To say no to this viewing

[SSpidge]

DH and I exchanged contracts for our house move a couple of weeks ago. Completion date is next Wednesday.

Today the buyer has asked if he can come the day before completion with a builder to get a quote for a new kitchen. He has already been round twice to measure up and once (without warning) with a tradesperson to quote for the kitchen. All these times he turned up with family and/or friends and stayed for about 1.5 - 2 hours.

The house is really tiny and we will have boxes cluttering up the place plus an 8 month old DC.

AIBU to say no to this viewing?

@Drizzlehair

My solicitor advises at least 2 viewings before exchange, and 1 viewing between exchange and completion. Where possible.

It served us well, as once, the CF sellers had removed a couple of pricey items that they'd said were included. Checking after exchange meant we could bring it up.

My solicitor delayed completion until the items were put back; if we'd have just moved in and not noticed until then, there would have been little we could do.

It's not infallible, of course, but it can help in some situations, especially when you have stipulated exchanging on vacant possession, for example.

Put all your boxes into the kitchen . Fill it up! Then say he can come over.

Why has he got your contact details? Tell him and agent no.

Is he a first time buyer? I have dealt with some very naive twenty somethings who have no understanding of the process, or respect for who actually owns the house!!

Tell him no, he has had ample access to the house.

Some people are not really that aware of the legal situation. When we moved into property B a month before completion of sale of property A (the move to B was not reliant on sale of property A) the buyers of property A who were in the same village thought this meant they could move into property A as soon as it was empty and arrived smiling one Friday morning with vans and relatives armed with cleaning kit and paint tins. It was very embarrassing for them to be told (as they moved in around our possessions) that the property was not available until completion because we were letting it unfurnished to a local activity group hosting a summer camp.

Tell him you've been more than accommodating with his extra viewings and you are happy to leave it until he moves in.
If he says anything else, you are busy and have to go.

While these people were incredibly naive and clearly hadn’t talked to their solicitor, imagine hearing the house you are re buying is being let out for a month to Ben used as a summer camp! I would be in total panic mode. The place could be trashed

I have also been advised to view between exchange and completion as effectively you are buying a house 'sold as seen' so if they have done anything major, taken down anything they shouldn't have, knocked walls down etc you can raise it.

@Noodledoodledoo we were told to view before exchange as at that point you are committed to buy. We were told our property has to be in the same condition as it was at exchange of contracts. So any damage/alterations between exchange and completion would be breach of contract but if it was there before exchange then that's the "sold as seen" part. Maybe we were told this as the property we are buying is empty and was uninsured.

For this situation it is irrelevant as that is not why they want to come and view (well, not what he's told me anyway) and he has has a couple of weeks to arrange a viewing anyway.

@Dippypippy1980 yes he is

@Missingstreetlife they have my number as they wanted to arrange a viewing and thought it would be easier to arrange rather than going back and forth through EA.

Just ignore further messages and let him deal with EA. If EA contacts you say no.

That's your mistake then

@Gertie75 I'm glad you clarified that as I didn't remember being asked if the kids were part of the fixtures and fittings

@Missingstreetlife not really a mistake. It's helped move the sale forward and if he hadn't have messaged me I assume he would have just called the EA. Him having my number is not the issue, the last minute viewing is.