To say no to my house buyers wanting to redecorate before completion?

[Tarantella43]

I know my house buyers slightly as they were parents at the school my kids attended until recently. They found my phone number from a former school year group parents WhatsApp group and set up a group chat with me once they made their offer (though estate agent — it’s not a private sale). Anyway, my house is now empty and it turns out they somehow presumed they would be able to have early access before completion to have floors sanded and walls painted, My solicitor strongly advised against this as it brings various risks, not least that I’d ultimately be liable for any accidents or damage. I said, on an awkward phone call they asked for with me, sorry, no, I’m not comfortable with this. They said it will be hard for them to do the work with kids and furniture. Seems like they’d assumed my goodwill in this. AIBU?

We were extremely accommodating of our buyers measuring for carpets, a new gym, an engineer for some kind of extension and curtains etc. All completely fine but to start ripping apart someone’s house before you have even bought the house just seems outrageous to me. Unbelievably rude and lacking in consideration at best.

My current house was being airbnb before we bought it, the conveyancing was dragging on and I had a tenant lined up for my previous house. So we rented as an airbnb for a week, without previous owners furniture and neither solictor were aware. Maybe slightly risky but very kind of the vendor.

One of the bedrooms had old fitted office furniture in it, I had to resist the strong urge to get the screwdriver out for a full week as I didn't dare touch anything. The moment the message came through that we had completed BF came up and we dismantled the lot together!

YANBU

@Tarantella43

Definitely not.

Aside from the CF of it all and the legal & insurance issues, etc. already mentioned...

Everything they're doing will be on your electricity bill & your water bill!

Nope!

This approach could have all sort of negative legal implications and lead the OP into very difficult territory.

I would follow up with one whatsapp message “Further to your telephone call, I just want to be clear that access to the property is only available after completion has taken place and you have taken ownership. There will be no access prior to this as per the normal house buying process. “ Then leave the whatsapp group. If they message you again, just say, please do direct those queries via the solicitors as per normal protocol. Thank you.

No no no no. You are not being unreasonable and they are.

There are so many reasons you should not allow them to do anything beyond taking measurements.

Years ago someone I know was selling their home, they’d already moved out, and as the person that was buying it was moving due to a relationship breakdown they allowed the prospective buyer to move loads of their belongings into the property - then the prospective buyer’s former home’s buyer pulled out meaning the prospective buyer had to also pull out. My friends then had a house with loads of someone else’s stuff in it that had to all be sorted out (plus mortgage on two properties, although that would’ve been the case regardless of letting someone use it for storage!) - a lot less impactive than someone sanding things down and stripping wallpaper or whatever your prospective buyer is planning to do! Imagine if through no fault of yours or theirs the sale falls through - you’re left with a half undecorated property which may put off other prospective buyers!

This.

I definitely wouldn’t allow this. As other posters have said it’s too much of a risk if anything happened.

I remember being asked this too. Our house was empty as we had already moved location. Our solicitors strongly advised against it. So we just said this to them.
I can understand it’s a bit awkward as they are asking directly. But they are in the wrong and you are right not to give access.
Yes it’s difficult decorating with kids- like the rest of us have to do.

Who has keys?

Well the owner was dead, so…

My point is, if it suits everyone, it IS possible. Just because it’s uncommon (or indeed not for you), doesn’t mean this stuff can’t be done. My approach to life is can do, so perhaps I get what I want more often!

Tbf to the buyers I hadn’t realised this was an issue myself (figuring that as I had insured the place once it we had exchanged it wouldn’t be an issue) and I asked my vendor if we could do similar (sold as a doer upper, so needed a full strip back to bricks).

The vendor said he asked his solicitor and his solicitor advised him no, end of. He also didn’t see the problem with it himself, as it was probate. We had to do what others upthread have advised- lived wherever we could for 2 months while it was refurbished.

I’m selling a probate property and whilst I’m relieved I’ve got the asking price I’m absolutely sick of the buyers. They’ve had three viewings - fair enough but have been seen by neighbours on further occasions wandering round the back garden alone. Two days after exchanging contracts they rocked up announced with the estate agent wanting to come and measure up. I refused to let them in as I was clearing out the last remaining items from the property and understood the third viewing was on the premise of taking measurements. I’ve refused further entry to the property until completion day which is 10 days after EOC. I’ve already had to re touch paintwork following their viewings. The property has been completely redecorated and new carpets laid so there isn’t anything which needs doing before they move in.

It’s possible to get your solicitor to draw up a document that they would sign, so that they could have access from exchange, at their risk ( including them taking on the insurance). Provided that they pay the additional costs of this, and maybe an additional damage deposit, I’d probably agree to their request. It could stipulate no structural works.

Patronising

people can hold different options to you.

I have more faith in people, given I'm 56, your patronising 'they'll learn' can go sideways

Right. This sums it up.

The answer is and must be a hard no. There are zero reasons to say yes, and dozens to say no.

I am of a similar age and agree it’s foolish to let someone into your home and start any kind of work at all. Why would you? The risk is not unimportant, and your house could become unsellable in the future. Not to mention the mess and inconvenience.

Or you might just come across as a rude, entitled cheapskate/CF and it’s especially distasteful with a probate!

and if they back out? then what?

I just wonder why you are asking for advice here when a solicitor has told you not to do this. What is it about your solicitor is it that you don't trust as opposed to random people on the Internet?

So can you.

I think once we had part exchanged we let our buyers come in for 10 mins to measure up some rooms. At that point it would have been extremely expensive for them to pull out. No decorating though

You know what they say - just because you can doesn’t mean you should !!

I don’t think anyone is suggesting it’s impossible to do this, just that it’s extremely risky and those risks can’t necessarily be mitigated via contract (eg if your buyer doesn’t have the money to compensate you or they cause deliberate damage that wouldn’t be covered by insurance or if you inadvertently create a tenancy etc etc).

Err thats a hard no!

Imagine if they change their mind reno and pull out of the sale, that would make life hard for you.