago basically saying how happy and excited we are, sorry the negotiations became difficult, its so hard between middle people and at a stressful time...wishing them well and mentioning it would be really great to be able to see the place, and possibly meet them to make the whole process a bit more human after so much paperwork.

No response has come back.

And now I don't really know what to do. My main concern isnt really going in (although of course we want to) but that if they are being mean about this, what are they going to do when they leave...will we find items broken or stained or things missing that weren't on the particulars but go with the property like the made to measure drawer inserts etc?

Am i being unreasonable expecting or rather hoping to get into the property? I appreciate they are busy but a half hour visit with the agent when they're not in would make all the difference and would be a kind thing to allow. Isn't this the done thing? It's my first time but thats what everyone tells me. And why did they get so mad about bathroom mirrors, which was essentially getting mad about not getting £450 or having to rip mirrors off wall and pay a builder to make good on the holes and mess left behind? Bahhh!

OP posts:
bilbodog · 26/03/2015 14:43

It is not unreasonable to want to go round and see a house you are about to buy. I work in EA and we arrange this all the time. Most people are fairly OK about it. I would speak to the EA and see if they can arrange to take you round when the owners aren't there. If the owners really wont let you in then there is nothing you can do except wait for completion. Hopefully they wont have damaged anything - not many people do this. Good luck.

Original poster
akennyg · 26/03/2015 20:02

Well, we have lived and learnt-will go back all we need to before exchange next time. They rushed exchange forward, so there wasn't much time. Ah well hopefully we are being paranoid and all will be well.

OP posts:
CloserToFiftyThanTwenty · 26/03/2015 20:06

I've allowed entry for measuring up etcetera lots of times, bit only when convenient for me. It is a nice thing to do

Paintedpinksapphires · 26/03/2015 20:17

It's not unreasonable to ask to make a quick measuring for curtains type visit but neither is it unreasonable for them to decline.

It is however unreasonable for you to want to go to what is still their home and take lots of photographs in case they commit damage!!!

This is a purely business transaction. It's stressful yes, but you have to step away from the emotion - you don't need to meet them, 'put a human face on things' or anything if the sort.

You are buying a house, not making friends.

DancingDinosaur · 26/03/2015 20:21

Bit tight of them, but not much you can do. I've always been allowed a second look when buying, and I've always let people do the same.

Flingingmelon · 26/03/2015 20:31

This is exactly what happened to me.

Deep breath, it'll all be history in six months. Wink

miniavenger · 26/03/2015 21:02

This is probably their way of 'sticking it to you OP' better then my friend's last people who left something unpleasant in the room.

YANBU to want to be let in but they ANBU not too. If it's being rushed through then they are probably stressed and busy with their new place, moving and sorting things.

hiccupgirl · 26/03/2015 21:12

I don't think it's normal to expect to have access to a house between exchange and completion. I've never heard of it happening and we def didn't expect it when we bought our house or flat before that.

I would guess the owners are probably thinking it's tough now, you've exchanged and can't pull out so why should they be accommodating. Or they're busy packing madly. As to the mirrors, they were out of order if they were included on the fixtures list but people do odd things. The previous owners of our house kept asking us if we wanted to buy the wardrobes for £250. We didn't and told them over and over. We moved in to find they'd left them anyway because it was too much effort to get them out of the bedrooms. We had that fun instead!

Pickle131 · 26/03/2015 21:14

When I bought my house I viewed it once. We just knew. And I didn't want to piss the vendor off by going back to measure for curtains or whatever. All that can be done once you're in. It's not at all unusual to want to view again before exchange. But if you don't have an actual reason to want to do so, particularly after exchange, why ask when you've already committed to buy? I think it is unreasonable to put them out when you don't need to. A viewing isn't just a quick half hour, it's actually a stressful tidy up for most people. And - I remember it well - very inconvenient. YABU.

Quitelikely · 26/03/2015 21:20

Op

You are absolutely not being unreasonable wanting to view the house again!

Please take it from me your request is absolutely understandable and reasonable.

Check your FIXTURES and FITTINGS list that you will almost certainly have if you have completed.

See if they are on there.

What a spiteful woman!

BackforGood · 26/03/2015 21:32

I must have been very lucky with my property purchases then - I remember asking the folk we bought this house off if I could pop round when it was convenient and she showed me things like how the boiler and heating system worked, where the stopcock is, which keys do what, and so forth. I would be very happy to do that for anyone buying off me. Just makes life a bit easier all round.

MidniteScribbler · 26/03/2015 21:46

In Australia, you do a pre settlement inspection, usually the day of settlement or a day or so before (preferably when the owner has vacated) to check fittings etc. but I would refuse other visits between contract and settlement. I'm busy, there's going to be stuff everywhere, and it's not my job to let the buyer poke around at that point. Inspections are a pain, having to get six dogs locked up or out of the house, the feeling that you should make sure the house is presentable. You get a feel for the house before you buy it, not expect the owner to accommodate you traipsing through their home before settlement.

Original poster
akennyg · 27/03/2015 10:46

Well, I see what you mean, but they are doing up their new house between exchange and completion because we agreed to bring exchange forward. So they're not at the house much at all.

OP posts:
worridmum · 27/03/2015 10:53

what was mentioned on the inventory if it just stated bathroom mirrors etc they can quite legally remove the nice mirrors and repliace we horrid cheapo ones (unless in the list speificies the type of mirror) we found out this the hardway with a house buy it said kictern fittings / bathroom fittings included (it was a very very lovely marble finish kicthen / bathroom set) but to our horror when we moved in the lovely marble finished stuff had been replaced by cheap fittings (which while totally fitted correctly / functioning we quired with solicitor and basically becasue the listing did not speically the excat fittings they were within their rights to replace the fitting with other fittings aslong as they were not damaged and where fully funicational)

Original poster
akennyg · 27/03/2015 18:33

Oh no. No I'm thinking they're not letting us in because they're replacing everything with rubbish versions! The mirrors are big standard rectangular mirrors so a cheaper replacement would look pretty much the same. Kitchen would be a blow though...

OP posts:
MirandaGoshawk · 27/03/2015 18:41

I think they are BU. Maybe they're finding leaving the place hard emotionally. You were just unlucky. We saw our place four times before we moved in! But not long now and you'll be in there. Bathroom mirrors are cheap in places like B&Q. Not worht stressing over.

Original poster
akennyg · 30/03/2015 11:17

Our solicitor has now advised us to let them send a letter to vendor basically saying "we will be proceeding as planned for completion day but the buyers will need to see the property on completion day before we transfer the funds"

Will this just get their backs up even more?

OP posts:
BaronessBomburst · 30/03/2015 12:12

Well, what are you going to do if the mirrors are missing? Not complete? Delay completion?

londonrach · 30/03/2015 12:14

Before you say that ask yourself what will you do if the mirrors are missing, are you going to still complete or pull out?

londonrach · 30/03/2015 12:15

X posted

WizardOfToss · 30/03/2015 12:29

This reply has been deleted

Message withdrawn at poster's request.

GiddyOnZackHunt · 30/03/2015 12:39

No don't bother with the letter as pp have said. Not completing would cost far more than 450 and if there's any costly damage then you sort it out after completion.
You're getting a bit obsessive about this. You're spending thousands on the house but fretting over pennies. Keep that in perspective!

Feckeggblue · 30/03/2015 12:50

Some people do ask for access after offer accepted and some people do grant it but i wouldn't allow anyone in my house or ask for access myself. It's their house. If she's finding it hard to move this is probably making her feel more out of control.

Unfortunately you don't hold any power here- why would they let you in? You're not going to pull out and if you do great for them- they'll get a financial compensation from your deposit and can sell to someone else!

As pp said, they can remove the mirrors and replace if they're on F&f. If not they will just take them. I don't really see what the problem is

I would never buy anything from
The seller. Ime they want to sell stuff which is problematic for them to move and there is a good chance they'll leave it anyway

Original poster
akennyg · 30/03/2015 13:22

Absolutely take all your points and admit I am letting my imagination run away with me. Ironically my panic is that they will not be nice people and will do something horrible, I don't care intrinsically about the mirrors. There's actually nothing they could do which would be awful.

Lawyer and agent have both said they are shocked at the vendors pettiness and it's made me worry that it's unusual, that they're disproportionately bitter. But as many pp have said what does it matter, it's a business deal and that's it.

OP posts:
mynewpassion · 30/03/2015 13:31

Your lawyer and agent did a disservice to you. They should have made it a condition in the contract. They assumed that the current owners will let you in at any time. Now they are just covering their asses.

Chalk it up as a learning experience.