House purchase

[Notusuallydown]

Hi, we found a house we really love. All going relatively smoothly, but we wanted to delay completion until after restrictions. Today told we HAVE to delay move etc.

The problem is that the owner has a big, (£10,000x?) financial undertaking which has to be completed by the end of May. OK. we can complete in time (hopefully). But that leaves us in our rented flat, still paying rent, and him living in our newly purchased house.

Would it be reasonable to ask him for some contribution to our rent which we still have to pay? and to pay the bills there as he's living there?
Comments and advice please.

Sorry OP I don't really understand. Are you saying the vendor will be living there after completion?!?

I don't think you'll be able to complete - on the news this morning they were telling people not to move, and that the banks wanted a full suspension of the UK housing market imminently - but I wouldn't complete with him in your house anyway. That sounds like all kinds of trouble.

If he can't move, he can't complete.

Surely you can't complete with him living there? That isn't vacant possession. And you don't want to let him squat in your home as it will be impossible to get rid of him.

If you mean living there before a delayed completion then it's not your home yet, so of course he'll still be paying bills etc

You need to speak to your solicitor, you can't just allow him to stay living there after completion - it could cause all sorts of problems...

Do you mean you’d exchange but not complete until much later? In which case no I don’t think you can ask him for a contribution to your bills as you won’t have finished the purchase yet and it’s not your house.

He needs to complete before the end of May. Neither of us can move houses with the present restrictions

As I understand it, Government advice is that we can complete the sale, but not move.

The government advice I read was that if you have already exchanged then continue to completion but if you haven't exchanged yet then sit it out and wait. It will most likely be taken out of your hands OP as if solicitors won't proceed at this time then you can't progress the sale to completion. Why does he have to move in May?

You can move: one of the reasonable excuses for going out is in Reg 6(2)(l) “to move house where reasonably necessary”

But you can't complete and have someone else living in your house! Surely that advice is meant for moving into empty homes?

'
The government saidd* that while there "is no need to pull out of transactions", "we all need to ensure we are following guidance to stay at home and away from others at all times".
If a property is vacant, people can continue with the transaction, although they must ensure they are following guidelines with regards to home removals.
But if the house is occupied "we encourage all parties to do all they can to amicably agree alternative dates to move.'

That means delaying completion surely?

I wouldnt allow that to happen... We complete, you move out of our house. If you cant move, we all wait. And no, if u both agree to wait... You all pay ur own bills. If u r crazy to sign completion and take the risk of him not moving out and not paying the promised half rent, then u r mad :)

Even if you cant move in. Completion means he moves out for when u r ready to move in

He needs to complete before the end of May.

Then he needs to move by the end of May. Who knows if he’ll be allowed to do that.... he may be; if we’re given a period of less restrictions after the peak. But he may not; and that won’t be your fault or his.

You can’t complete with him living there. It’s not vacant possession, and you’d be opening yourselves up to a world of pain.