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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

Original poster

Bought house but they’re still in it now!

404 replies

ItsOnlyRainFFS · 26/09/2025 17:44

So we exchanged contracts last week and completed by 10am today. We vacated our house by 12.30pm as our buyers keen to get in and contract said 2pm. The house we bought was supposed to be ready 2pm but it’s still
not ready! Now the seller (house we now own!) is saying they’re going to struggle to empty it by 8pm! And that sounds optimistic. They just don’t sound like they packed up properly. Anything we can do? Solicitor and estate agents shut.
We have put most of our stuff in storage - which is shut. We have though thankfully hired medium van which has our essential stuff in it. But we just want to unpack it now. We have 2 kids and have been at a bowling alley and kfc trying to kill time since school.
Would we be unreasonable to demand we move in 8pm?

OP posts:
WhereDidSummerGoAgain · 26/09/2025 18:57

When I bought my first flat, when I arrived the seller wasn't ready. She was a disabled older woman. I just got on with it and helped her pack up. No choice really!

In your situation, as it's a larger place than my old 1 bed, I'd breeze in cheerily but firmly to get my foot in the door and start helping them pack. Meanwhile get DH or another familiar member to call in reinforcements. Get as many friends as possible in and just get their stuff out as quickly as possible. Have a word with DH, make sure he won't lose his temper as it will be a distraction. They just need to get out.

Brickiscool · 26/09/2025 18:57

They don't need to pack they just need to dump their stuff on the front lawn and empty your house asap .

It's happened to a friend of mine and a relative . Police had to kick out one lot who weren't moving . It's baffling . They didn't seem to realise they no longer owned the house

Keepingthingsinteresting · 26/09/2025 19:00

AntiBullshit · 26/09/2025 18:24

I wonder if all the poster saying get them out, call the police, move your stuff, tell them to fuck off it’s your hour se now, would actually do any of that if it was them. I reckon the majority would just sit and wait it out

I did. My first home we competed at noon, I picked up the keys at 2pm to find them having a cup of tea and gossiping with friends having only half packed. I was not impressed and told them to get out or else their stuff would be on the street (& area was dodgy so would have been long gone by the time they came to pick it up), seemed a good motivation.
My most recent house I said they could have til 5pm as I wasn’t moving straight in. I arrived at 6pm, loads of crap on the driveway and the house clearance compact came back at 7pm to pick it up and reversed into my gate as they did so then tried to drive off. Cheeky fuckers!

Navigatinglife100 · 26/09/2025 19:05

It's so annoying.

My DS got his keys about 8pm. Apparantly it was OK for them to move themselves in a tiny van and make the mistake of it taking far longer than they expected because "he was only moving from rented and they had a baby"! Forget the legal side - you've sold it - get out!!

Hope you are in now.

YellowGuido · 26/09/2025 19:06

Where are they going to? Are they delaying on purpose as they don’t have somewhere sorted?

Zanzara · 26/09/2025 19:07

AntiBullshit · 26/09/2025 18:24

I wonder if all the poster saying get them out, call the police, move your stuff, tell them to fuck off it’s your hour se now, would actually do any of that if it was them. I reckon the majority would just sit and wait it out

I can only speak for myself, but yes, I would, some of it at least, but then I'm older with more life experience. It wouldn't be easy for plenty of people, which is why we get threads like this. Some people are absolute CFs. They have agreed to sell the property with vacant possession, but have failed to vacate it.

MelOfTheRoses · 26/09/2025 19:09

My former next door neighbour did this.

At 6pm the new neighbours started to move in as they moved the residue into the garage, and they came back for it in the morning.

Total farce. It was not as if they were short of money or contacts.

momtoboys · 26/09/2025 19:10

Would we be unreasonable to demand we move in 8pm?

NO! Its your house. They are taking the piss. Move in right around them.

tanstaafl · 26/09/2025 19:10

OP, 9 days ago you posted ( for the first time ) about parents parking outside your child’s school saying you live in a nice area now.

you’ve moved already?

mindutopia · 26/09/2025 19:11

You left it silly late to deal with this. Who did you get the keys from? I would have expected their departure confirmed by estate agent when they handed over the keys.

If they still were there at 2pm, I would have been on the phone to estate agent and solicitors every hour until they were gone. No one would have been leaving for the weekend without it being sorted.

moanamovie · 26/09/2025 19:11

I am shocked for you and anyone else that this has happened to. I would never dream of being so unbelievably shit and disorganised!
I hope we can read an update soon saying you are in… and that things aren’t too messy! I’ve had both experiences, of moving into a shithole with no cleaning happened for years, and then our current house, the previous owners left us a bottle of Prosecco and a card, house spotless… it’s gutting that everyone isn’t so thoughtful!

Uggbootsforever · 26/09/2025 19:11

Oh God this happened to us last month - it was horrendous. Didn’t get in until 7pm, my 2 small kids crying and tired/hungry, the house was absolutely filthy to the extent we wore shoes inside for a few days until I could tackle the main issues. I feel for you - for what it’s worth I love the house and it was worth it, but I was so angry with the sellers.

NNforthispost · 26/09/2025 19:13

InMyHealthyEra · 26/09/2025 17:50

I voted YABU because YABU to accept any of that.

You order them out of your property immediately and either put all of their belongings out the front or in a designated room for them to collect later when it suits you. First thing Monday you call the solicitor or estate agents and start the process of financial compensation for their breach of contract

Just seen this - am hoping you contacted your solicitor today to get the breach of contract claim started so they can cover your costs. Piss taking from the sellers. CF of the highest order. Sorry you’ve had all this extra stress.

MagentaRocks · 26/09/2025 19:14

Keepingthingsinteresting · 26/09/2025 19:00

I did. My first home we competed at noon, I picked up the keys at 2pm to find them having a cup of tea and gossiping with friends having only half packed. I was not impressed and told them to get out or else their stuff would be on the street (& area was dodgy so would have been long gone by the time they came to pick it up), seemed a good motivation.
My most recent house I said they could have til 5pm as I wasn’t moving straight in. I arrived at 6pm, loads of crap on the driveway and the house clearance compact came back at 7pm to pick it up and reversed into my gate as they did so then tried to drive off. Cheeky fuckers!

Show quote history

There was a thread on here from a seller a while back who couldn't believe her buyers were annoyed and started moving in before she had moved out. She even thought it was reasonable to sit eating sandwiches in the garden instead of getting her stuff out of a house she didn't own anymore

Cheepcheepcheep · 26/09/2025 19:15

I do have the tiniest bit of sympathy as our buyers in our last move were raging as it took us until 2.30pm to get out on our last move.

However, it was the Friday before the queen’s funeral on the Monday, which had been a late scheduled bank holiday and everyone who was due to complete on the Monday had to shift to Friday. Which doubled the work our movers had to do as suddenly loads of extra completions. Was a nightmare, the husband of the buying couple shouted in my face while I was bf our then 3mo in the garden.

But 8pm, without any complicating factors like that, is insane.

Hope you’re in, OP, and if not that your solicitor will be primed Monday to give them hell about the delay.

momtoboys · 26/09/2025 19:15

AntiBullshit · 26/09/2025 18:24

I wonder if all the poster saying get them out, call the police, move your stuff, tell them to fuck off it’s your hour se now, would actually do any of that if it was them. I reckon the majority would just sit and wait it out

We had a similar situation when one of my sons moved into an apartment. He had the place starting on the 1st and when we went in there was no one there and nothing was packed up. They were supposed to be gone and have had the apt professionally cleaned according to the lease. Looked like we just walked into a dirty furnished apartment. They had gone out for breakfast. We moved everything in and what we couldn't fit we put in the hallway. The joke was on them though because they had wanted to stick the new tenants with their musty old furniture and not have to carry it down 3 flights of stairs but they couldn't do that with us right there. We weren't unpleasant but they were the ones at fault.

jessr1990 · 26/09/2025 19:15

The house is legally yours now isn't it? So Id go there, and tell them in the best possible way that you will either be sleeping in your house tonight, or a hotel of your choosing, and they will need to give you the cash, or bank transfer (that you check you have received, in front of them) right now, to cover the cost, and that if it goes on any longer you will be calling the police because they are people removing things from your home.

I guess you could also go round and just say "Guys this is not on. We have no where to sleep tonight. Please... be decent and get the heck out. If you can't get out then yes please we'd love to take you up on your offer of a hotel for the night at your expense- here are the details of the one we've chosen".

mumwheresmyribena · 26/09/2025 19:17

It happen to me, twice!!!
First time they said "our new house isn't ready". We said tough, we need to move in. We agreed they'd pay for a hotel for a night for us and move out to her parent house by midday the following day.
Of
25 years later. We moved down the country, ma husband was working nights near our new house. I'd driven our removal van 250 miles, just me and the dog. It was 6:30pm November 5th. I was knackered and had my camping stuff and the dog bed ready for the night. They were having a family dinner in the dining room, not a thing packed. I told them that they needed to be out pronto, it was my house and they were squatting. If they wanted to stay legally, they could, at a cost of £500 per night. I'd not I'd be suing them for breach of contract. They moved fast, moved everything out of the main bedroom for me to sleep. Moved as much as they could from the rest of the house that night and the rest the following day. Me and my helpers moved us in the following day.

Didimum · 26/09/2025 19:18

Really common unfortunately

Endofyear · 26/09/2025 19:18

When we moved into our house, 3 hours away, the elderly couple were still packing when we arrived! They didn't have any help so DH and I and our friends helped them pack and load stuff into their van. It was annoying but I also felt a bit sorry for them as they were obviously struggling. We let them leave a couple of big items of furniture they didn't have space for in the new house - woodwormy wardrobes that we took to the dump!

I would go back and start installing beds for you and the kids etc. Hopefully your presence will get them out!

Cuwins · 26/09/2025 19:19

mumwheresmyribena · 26/09/2025 19:17

It happen to me, twice!!!
First time they said "our new house isn't ready". We said tough, we need to move in. We agreed they'd pay for a hotel for a night for us and move out to her parent house by midday the following day.
Of
25 years later. We moved down the country, ma husband was working nights near our new house. I'd driven our removal van 250 miles, just me and the dog. It was 6:30pm November 5th. I was knackered and had my camping stuff and the dog bed ready for the night. They were having a family dinner in the dining room, not a thing packed. I told them that they needed to be out pronto, it was my house and they were squatting. If they wanted to stay legally, they could, at a cost of £500 per night. I'd not I'd be suing them for breach of contract. They moved fast, moved everything out of the main bedroom for me to sleep. Moved as much as they could from the rest of the house that night and the rest the following day. Me and my helpers moved us in the following day.

The 2nd one is bizarre- did they have the date wrong or something?

Maverick66 · 26/09/2025 19:20

It is your solicitors duty to ensure estate agent has took possession of keys from vendor when house is empty. Contracts should have stated completion date and vendors are absolutely taking the piss.

Keepingthingsinteresting · 26/09/2025 19:23

MagentaRocks · 26/09/2025 19:14

There was a thread on here from a seller a while back who couldn't believe her buyers were annoyed and started moving in before she had moved out. She even thought it was reasonable to sit eating sandwiches in the garden instead of getting her stuff out of a house she didn't own anymore

Show quote history

House purchases seem to bring out the incompetent or entitled fuckery from people. Gives me the rage.

Hope you’re in @ItsOnlyRainFFS & it doesn’t tarnish your new home for you.

MissRaspberry · 26/09/2025 19:24

Hope you've managed to start moving in. They've royally taken the piss

kingcake · 26/09/2025 19:25

This happened to us when we moved. House was flithy and they were still trying to get packed up. They ended up leaving a lot of old junk behind, which was a huge pain to deal with. Solicitor and EA weren't bothered. Sellers didn't seem to understand that the house was ours now, they thought they had a right to stay there until their new house completed. Really made me homesick for the States where it's customary to do a final walkthrough before completion. If everything is not in the condition you expect, you can renegotiate the sale.

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