To think this is a dick move

[IsTheOffDutyDoneYet]

Completed on house sale today. Got the call at 10:15am to inform us. Called EA to enquire about the keys, who advised they weren’t available yet, seller was in the process of moving things out. Now EA had called a couple of days earlier to say seller stressing about moving their stuff, obviously we didn’t know completion time, but asking how flexible we were. 4pm was mentioned. I’d stated we could be a little bit flexible, however not as late as 4pm. We got a phone call from EA again today at 12:30 to say seller going as fast as they could, we may be looking at 4pm before we got they keys, asking us to ring seller at 4pm to check if keys ready. I text seller to say we would meet him at the property for 4pm to get the keys. I got a text back to say he was struggling for 4pm as he didn’t get his keys to his new place until 12:30pm, so I called the EA to ask them to deal with times etc as nothing had been offered in terms of when he might be done.

Anyway, long story short we picked up the exs keys from the EA at 4:20pm and he gave us his keys pretty much at the property at 5:20pm. Said he’d taken everything, best of luck etc etc and then he was gone. So we get into the property, obviously looks weird with nothing in. Opened all the windows. House was actually really not very clean. We bought a brand new Hoover, and have filled up over one bin bag with Hooverings. Cupboards filthy, general dirt and dust and grime. You expect some, but the house needs a proper clean. Going through the house, there are multiple items left - some crutches, boxes, old travel cot etc. In the loft, which has been used as a room, they’d put dividing plaster board all down a section of it to store belongings down one side, however this has been pulled out and left in the room. The worst thing is that dog poo (multiple) has been left in the back yard. On leaving we were shutting all the windows and both living room top windows don’t shut. One seems to have dropped, and we didn’t have a hammer to sort it. The other the bracket so just completely bent and broken, so we can’t shut it properly. The whole day has been wasted as we had taken annual leave and didn’t get into the property until 5:20, almost 7 hours after completion, plus it was left in a state and the issues I’ve already outlined.

I don’t think IABU, but the question is what can we do, if anything? All of the items need shifting, we don’t want them. And the windows are an issue. Is there any recourse? It’s the first time we have bought a house and it’s left a sour note; I’m feeling very deflated right now and any advice would be appreciated. Some photos attached of what’s been left (not everything) and the broken bracket.

I'm here to find out about the calves @Imsureitsprobablymebut did you mean 'cars'?

I wouldn't view that as vindictive, I'd view that as fair.

We had this in our last move - you should be able to get costs of disposal of rubbish back.
The window you'll have nothing to come because you are supposed to check everything before you complete.

Honestly this seems to be a thing. We sold this spring and the house was immaculate when we left it you could move in put your stuff down and food in cupboard and you're in. I've never bought one and it be clean enough to just move in.

The only thing would bother me would be the dog shit i would of text there there and then to get them to move it

My in laws got left some pygmy goats

Commiserations OP, I went through very similar and I felt extremely stressed at the time. What I would advise now though, is to book a professional cleaner, arrange for the rubbish to be taken, sort out the lawn and then try to put it behind you. By all means send bills and photographs to your solicitor for them to chase down seller but ultimately you want the house clean and empty and to get on with making it yours. Don't let these people steal any more of your energy.

Change your locks as soon as possible. The people who moved out of our house left a goldfish and loads of other stuff. They came back after we were given they keys and tried to get in. Luckily my FIL had been round and changed the locks. When the exchange has happened technically everything in that house is yours.

If they left lots of stuff that needs removing, contact your solicitor and ask them to get the vendors to remove it. The contract will have said they needed to take their rubbish. However, I mean if they left lots of things. I had a barn full of stuff and a trampoline and we just skipped it, but understand that may not be possible for you, and they are obliged to take it (I don't mean the odd can of old paint left behind).

As far as how dirty it is, I always organise a full clean with a cleaner when we move before the furniture goes in. They are under no obligation to clean it for you. Obviously you'd think they would be embarrassed leaving it in a state but my experience is that most people don't care - so I always assume the worse and do a deep clean when empty!

Our house had been empty for a while when we bought it so was pretty clear and clean but there was some stuff in attic and a shed full of junk. EA offered to book a man with a van to clear shed but we left it, we were going to get a skip anyway.

Maybe try that though, get a local junk removal guy to take the lot to the tip in one go, then you can get cracking on the cleaning.

Dog shit is just gross though.

And congrats on your new home. It feels strange when you buy a house after always renting. Feels very responsible and grown up (and we were in our 40s 😂) Just think, by Christmas this will all be a memory and you will be all cosy in your new home.

Filthy bastard. I've never had a house move where I didn't get the cleaners in (for the new owners' benefit).

Good for you!

Was there anything in your contract about them cleaning up and removing their stuff first?

We didn't get our keys til 4pm for no other reason than the ineptness of their solicitors..they kept on putting us off but never explained why. Our removal guys spent all afternoon twiddling their thumbs and were absolute shits about having to work after 5pm.

The house was empty but with layers of dust so we had no opportunity to clean. We'd left our old house pristine so I was really pissed off.

The best thing I ever did was get professional cleaners into our house before we moved in. Our sellers left it in a pretty bad state.

I remember a colleague a long time ago taked about moving into a home in a similar state. He described opening a window and how it just kept on opening until the whole window unit fell into the garden below!

I can only commiserate. Our vendors (who had actually been perfectly pleasant throughout the sale process) left loads of junk in our house. Weirdly, they’d left us flowers and a nice card in the porch when we let ourselves in, which was lovely, but we then realised they had also left us a random broken bedside table in the middle of the living room, two (also broken) wardrobes and a plastic step in the bathroom that their little boys had apparently stood on to reach the toilet and which was covered in wee. Then we went into the garden and discovered they had left their kids’ slide and a trampoline, and that shed was three-quarters full of random unusable decorating stuff and three old chests of drawers filled with old kids’ toys, leaking paints etc.

However, when my sister got the keys to her house she arrived find it still completely full of the vendors’ stuff, including washing up still in the sink. The vendors turned up just as she was phoning the estate agent and then gave her a load of abuse as if she was somehow being unreasonable by turning up to let herself into the house she now owned and expecting the owners to have, you know, actually moved out.

tbh, I think you got off pretty lightly.
I'm not saying they were reasonable, but it's in the zone of "not worth making a fuss about now"
The only grim part for me is the dog mess; how many piles did you have to deal with?

I would assume any stuff they didn't take they don't want and it goes in bin / to tip /charity shop if I can't make use of. Unless it's obviously of high value (you find a load of gold jewellery), it's yours now.

Our house it turned out the garage doors & front door didn't work.

Commiserations OP, as if moving house isn't bad enough without having to deal with someone else's dog shit! I've had stuff left behind in every single house I've bought. It's a pain in the arse, I'm on first name terms with the lads at the local dump!
My current house was also filthy when I moved in (in the middle of last year's heatwave 🥵).
It especially sucks as I have always left the houses I've sold absolutely spotless and empty. Bah.
Brace yourself for having to get rid of all the crap yourself, and for many other unwelcome surprises- nature of the beast I'm afraid. This time next year it will all be a shitty memory

I would be pushing for the cost of a skip.

God, our first proper home, 25 years ago in Hackney, the vendor was still in occupation. Had no idea he had completed that day, (no phones ir easy Internet access then). Turned out he had signed everything without really reading it etc. We sat in the EA office smoking furiously as the anxiety mounted... eventually getting the keys from a bewildered vendor about 5pm. He still had all his stuff there having to come back the next day for his guns and gun safe. Proper East End gangster type. Fuck me, the stress. To anyone wondering, he wasn't booted out and homeless, turned out he had around a dozen properties in the area, a boxing gym and a scrapyard too. We didn't kick up a stink, but did change the locks pretty sharpish.
It's grim and disappointing I know, but honestly, put it down to experience and enjoy your new home.