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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

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:
pteromum · 26/09/2025 20:09

His happened to a friend of ours. We were on holiday but getting hourly updates. Was a divorce purchase. She had packed nothing. Husband had long gone with his share of cash. Friend in the end was packing her stuff to get in as they had painters arriving the next morning.

just a nightmare.

Hope you are in now OP

BramblesMum · 26/09/2025 20:09

This exact same thing happened to me, the previous owners took 6 hours after the deadline and I was on to the solicitor saying he had to get them out, I rang the police and they wouldn't do anything. When I did get in the house was filthy, they had removed every light bulb & the wiring to the electric meter. I had no electricity or heating and didn't get in until 8 pm when it was already dark. I spent my first night in my first new home crying. There was nothing I could do about it. They were complete b*!!!

NurtureGrow · 26/09/2025 20:10

FinallyHere · 26/09/2025 17:49

Indeed while it might be tempting to get a hotel room, I’d be afraid that they are so disorganised, if you don’t sit there they will never move out. Do you have keys from the estate agents ?

Yes, I agree, you should wait outside unfortunately.. not navigated this myself though. What did the estate agent and solicitor say about them not being gone? I think technically as soon as the money transfers the keys should be available to you..

NurtureGrow · 26/09/2025 20:11

BramblesMum · 26/09/2025 20:09

This exact same thing happened to me, the previous owners took 6 hours after the deadline and I was on to the solicitor saying he had to get them out, I rang the police and they wouldn't do anything. When I did get in the house was filthy, they had removed every light bulb & the wiring to the electric meter. I had no electricity or heating and didn't get in until 8 pm when it was already dark. I spent my first night in my first new home crying. There was nothing I could do about it. They were complete b*!!!

So sorry to hear that :(

Daygloboo · 26/09/2025 20:11

Rosscameasdoody · 26/09/2025 20:06

It’s not about patience. It’s about the law. Everyone is clear well in advance as to what’s expected of them on completion. And what OP is describing is a complete piss take. You don’t seem to understand the basic principle. On completion the house does not belong to them any more, so they have no right to be there.

It never used to be like this years ago. People in this country have become a bunch of bloody flakes. What are you going to do if anything genuinely bad ever happened. It's pathetic. The drama.Honestly. Going over to menace them ? Taking them to court? Storm in a tea cup. And I do understand because I've moved a lot. And things dont always go to plan. And I've never made a fuss. What a load of bollocks.

Keepingthingsinteresting · 26/09/2025 20:12

abracadabra1980 · 26/09/2025 19:51

I have never understood why the seller and buyers moving has to be so close together. Surely a gap of 24hrs would be more sensible? I moved recently and the pressure is having to be ‘out’ at a certain time on a certain day, in 28* heat was exceedingly hard on me as I was emptying a family home on my own. Personally I’d go to a hotel, have a nice, peaceful night then charge them for the inconvenience. Nobody does this to piss their buyer off - it’s a very hard thing to judge time wise IMHO.

Beacause otherwise where does the money come from? People could use bridging loans and do this but it’s very expensive.

Crowfly · 26/09/2025 20:12

I would just go into my house. Hopefully one empty room and make myself at home. My DH would probably help them pack. I wouldn’t. I certainly wouldn’t have made myself scarce.

cannynotsay · 26/09/2025 20:14

I need an update

ReadingSoManyThreads · 26/09/2025 20:14

Well, for a start I wouldn't have went bowling and to KFC. I'd have stayed there hurrying them along by putting their stuff out on the driveway.

Do NOT go to a hotel. Tell them in no uncertain terms that they need to leave immediately.

Absolute cheeky fuckers.

Silverbirchleaf · 26/09/2025 20:15

Hoping you’re in now (and they’re out!)

FrauPaige · 26/09/2025 20:15

This is unfortunately quite common as in English law there is no recourse in this situation that is effective. You just have to suck it up unfortunately. I would advise to park somewhere visible, and let them know that you are waiting. Aggravating them won't expedite the situation, and in fact could lead to them damaging or sabotaging the property on their way out, so I would try to stay as calm and polite as possible while checking in on progress.

I feel for you.

Nanny0gg · 26/09/2025 20:16

ProfessorSlocombe · 26/09/2025 18:20

Really the previous owners should go to a hotel, not the new owners.

Why buy a house and sleep in a hotel ?

Because I bet it's not clean!

Startrekkeruniverse · 26/09/2025 20:17

I’d be going in and moving their shit out myself. They have no right to be there.

sodabreadjam · 26/09/2025 20:20

A friend of mine bought a house with her DH - it was being sold by the children of a deceased person.

My friend and her DH packed up their stuff and turned up at their new house on moving day to find the house locked, all of the deceased person's furniture still inside and no-one to greet them. They contacted their solicitor who eventually discovered that each of the dead woman's children thought one of the others was dealing with the move! My friend and her DH hastily arranged storage and moved in with family for a few days. They did get compensation from the sellers.

Furgal · 26/09/2025 20:21

I'd wait. If you hurry them you'll be taking the stuff they left to the tip.

DigitalNomad2 · 26/09/2025 20:22

I nearly had this, but prevented it from happening by insisting on vacant possession on advice from my solicitor.

Learned about a week before settlement date (due to settle on a Friday) that the sellers intended to move out the following day, Saturday, as the weekend was more convenient for them. I only learned of this arrangement by accident in a conversation about something else with the real estate agent.

I was livid.

Instructed my solicitor to instruct theirs that we insisted on vacant possession and would inspect the property prior to final settlement money being paid, and if it was not vacant settlement would be delayed.

They moved out on Friday.

FableLies · 26/09/2025 20:22

Gods. This brings back bad memories from 25 years ago. Happened to my parents but they were the ones that were delayed in moving out. Removal company didn't show up. Stepdad had to hunt down a man with a van. Mum on the phone in tears to me. I didn't drive then, but left work to help. Thankfully they were moving 10 minutes away, so we were walking boxes through the street. Friends helping with cars.

Can't remember what the new owners did.

rainbowsandraspberrygin · 26/09/2025 20:23

Any update OP?

Arran2024 · 26/09/2025 20:24

When we moved house once, I booked the whole service where they pack everything. It was a big international firm - they said it would be two days to pack, then everything would go into the van on moving day.

The three young guys they sent were lovely and things seemed to be going well - until on moving day itself one lad said he was going to the corner shop for a mars bar and never came back. He hadn't fallen out with anyone - just decided he didn't want to do removals so he went home!

The other two came to a stop while they were trying to work out what was going on. I was getting pretty hysterical, all while trying to clean all the rooms.

We were not out on time and the new people were parked up waiting for us to leave.

It was one of my most stressful experiences ever.

Luckily as it was a big company, they sent another van and crew round when they had finished another job, and it all got sorted.

Then when we moved to this house, the people who were vacating were still removing built in cupboards in one of the bedroom while we were loading boxes and furniture into the downstairs.

Moving is a nightmare as you are so dependent on other people.

Mangledrake · 26/09/2025 20:26

I'd just go and see how they are getting on before deciding what to do. You need to be pragmatic. You can threaten the law, the police, costs etc, but if their stuff is in the house, the quickest way to get it out is to let them get on with moving it.

If they're working at full pace and there is too much left to do for them to be out tonight, yes, one of you should take possession (with a mattress on the floor if need be) while they carry on, and let them back in to finish off at a reasonable time tomorrow. The rest to a hotel and invoice their solicitor, but just as a practically - don't turn it into a threat.

If it's possible for them to finish tonight, I'd either help them do so or move some things in around them if that won't be too chaotic

They still own their stuff and your recourse is to give them reasonable opportunity to remove it. You don't have the right to keep it, smash it, hurl it onto the lawns or chuck it into vans.

See if they are faffing trying to clean too late in the day and tell them not to bother. Tell them what fittings you don't mind them leaving. I got all my curtains, blinds, lightshades, mirrors and a dishwasher and chest freezer thrown in at the last minute in a similar situation.

Aggression and rudeness may seem justified, but they're not going to get you anywhere. You can be assertive without being hostile. Split up if it's not going to be solved in a couple of hours, remind yourself it's just one more day in the long house-moving marathon, and go for vigorous cooperation and encouragement over drama.

sodabreadjam · 26/09/2025 20:27

Is it not the case that the insurance for the house becomes the responsibility of the buyer when money changes hands?

If the buyer allows the seller to stay on when the house is no longer theirs and they do some damage, I doubt the buyer's insurance company would be keen to pay out.

rosemarycait96 · 26/09/2025 20:28

Really hope you're in by now OP, what a horrid situation!

LoremIpsumCici · 26/09/2025 20:28

I have never understood why house buying and selling is set up this way. It is like a demon from hell invented it specifically to cause rage in humans.

Other countries do this a lot better. Even suprisingly the United States.

ThisPithyJoker · 26/09/2025 20:29

Yep, get moving in as others have said...it's your house. I don't think this is uncommon. Our last buyers weren't our by 12 and our movers (who were cheap and sweethearts) helped them move their stuff out to the drive so they could move our stuff in. They're taking the piss. Good luck - you've been more than reasonable x

Mangledrake · 26/09/2025 20:30

sodabreadjam · 26/09/2025 20:27

Is it not the case that the insurance for the house becomes the responsibility of the buyer when money changes hands?

If the buyer allows the seller to stay on when the house is no longer theirs and they do some damage, I doubt the buyer's insurance company would be keen to pay out.

Yes - that's why one person should take possession and while they should encourage brisk and efficient action, they shouldn't panic people or tempt them to sabotage.

It's an annoying situation, but you just have to work through it.

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