WIBU to cut off my nose to spite my face? (House purchase related)

[Kitchenstress]

I am a FTB and completely inexperienced, so genuinely looking for some honest feedback. I'll give as much context as I can.

I made an offer on a house £5k under the asking price. This was accepted. The house needs a lot of work.

During the viewing the estate agent said that the house was being sold as-is - so we get the good (all kitchen appliances, some old, some newer) as well as the bad (attic full of old and broken furniture, HUGE gravestone in the garden to mark where the family pet was buried).

The sellers live outside of the UK so they would have to pay to have the house cleared and it would be a hassle for them.

With one month to go until the exchange date, we got the fixtures and fittings list today and they're asking for £50 per each kitchen appliance.

This is obviously very cheap, but I plan on renovating the kitchen next year so would have to clear the old appliances out anyway. I was going to live with what was there for the time being. I would incur the cost of removing everything obviously.

I'm annoyed that they have gone back on their word. They're now saying they will call some family who are still in the UK to ask if they want the appliances and we can have anything they don't take for free. I'm biting my tongue to avoid asking sarcastically if they will also see if anyone fancies a 3ft gravestone and some broken chairs.

If they do this I want the house cleared of the broken furniture and ridiculous bloody gravestone. I will obviously have to buy new kitchen appliances sooner than planned.

DP thinks that we should just take the hit but I am incredibly annoyed. If I had known this at the beginning I would have budgeted differently and insisted the house was cleared upfront.

I would not pay them a penny and would insist the house was cleared. CF's

Do not pay, do not accept the junk in the loft - it will cost you money to get rid of it.

They don’t need to leave the appliances, I picked up ours on FB when every single fecking thing died about 6 months before we had our new kitchen fitted.

They need to clear all the alliances and the loft.

House cleared at their cost, that’s reasonable.

How was it advertised by the agent? Should be in writing.

YANBU! Just tell it to them straight. As is doesn’t mean £50 per appliance. They can leave the appliances OR clear the house, but they can’t do both. The excuse was they weren’t in the UK so couldn’t clear the house, but if someone can show up for the appliances, then that no longer rings true. The end. Honestly, what a brass neck.

The vendors on our first place tried this with their manly old appliances, offered them as part of the sale at first then tried to charge us. We told them we didn’t want them so they would need to arrange for them to be disconnected and removed ahead of completion. They quickly decided we could have them for free.

I would stick to my guns and say they need to clear it all out prior to completion in that case.

No, no, no! You are going to end up clearing out all their sh*t without the benefit of having the appliances. I looked at a house where the owners said they were selling it "as seen" and I couldn't get out of there fast enough it was so full of junk!

If you absolutely love the house it might be worth the hassle but I would seriously consider walking away. Your sellers are CFs and can't be arsed to clear the house themselves.

I'd a,so go back, via the solicitor, and say that as the agreement was the good and the bad, and they have renaged and want the the good, then you wish th house cleared of thr bad.

When I bought my place the sellers were trying to get me to pay £200 for the washing machine, said no as you can buy a new one for that price. Day of moving in and found they'd left it anyway.

Don't bite your tongue

Either they clean their shit out or they leave everything, they can't take the good stuff away and leave their crap. Or charge you for the white goods and then leave their shite

Surely they could pay someone to clear their stuff anyway?

Cheeky buggers. Agree with everyone else

Don’t underestimate how much time/money it will cost to clear a house. Many many trips to the local tip or the hire of a skip.

I’d be wanting it in writing that the property is left vacant and any removals are put right.

Tell them you're charging £50 per item to clear their junk, unless their family want it.

Unbite your tongue. Say exactly that!

Tell them to clear the house. If they are changing the terms, you want all the rubbish removed otherwise you’ll back out.

You’re not cutting off your nose, it’s the vendors doing that.

you could take another track and say you agree with this however they equally must agree to subtract the cost of the largest skip you can find, to remove their unwanted items form attic and house, get your quote in for skip and make sure the balance is in your favour.

Very unlikely anyone will want their stuff. Collecting appliances (unless they are newish & in good working order isn't worth the hassle.
Let them do what they want but don't pay them a penny more.

Respond and say that you were told the house was being sold as is, and if that’s not the case you will have to insist on the house being cleared out.

I agree they can't do both . I'd say clear everything it's a hassle for you to clear everything out . I'd just buy your new appliance now , It's very cf of them .
When I first bought my house I was offered a few appliances including a bed which we kept for 15years total amount £250 which we were grateful as FTB but it's not for you because they have left rubbish too and a gravestone.

This is a common try on at that stage, tell them no or the deal is off!.

I would also tell them to clear the house.

The house is actually empty with the exception of the kitchen, attic and that blasted gravestone.

Glad to hear IANBU, I will email my solicitor.

Cheeky sods!

@Kitchenstress

The great difficulty with buying property in the UK is that until contracts are signed either party [vendor or purchaser] can do exactly what they like. Your solicitor will send [or have sent] a form to the vendor on which they say exactly what is included in the sale. It used to be the law that everything that was attached to the property was included in the sale but there were cases [reputedly] where the vendor took out the central heating radiators and light switches and so on.

It is not up to the estate agent to say that the house is sold "as is". That is for the solicitors to agree. Most contacts say that all rubbish and non-fixed items must be removed and if there is any doubt your solicitor will hold back - say - £1000 till it is done.

There was a scheme proposed where the vendor would put together a selling pack before it went on the market so that all this was listed up front.

Apropos of nothing I have never seen the point of "making an offer". You do not go into any other shop and say I'll make an offer on the beans.

What you do about the equipment is up to you. The danger is that if you start imposing conditions the vendor may simply pull out of the transaction.

YANBU. Tell them it's a deal breaker. They include the appliances as discussed or you reduce the offer (by the amount they are asking for them) the day you are all due to exchange. Or you could insist everything is cleared, including the attics. It will cost you a fair amount to clear lots of tat from the attics. The skip hire and labour. Maybe cost that and drop the price accordingly.