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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

Original poster

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

292 replies

Tarantella43 · 09/09/2025 00:09

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?

OP posts:
Scottishskifun · 09/09/2025 08:31

If they press again you simply respond with my solicitor has strongly advised against this and I would not be insured for it so it remains a no.

They will not find a seller who will do this as part of the course anyway

Shinysunday · 09/09/2025 08:36

You must say no and the buyer must know this, or they would have asked you this question via the agent or the solicitors, not by looking you up.
Having said that, we were allowed to decorate before completion last time we moved. We paid a higher price as compensation and it was verbally agreed before exchange. It was very careless of the vendors to have agreed as they could have ended up in a difficult situation if the work had gone wrong. They were lucky that we took out our own buildings insurance, used a reputable local firm and kept a close eye on it.
Very nice for us to move in to a decorated house, even though we then discovered many other examples of their carelessness in maintaining the house, which we had to expensively fix!!

housebrick · 09/09/2025 08:37

There's goodwill and then there's goodwill.

I'd be ok with putting a few things in the garage, coming in to measure for carpets, new windows, kitchen etc. I'd half encourage it to help cement the sale.

But not starting actual work.

Promising house sales can fall through at the last moment for all sorts of unforeseen reasons - as we have found out selling my Mum's old house.

Rosscameasdoody · 09/09/2025 08:40

We had a similar experience. The buyers clearly wanted the house very badly - that was clear from the start. DH was self employed and they found his mobile number and started ringing us direct and asking for extra viewings with different relatives, and to come to measure up for things etc. We did it a couple of times but l put my foot down and told them to go through the estate agent when it got to the stage where they would just turn up, saying they were ‘just passing’ and could they have another look at this or that.

Problem was that they were cash buyers and when our purchase was delayed slightly by a problem in the chain above our sellers they went absolutely apeshit, ringing by the minute for updates and badgering us to sell and move into rented so they could have the house. No amount of explaining that not only could we not afford that, but we would lose our own purchase would appease them. In the end DH went in to the estate agents and asked them to contact the buyers and tell them that if they contacted us directly once more we would take the house off the market. Stopped it dead.

LoafofSellotape · 09/09/2025 08:44

Imnotaloneimwithmuriel · 09/09/2025 05:20

I am actually doing this! Our sellers have agreed that we can have some fencing replaced between exchange and completion. Boundary needs to be secure or the dogs will be off! But, it is their fencer, they are paying him and we have a contract in place with them to say we will reimburse them for the works. I would not ask to start doing renovations prior to completion though.

This was happening a few houses down from us,it's all just fallen through!

SissySpacekAteMyHamster · 09/09/2025 08:45

I wouldn't have accepted the whattsapp invitation and made sure everything went through estate agents/solicitors. Your buyers are CFs. Even with people you know well, it's best to keep things like this on a professional level.

Bumblebee72 · 09/09/2025 08:46

You are so far from being unreasonable on this that you would be foolish to allow it.

Shinysunday · 09/09/2025 08:47

MinnieMountain · 09/09/2025 02:37

@Lavenderandbrown OP’s solicitor isn’t allowed to speak to the buyers.

OPs solicitor would tell their solicitor. But if they ask again after the first No they can be ignored.

Dutchhouse14 · 09/09/2025 08:56

At a previous property we bought that was empty the owner kindly made a similar offer to us, their solicitor subsequently heard about it and strongly advised against it so he removed his offer which we completely understood.
I would just explain that due to your solicitors advice you cannot allow them early access.

SatsumaDog · 09/09/2025 08:58

Absolutely not!

bootbootboot · 09/09/2025 08:58

Absolutely not.

As everything was in boxes for the move here we used the dining room and part of the lounge to stack all the boxes we didn't immediately need. I left one bedroom entirely empty to be able to redecorate it the second we moved in, bunked my two children in together to make them feel more secure. Then when that room was decorated by me, moved both children into that and decorated the other bedroom. Then moved all the furniture back in so the children's bedrooms were done. It isn't easy decorating with young children but the vast majority of us do it, we just work it out.

They could choose to put everything into storage, live in an AirBnB for 2 weeks and get the house decorated and sorted. Yes it would cost but makes it easier for them. They have choices.

They could also put some stuff of their stuff into storage I mean who needs those Christmas decorations right now? Half their loft stuff they won't need immediately. With rented we have always overlapped, with moving we have stored items. I had essentials boxes and then non-essential boxes all labelled so I could easily go to the storage unit and get anything I needed. Removal companies will do a drop off at a storage unit so you can choose those boxes to go there. Just ask them to quote.

I would never, ever hand over keys to my house to a buyer who could even after exchange pull out of the move.

Gardenroomdoom · 09/09/2025 09:01

"sorry I'm scattering my dead parrots ashes in the living room and daubing the walls with blood the week before moving day"

DolphinOnASkateboard · 09/09/2025 09:05

They come in, start doing work, break a window, spill paint on the carpet, then the sale collapses before completion and you have to pay to sort it all out.

JimmyGiraffe · 09/09/2025 09:06

It would be a 'no' from me too.

Years ago, I was allowed the keys (property was empty) to a house once I had exchanged, to start decorating etc (but all solicitors agreed to that, and it was years ago).

1apenny2apenny · 09/09/2025 09:10

This is easy you say this:

oh I would really love to be able to do that and understand it would help you however my solicitor has said no. It’s strange you should ask actually because we were discussing this exact scenario a week ago! So no I’m afraid we can’t, I have to follow my solicitors advice.

Dangermoos · 09/09/2025 09:11

Pisstake of the highest proportions. It's not a done deal until contracts are exchanged.

YourAmplePlumPoster · 09/09/2025 09:12

They could move in there and squat without ever buying the house. Do as your solicitor advised.

skyeisthelimit · 09/09/2025 09:13

YANBU to say, but they ANBU to ask either and you can get it drawn up as a legal document. I did this in 2006 when I needed to paint and carpet throughout . The property was empty after the old couple living in it went into a home. Their NOK agreed that we could have daily access to do the work required as it was in a right state.

The decorator and carpet fitter were both locals, known to the EA. We were known to the EA. You have to insure the property from exchange anyway, so they checked that we had insurance and once we had exchanged, we were allowed in.

It made such a huge difference to us, to be able to move in on Completion day, to a clean fresh property, not a smelly, dirty one.

dogcatkitten · 09/09/2025 09:18

And what happens if they find a problem while doing the work and decide they don't want to buy after all or want a big price reduction? You could be left with an unsaleable house, half stripped and half decorated. You could ask for a very large non-refundable additional deposit to cover them changing their minds if you want to try to accommodate them. But definitely check out insurance and the legal situation.

Mary28 · 09/09/2025 09:18

They don't own the house until the sale has gone through and so they shouldn't touch it. What happens if the sale falls through for any reason.
This is protecting them as much as you.
Take the solicitors advice.

TeaCupTornado · 09/09/2025 09:20

Are these people first time buyers? Everyone who moves house has to deal with kids and furniture being there...what about yout family and your furniture - do they expect you to live around their renovations on a property they dont even own yet?

I suppose this is why solicitors and estate agents say to keep communication through official channels. I've often thought it'd be easier to chat to buyers in past but with this issue your having, this is probably another life lesson learned on mumsnet for us all.

Sorry youve got this hassle, moving house is stressful enough!

burnoutbabe · 09/09/2025 09:21

ItWasTheBabycham · 09/09/2025 06:29

Obviously, no to their plan.
BUT … if the house is empty (pre completion) why don’t they pay you cash to get the work done? Obviously it’s then their risk, but if they want it done that much, they might.
we had a similar situation, the compromise we had with our buyers is that we let them deep clean the house but not redecorate. It was post exchange, they paid the cleaners directly.

Yes i was going to suggest this.
you book a painter and floor sander and they pay for it. I can’t see any particular risk in this (assuming you could live with colour if sale fell through). You get money upfront from them for it.

WildRoseBalm · 09/09/2025 09:24

I haven't RTFT but noticed a few posters said to have YOUR solicitor write a letter or have them call her for an explanation. This might incur fees for you (since you're her client) which I'd be reluctant to pay. If they want to understand the legal position, have them speak to THEIR solicitor.

strawlight · 09/09/2025 09:24

When we bought our house the vendors moved out on exchange day (two weeks before completion) and gave us the keys. We had a newborn baby and it allowed us to fit the whole house with new carpets and paint our bedroom so we at least had somewhere safe and nice to put the cot when all our furniture arrived. They had multiple dogs and the whole house stank - they acknowledged this - so we were extremely grateful to get it aired out and cleaned up!

Mummyratbag · 09/09/2025 09:26

Nooo... so they come in start painting, pull carpets up and then start pulling out the kitchen, decide there is more to do than they realised - then they pull out or threaten to unless you drop the price??