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AIBU?

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Original poster

Bathroom comes with the house??!!

607 replies

greencygnets · 29/07/2018 12:10

So DH and I have just bought a new house (not brand new but new to us :)) and it cost us a lot of money (far more than a care to admit! :))
We moved in yesterday, the house is perfect except for one thing...

They've taken the bloody bathroom with them!!!!

One of the two main bathrooms upstairs is literally empty, like I don't mean just the furniture which you obviously take with you. But they've taken the bath, sink and shower!!!!

The room is tiled but theres random pipes sticking out of walls where these things should be!! The only thing left is the toilet. I honestly don't know what to do... We were going to redo the bathroom anyway at some point but never told this to anybody and weren't planning to do so until at least November/December time but now we don't have a choice!!

The kids come home from the holiday with my in-laws on Tuesday and we've got no bathroom for them!!!!

AIBU to think that the bathroom comes with the house, or is it totally reasonable to take the bathroom with you to your new house??!!

OP posts:
BrokenWing · 29/07/2018 13:23

Make sure when you are compensated you don't just accept the cost of a new bath, e.g. the walls may need to be retiled for the new bath, the flooring might not fit or be damaged when wall tiles removed.

A friend recently claimed for a cracked bath on insurance and the loss adjustor allowed them retiling, reflooring, new sink etc (4 days in hotel while being fitted as only bathroom in house) as it is all interconnected in a bathroom. You shouldn't be out of pocket for this to be put right.

LeslieKnopefan · 29/07/2018 13:24

Yes and don't say you were thinking of re doing the bathroom anyway. Go in hard with your solicitor

SimonBridges · 29/07/2018 13:28

I don't understand this at all. You can't complete on a Saturday surely?

I moved in on a Saturday. However we completed on the Friday, it was just easier for us to move on the Saturday.

TheOxymoron · 29/07/2018 13:32

There should have been a fixtures and fittings list as part of the sale.
Also, how was the property at the point of exchange as that is the condition the completion should take place in.

billybagpuss · 29/07/2018 13:34

Unbelievable, I think they'll probably have to compensate you financially which is good if you planning on changing it anyway.

Have you checked the F&F?

FrayedHem · 29/07/2018 13:35

What awful behaviour. I do wonder of the thought pattern here. They must surely know you'll be on to the solicitors. The owners' of our house were late moving out and had to leave some stuff here to collect the next day as they couldn't fit it all on the removals. But they were so apologetic and left us a bottle of champagne.

A small paddling pool may do for an interim bath for the children.

RebootYourEngine · 29/07/2018 13:36

What CFs.

fartyghost · 29/07/2018 13:36

I once took all of the built in appliances but it was clearly stated on the fixtures and fittings form. Mind you, that was only because the buyer was offering a stupidly low price which I had no choice but to accept. I took everything I possibly could as a result.

SimonBridges · 29/07/2018 13:37

Get a proper tin bath.
The weather is warm enough and at that age they won’t mind too much.

Fruitbatdancer · 29/07/2018 13:41

We bought from a Dutch couple and when we moved in they had taken every celining rose and light switch. From a 3 story town house. Madness. It was a nightmare. Luckily my dad is a bit handy and went straight to b & q.
I now feel like we got off lightly!

OVienna · 29/07/2018 13:43

Yes but simon it sounds to me like in this situation the sellers were controlling the OPs access to the property. That they weren't allowed to move in until Saturday because the sellers were moving out. They would have completed on Friday probably during the course of the day. When did they get the keys and if the seller was on the property for a significant amount of time post completion why was that? They could have been doing all sorts. They seemingly were!

Pippylou · 29/07/2018 13:43

This is the point of the F & F and PIF forms, defo straight onto both the estate agent and solicitors, with pics.

Justinonmybroomstick · 29/07/2018 13:45

A bit whole what?

A bit?

Maverick66 · 29/07/2018 13:46

Fixtures and fittings covers everything that wouldn't move if your house was turned upside down.
A bathroom is definitely not something the vendors take with them.

Murinae · 29/07/2018 13:51

We bought a house in Holland and here it’s normal to take all the light fittings and just leave bare wires hanging. It’s normal to move into a rented flat like that too. They did leave us the bathroom and kitchen though. I checked with the owners beforehand if they would take the kitchen or not.

lapenguin · 29/07/2018 13:51

Oh god! At least you'll get a new bathroom!
If the weather picks up again next week you could get a paddling pool out and wash them in that 😂 joking 😂... Although...

BarbaraofSevillle · 29/07/2018 13:53

I have no idea why they were so determined that they had to move out on the Friday and us in on Saturday

Well obviously they didn't want you parked outside while they or their removers were walking out of the house with the bath Grin.

Now I know why the house fixtures and fittings lists and contracts contain such detailed lists and clear statements about the vendors and any other adults in the house such as lodgers and adult DCs moving out by completion day.

All stuff that is blindingly obvious to most people but you have to allow for the cheekiest of CFs.

raviolidreaming · 29/07/2018 13:58

Once the house is sold it's yours, as others have said. You'd be insuring them in it and who would do that?

Indeed. Had your solicitor documented anywhere the agreement to move in on Saturday?

Bluelady · 29/07/2018 13:58

When it comes to negotiating compensation I'd refuse to have the old fittings back on the basis that removal has probably damaged them. Make them cough up for your dream bathroom, OP.

HettySunshine · 29/07/2018 13:59

I had a client last week who was buying an ex rental property. He turned up to move in and the tenant was still there.

She'd been told by the seller she had until the end of the month to move out! She had of course paid a month's rent to the seller for the whole of July. Our client is going through litigation as we speak.

If the bath, shower and sink are on the fitting and contents form then they're yours. Speak to your solicitor in the morning. They will speak to your sellers' solicitors. However, if the sellers refuse to engage with their solicitors you will probably need to speak to a litigation lawyer.

SchadenfreudePersonified · 29/07/2018 14:01

Every time I move house I usually take the roof tiles, all the radiators and most of the walls with me to my new house (they may come in handy)

Don't forget the wallpaper Shagger

I find that if you use drawing pins rather than paste to attach it to the walls you can remove and then re-hang it in your new home with very little effort.

Buteo · 29/07/2018 14:01

Once you've completed you can move in whenever you like, subject to your insurance company's terms regarding unoccupied properties.

Inertia · 29/07/2018 14:05

I don’t understand how they could dictate when you moved in- once you completed, the house was yours. They can move out when they like beforehand, but if the sale was completed at (say) 1pm Friday, the house was yours from then onwards. As Barbara says above, they clocked that you are perhaps not seasoned house buyers, and they didn’t want you on the scene while they stole the bathroom you paid for.

OVienna · 29/07/2018 14:07

hetty how would vacant possession usually be confirmed prior to exchange of contracts? I'm guessing one would do that before completion as you'd want to know of just such an issue?

NicoAndTheNiners · 29/07/2018 14:07

When I bought the current house the fuckers took the gas oven after telling me they’d leave it. I couldn’t be arsed to go to the solicitor as the oven was circa 1960s. But I was just annoyed that I had no cooking facilities apart from a microwave.

They also took shelves and left holes in the wall where the rawl plugs had been which again they’re not supposed to do. I believe they can take shelves if they fill in the holes and paint but not to leave holes as then you end up having to redecorate the entire room as no matching paint!