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?

NOOOOOOO!!!!!

Then you discover the redecorate is purple, that they have changed a few electrical sockets, while doing it the decorator accidently breaks a window, then the sale falls through and they decide to sue you for the cost of the redecoration, or alternatively the sale goes through but you find them moving in a week early only to have a small house fire when the electric heater they are using to dry the paint catches fire....

Sorry for catastrophising - but these things happen. And the type of person entitled enough to expect early entry before they own it is likely pretty damn unreasonable.

Go back to solicitor communication and tell them No.

Well you run those risks with any decorator. In this scenario I assumed you would be the client instructing the work from a proper professional , not them. They just take a risk of giving you money up front.

Totally agree. We were lucky, in that we were moving from rented accommodation; so didn't have a chain.. We took two weeks to re-decorate before we moved in.

A lot of people don't realize that some product such as linseed oil are self combusting.

Definitely say no. What's stopping them from starting the work, and then dragging ehir heels on completion in the hope the can get the house exactly how they want prior to moving in? You could end up with the whole chain collapsing if they start delaying things as actually they want the kitchen done/walls stripped/new carpets down prior to moving in. Or they could simply decide it's "too much work" and pull out after disassembling YOUR house. Letting them in to measure up windows, carpets, spaces so they can get things ordered prior to moving is one thing, and we allowed this for our buyers, and our sellers allowed this for us, but to actually start doing work. Absolutely no!
Our buyers fucked up and tried to get virgin media installed ready for their moving in day, but then the moving day got pushed back massively, but virgin media had contacted our supplier to tell them to stop supply on the original date which left us with no internet for weeks! We knew nothing about this until the day the Internet stopped working and then a letter through the door from our provider to say "sorry you've left us". Not great as dh was working from home, and it was a right fuck up to try and sort, we're being told we would have to take out a new contract, when we knew we'd only be there another month! You don't fuck around with a house until it's officially yours.

@Tarantella43 tell them your solicitor said no as there are lots of legal implications xx

What’s App group was your first red flag

If they have access to the house they could simply decide to squat and cancel the sale. Unlikely, but possible.

OP the simplest way to put a stop to this is to go in to your estate agent and ask them to contact the buyer and tell them they cannot have access before completion as insurance doesn’t allow for it. Ask them to tell the buyer that all communication must go through the estate agent, and that one more direct communication from them you will result in you taking the house off the market. That’s what we did with our buyers who had found my DH’s mobile number and were pestering us. It stopped them in their tracks.

Yeah, a very HARD "NO!"
I am gobsmacked by the actual cheek and entitlement of some people. In what world is this a reasonable request?!?

When we bought this house, the sellers did allow us to replace all the carpets before completion. The house was sat empty anyway, and I think they figured that if the sale fell through, the house would have brand new carpets, so no loss for them. It's not the norm though.

Absolutely not unreasonable. Until completion the house is not theirs to decorate, and besides what if the sale falls through?

We were once allowed to enter a house to carry out works prior to completion (vendor was the previous owner's creditors, and probably did not think it through and did not take advice) and discovered whilst decorating the kitchen a lot of damp caused by a mains pipe leaking under a kitchen floor, as well as lead pipes leading to it. We said nothing and simply did the work as we would have done had it been post completion, but others wouldn't have.

I was also allowed to paint my mums sheltered housing flat between exchange and completion because the manager recognised that my mum would have found a new flat and painters disorientating. But the manager told us who to use and should we have failed to complete she would have had a newly painted flat to sell.

i was selling my dads house. i knew the buyers slightly their house sale fell throught put back on market they asked to store a few boxes in his garage i gave them a key, i came one day they had ripped down a curtain rail they didnt like it, i had a parcel delivered they messaged me said it was in their way, cheeky sods,MY ADVICE DONT DO IT GIVE AN INCH THEY TAKE A MILE

So many issues

Numerous insurance issues both ways, they are not insured tradespeople so if anything went wrong your insurers would bale, that's just one.

The risk of the sale falling through and them having done shoddy work or not finishing.

The risk of them moving in

The risk of them not securing the place properly and it being broken into.

Its a massive no, apart from the practical there are many good legal reasons to say no, and none to say yes.

Given their cheek I'd be very wary about letting them have access for "measuring up" too - I'd insist any such visits are limited in number and for a fixed period, 30 mins say, and are supervised by the estate agent - no ripping off wallpaper or tiles early!!

What a ridiculous thing to suggest. Of course they can't redecorate/sand walls down before completion/before they move in. LOL. No-one does that! Even if it wasn't because of insurance, it's still daft for anyone to think they can do that. Measure for curtains, and carpets even - and then get them put down after completion/after moving in. But the very idea of people painting and decorating and sanding things down, before the house is even theirs is farcical.

Any solicitor worth their salt, will advise strongly against this. Tell them NO @Tarantella43 and if they don't like it, they can pull out and you will put the house back on the market.

How do they think everyone else with children and pets cope with decorating and carpetting their house when they move in?! Entitled much?!

The issue is more if they choose not to buy it. They might half finish the work, then decide they don't want to compete anymore. Or they can't complete cus there's an issue with their mortgage etc. Then you have a house half finished, which you need to remarket. That is assuming ALL they do is not finish!

Of course not. Cheeky fuckers.

YEP! Well said.

Clearly they thought that they could blag this because "you know us, and ooooo of course we wouldn't create problems"

Until problems arise that is, when it becomes "Ooooo we had no choice", so if you want to keep things sweet just blame your solicitor and insurers

That is the biggest risk, then the OP has to fork out to get the place in a good state to market. But there is so much more that could potentially go wrong, I wouldn't be able to sleep with worry!

Of course they can't!!

Obviously you say no. The house isn't legally theirs until completion has gone through. If they were to damage something, or accidentally burn the place down, they'll scarper damn quick. And your insurance won't pay out.

DO NOT LET THEM DO THIS.

Let them be awkward and arsey all they like. Leave this group chat, and direct any and all further communications through the estate agent. As annoying and grabby as estate agents are, this is one of the reasons they exist.

Absolutely not. Totally non-standard request and inappropriate of them. Their children and home life and interior decoration tastes are so, so, SO NOT your problem! CFs.