Active discussions

Meet the Other Phone. Protection built in.

Meet the Other Phone.
Protection built in.

Buy now

Please or to access all these features

Talk
AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

Original poster

To think this buyer is being totally and utterly unreasonable?

164 replies

stillpinching · 12/03/2018 18:49

I am so stressed about this I don't know what to do - and I now feel powerless until tomorrow at least.

We are selling a house having already moved over 100 miles away. That's been a nightmare in itself, but we are/were finally due to complete tomorrow. Just a couple of hours ago I had a phone call from the agent to say the buyer has been round today and seen 'a load of rubbish' in the garden. This is bollocks anyway - there's a table and chairs, which, while not new, are not rubbish and are perfectly usable, and a few pots. Nothing has been said before about them wanting it cleared but now they're saying they won't complete while it's there.

Me and dh have work tomorrow and can't take leave at this notice and there's no one else to ask. We are absolutely on the bones of our arse at the moment and desperately need the money from this sale. I can't stand for it to all fall through now. Can they do this? I'm not UR am I - if they had said a couple of months ago when they put the offer in they wanted it cleared we would easily have got it done by now, but we haven't got a magic wand to sort it now.

OP posts:
CatchingBabies · 12/03/2018 18:58

Sorry but as others have said it is your responsibility to ensure the house and garden are empty. Has anything been left in the house as you may have further problems once they get the keys.

SantanicoPandemonium · 12/03/2018 18:58

If they don’t complete, they’ll have huge financial penalties so they’d be stupid to hold it up over something like that. Once the house sells, you could arrange to have the stuff picked up, or wait for them to complain to their solicitor and offer them a few quid for disposal costs.

Babyplaymat · 12/03/2018 18:58

"Nothing has been said about them wanting it cleared"

Have you never bought/sold before? Cleared is the default.

FucksakeCuntingFuckingTwats · 12/03/2018 18:59

Sorry meant to say could you offer a reduction off price equivalent to cost of removal man to take to dump?

SpringHen · 12/03/2018 18:59

if they had said a couple of months ago when they put the offer in they wanted it cleared we would easily have got it done by now

They wont have said because its assumed you empty a property you're selling unless stated otherwise.

YABU

PoppyCherry · 12/03/2018 18:59

If it’s not on the fixtures and fittings list, it shouldn’t be there.

Absolutely nothing unreasonable about that!

Rach5l · 12/03/2018 19:00

Why do you assume they want your old garden furniture?Confused
And what are they supposed to do with it ??
Very rude of you imo
Anything left behind should be agreed in advance

ThroughThickAndThin01 · 12/03/2018 19:01

You need to clear it OP, it’s your responsibility.

Original poster
stillpinching · 12/03/2018 19:02

So I'm being UR it seems. I don't think there's time to go on freecycle etc now - I need this done tomorrow. Just can't believe they didn't say sooner they didn't want it. Why go round and check today at the last minute. Feels like they are trying to catch us out. They have got a bargain as well...

Agent was useless too Angry.

OP posts:
Elmosmum · 12/03/2018 19:03

You do need to get rid of it OP - bar driving up yourself then freecycle / van and man or ask a neighbour. They could be looking for excuses to pull out so I'd get it done ASAP if I was you. Alternatively knock ££ off the price and ask them to dispose of it.

JassyRadlett · 12/03/2018 19:03

if they had said a couple of months ago when they put the offer in they wanted it cleared we would easily have got it done by now

Assuming the contract stipulates vacant possession, they did say this. YABU.

DelphiniumBlue · 12/03/2018 19:04

You should have cleared it, but the fact that you haven't doesn't give them the right not to complete.
Easiest way round it is to offer a financial incentive for them to deal with it - eg £200 to cover cost of a skip and inconvenience to them.
Get your solicitor to deal with it, and ask them to make it clear that if the buyer doesn't complete, you'll be serving a completion notice immediately.

Gazelda · 12/03/2018 19:04

I'm afraid that it's you that is being totally and utterly unreasonable. Why should they be left with your unwanted stuff to dispose of?
But if I were you, I'd ask the estate agents if they could do you a massive favour and you'll bung them an extra 50quid when you settle their bill.

DalekDalekDalek · 12/03/2018 19:05

How could they have said sooner? They would have just assumed that you hadn't done it yet.

PoppyCherry · 12/03/2018 19:06

Google man and van, get them to collect and take to the skip. Pay over the phone

Job done. Confused

hurrythefuckupgeorge · 12/03/2018 19:06

Maybe they went round because they, quite rightly, expected you not to have cleared it?

Bargain or not you shouldn't have left anything.

Floralnomad · 12/03/2018 19:07

Are you sure that it’s only a table and chairs and that someone else hasn’t dumped a load of rubbish in the garden whilst the house has been empty .

WhatToDoAboutThis2017 · 12/03/2018 19:07

Just can't believe they didn't say sooner they didn't want it.

They shouldn’t have had to say; you should have cleared everything, inside and outside as default. I hope you haven’t left any surprises indoors for them.

YABVU. If you don’t even want your old crap why should they want it? And why should they have to pay and put in time and effort to remove your old crap?

WellTidy · 12/03/2018 19:07

It isn't up to the buyer to say that you should remove garden furniture and pots, regardless of the price agreed in. The onus simply isn't on them to do that. The onus is in you to remove all of those items that don't form part of the fixtures and fittings that you agreed would be left at the property prior to exchange. They really are not being unreasonable in asking that you clear the garden. It is something that they would have expected you to do. Sorry that you didn't realise this, but there is no fault at all here on your buyer's part or the agent's part.

SpringHen · 12/03/2018 19:08

Why go round and check today at the last minute.

But the fact that when theu did go round they found out it wasnt cleared shows that they were 100% justified in not trusting you

lalalonglegs · 12/03/2018 19:09

Your estate agency no doubt handles lettings and so has some maintenance company it gets in to do odd jobs, get them round to take the table and chairs away.

goodbyeeee · 12/03/2018 19:09

It's not up to them to say they don't want it if you haven't listed it as for sale on the fixtures and fittings form. It's your responsibility. I doubt they'll risk the financial penalties of not completing but if it's not practicable to move you should offer a sum to cover it's removal and see if they would accept it.

lalalonglegs · 12/03/2018 19:10

And, tbh, although you should have removed them, I think your buyers are being a bit twattish to threaten not to complete over some patio furniture Flowers.

AyeAyeFishyPie · 12/03/2018 19:10

They haven’t said anything because the assumed you would domyour part and clear it. Sorry but the rules are pretty clear. After lugging a trampoline out of our house I’m pretty pissed off with sellers who leave stuff. Its not theirs, they haven’t asked for it. Either go round or if it is in a front garden/accessible place pay for a man and van. Its your responsiblity not theirs.

Whereisthegin1978 · 12/03/2018 19:10

You're being unreasonable - why should they have to sort / clear furniture that you couldn't be bothered to (that might not be the case but it's what they are thinking?) I wouldnt hold up a sale over it but I'd be really annoyed. Not much you can do from 100 miles away unless you ask some friends from the area to sort for you or as others suggest try some of the freegle sites locally.

Swipe left for the next trending thread