AIBU-Leaving Property

[Wingingit202122]

I’m currently in the process of completing a mutual exchange (house swap for council/HA tenants) and was wondering if IABU
i found a couple (mid 60s) who are downsizing to my flat and i am having there’s so we then filled all forms and had to send in proof of passport and address
We have had all of our inspection checks done and everything was ok so now we have been given a date to sign new tenancys
When we looked at each other’s property we were discussing what things we would leave behind and what we would take but agreed nothing to be certain until we had approval swap was actually going ahead
The husband emailed me last night with a list of things they were leaving in property and things they were expecting me to leave
They are leaving- carpets throughout the house also in bathroom and kitchen (31 years old which stink of dog), old curtains, lampshades, old fridge freezer and even older cooker, wardrobes and old bed frames
They are requesting i leave the same as a like for like swap so that none of us have the ‘stress of moving these heavy items’
I reply saying I will not leave any of these items as ive only had all of my items for less than 2 yrs as i got everything brand new when i moved to this house as had been in a shelter before this so had nothing. I had anticipated having to leave The carpet as don’t know how i would move this but wasn’t planning on leaving my living room wood flooring as i can use this in new house
Also my beds and childrens furniture i want to take, also my kitchen stuff!

He has replied saying they will now have to rethink the exchange as they don’t have the money to replace anything
I don’t understand as they can just bring there stuff with them and only thing to replace is the carpet

I would leave the flooring but would take everything else
Just tell them that is what you are doing

You can take all your furniture. Sounds like they want to save on costs of a removal van, but they can’t leave the house full of old junk either (like bed frames, furniture and old curtains!)

It sounds to me like that’s exactly what they were hoping for - a cheap and easy way to get rid of their old tat, with nearly new replacements into the bargain!

I think I'd have a face to face chat with them. I assume they're downsizing from a house? I guess you really really want the house - certainly they're highly sought after in my area and oversubscribed when they do become available. I'd suggest leaving your carpets/flooring behind but take your cooker and fridge. They should be taking their beds. It may be that you have to compromise somewhere in the middle (eg wardrobes) but no they are unreasonable if their expectation is that they get all your nice new stuff as part of the exchange.

Agree with others.
Leave the flooring, take the white goods.

Highlight it is not like for like - offer to sell them/ advise they can buy them if they want but set a high price

They've got you over a barrel really. You say no, they renege and your exchange falls through. Who knows if they are calling your bluff?

I would offer to leave flooring and standard fixtures and fittings but take out all appliances and white goods.

It depends how badly you want the house.

yes, i dont think you can take your flooring with you

look into ways of helping them perhaps

You may find they leave it all anyway, so be prepared to need a skip. What type of cooker is it, would it need a professional to disconnect and reinstall? They may not see the difference if they are accustomed to it having lived there so long.

I think posters missed the part where the older couple are downsizing therefore I think op is swapping smaller flat for larger place hence why the older couple think it’s fair to expect the modern white goods in exchange for larger property.
In any case taking wooden flooring is out of order and smelly carpets can always be cleaned

I think quite a few people have never had a council or HA house.

You don't get flooring, it's bare when you move in.

You could leave the wood flooring as a negotiation tactic but that's it. If you really, really want the house - go halves on removal van for them. That's more than fair and a better deal than they will get anywhere else!

I would leave the flooring but that's it.

Of course they can't have your relatively new white goods and you have their knackered old ones.

Why can't they hire a removal van to move theirs to your place.

Leave flooring, take the rest. They have their own and can bring it with them. Perhaps offer to pay for a removal truck for them, call their bluff?

Thanks for the input
To clarify, the kitchen items aren’t integrated and can be easily taken with me. Both are still being paid for as i had to order them from my catalogue account so even if i agreed to sell them i’d still be out of pocket plus the cost of having to replace the old ones they left behind, especially as i don’t even know if they are still in proper working order.
The wardrobes they want to leave are just old Argos ones (i imagine won’t be as sturdy one removed and rebuilt) and the bed frames are metal. No reason at all why they can’t take them with them

As i said, i was happy to leave my carpets and with further thought (and help from you guys!) i’m happy to leave the flooring to make it easier for them.

I suppose it’s irking me that now i feel like they have me backed into a corner. almost as, if i don’t agree to their terms then i lose the swap altogether

Also we had both agreed not to finalize property to be left as his was suggested by the housing also. It’s due to the fact that if anything had broken in the time we have been waiting then we wasn’t obligated to buy new for the other person

It's a question ofwhat you can negotiate without the deal falling through.
To them, a nice clean fresh flat with mod cons is all part of the deal, and may be key in why they wanted this particular exchange. They may see it as you reneging so be careful how you tread.
As most other posters are saying, you can leave the flooring and also any blinds/curtains which were bought to fit the windows in the flat. Obviously you will need to take your beds and other items which are not fixtures and personal to you. Then you need to calculate the cost of replacing the white goods and the of clearing out their house and decide if it is worth paying that to get the house you want.

I understand not committing to what was staying in case of breakages - but that does seem bad advice not to have had a non-committing chat about it!

Flooring is an odd one, because whilst it seem nuts to take it, it’s bog standard in council properties not to have it. I think you were right to change your mind on that.

They may be thinking of this from a point of simplicity rather than trying to scam your new stuff! I would say exactly that, that you’re still paying for things. But if you’ve got an idea of how you’re moving stuff, I’d share that with them. e.g. XYZ “man and a van” is £100 for the day.

Cross posted.
I think you need to have a discussion with them .Ask them to their face whether the oven, hob, fridge freezer etc are in good working order. Ask whether they are paid for. You could mention that yours aren't paid for yet and that you don't know how that would work if you weren't able to continue the payments...suggest that they take over the payments? It's so complicated you think you'd better take your white goods with you.

Flooring?! Leave that, take everything else

Forgot to mention, i’m already covering the cost of the removals van for them which includes 3 men so they physically don’t have to move anything and the flat is ground floor (which they need for his disability) so don’t need to take anything up and downstairs

I too would leave the flooring and take everything else. Tell them you can't leave the white goods because they aren't paid for. There isn't much they can say to that. Its like buying a car that is till on finance- no one in their right mind would do it.

I think you need to consider how you can afford to help them.

The 'going rate' of downsizing is up to about £2k. They're likely overwhelmed by that prospect so have decided to swap and you are lucky they have chosen your flat (which I would guess is nice which is why they have chosen it).

Do they have people who can help them move? Can you assist with finding a local man and van? Someone to help them apply for white good assistance from the local council or charities? Sounds like theirs desperately need replacing.

How much does the council charge to collect? Mine is 8 things for £26.

I think offering to help might be the best way to save the exchange rather than risking it falling through.

I would message them back and tell them that you will leave the flooring but that you will be taking everything else. Tell them that you are sorry if this is a deal-breaker for them but that this is non-negotiable.

If they back away then it's their loss not yours, because they are incredibly unlikely to find anyone who will agree to their terms - unless the other person also has really shitty furniture and ancient white goods. However the cynic in me thinks that they are only chancing their arm on this because their stuff is knackered and yours is nice and new!

Dig your heels in. They are being very unreasonable in their demands. I would also set a deadline on them making a decision as well.

It is standard to remove flooring in council and HA properties at the end of tenancy. Properties are left bare. Even if you leave it behind, the council or HA are likely to come in and remove it and scrap it. The next tenant doesn’t get the flooring. The OP is acting normally in removing the flooring. An exchange is a bit different, though.

I’d tell them to swivel. I’d also suggest that next time they propose an exchange with somebody, that they clarify they want all their goods beforehand to save them the time wasted that you’ve experienced.

does your HA have a view about leaving flooring and carpets?

You are being ridiculous over carpets and flooring, nobody takes these things when they move. Curtains are often left behind too as they don’t always fit new places but it is also fairly normal to take them as well. I wouldn’t leave white goods behind unless they were integrated ones.

@Werebothcrazyface

I think you need to consider how you can afford to help them.

The 'going rate' of downsizing is up to about £2k. They're likely overwhelmed by that prospect so have decided to swap and you are lucky they have chosen your flat (which I would guess is nice which is why they have chosen it).

Do they have people who can help them move? Can you assist with finding a local man and van? Someone to help them apply for white good assistance from the local council or charities? Sounds like theirs desperately need replacing.

How much does the council charge to collect? Mine is 8 things for £26.

I think offering to help might be the best way to save the exchange rather than risking it falling through.

@Werebothcrazyface i’ve already paid for their removals van so they literally don’t have to do anything. Also it’s not a case of they can’t afford other white goods/furniture - they just don’t want to take their old ones.