Can I sell my house?

[Bornzero]

Hi, sorry if this is a bit long...
My dad died when I was 11 and left half his assets to me and half to my Mum. As my Mum was not able to go to work immediately and needed money, it was decided that our home would be split 75% to me and 25% to my Mum - Mum then had all the cash to retrain and live on until she got a job.
When I was 13 my Mum remarried and gave up her job living in our home with SF and 3 SB.
My Mum died when I was 17 leaving everything to my SF. However, because of the way the house was owned, it went to me.
I lived with SF and SBs until I left for university, but we do not really get on. When I left for uni, my room was redecorated within a week so the boys could have a room each. It meant I couldn’t really come home. The first Christmas I came home, I was given the sofa in the sitting room and there were no presents for me, so I didn’t feel welcome.
I am going to be leaving uni this year and will want somewhere to live - I haven’t been home since the first Christmas and need to know how I get my home back. One of my SB visited me once and said his Dad was angry that the house wasn’t his a he had thought my Mum owned it when they married - so he does know it is mine.
I have never signed anything to say they can all live there, but does the fact I’ve never asked them to leave (yet) mean they have a right to stay?

Hope you get it sorted OP. I think you have been very considerate to your step family, even if they haven’t been considerate to you.

I'm glad things are moving on for you OP. There is no reason it wont be sorted long before June. If you google excluded eviction you will see the process- essentially you just have to give them reasonable notice to leave, then change the locks after this date. If they dont leave on the date you give them you can just lock them out. You can go to court for a possesion order so you can use baliffs but its not necessary.

It sounds like you have a good relationship with the solicitors, so they should act in your best interests, but make sure they dont make the process more involved and more expensive than it should. It shouldn't cost you more than a couple of thousand pounds.

Hi, just wanted to thank everyone who posted here, when I was in a tiz last week.

I visited the solicitor this morning and they have all the paperwork. The house is mine absolutely and I can push for everyone to leave immediately. We have agreed to ask everyone to leave by the end on July, as one stepbrother is sitting GCSEs and one ALevels this year. I think they should have their last few months before exams in situ. If my stepfather causes problems, I have agreed with my solicitor they should be asked to leave sooner.

The solicitors was used by my family for several generations. Apparently my grandmother left me some money for when i’m 25- my Mum never told me about it. The partner in charge of the trust has agreed to release enough money early, to live on ie rent somewhere while I wait for access to the house and while work is done to bring the house “up to scratch”. The amount mentioned to do this is more money than I have ever thought to have. They have advised that I keep the house as it is a very good place to live and has proven a good investment.

They were lovely and had gone to some effort to get a local estate agent to give them an estimate of how much the house was worth as is, or done up. Also an idea how much to do it up and the market rental value. I am going to think over this for a couple of weeks and then let them know how I want to proceed.

Again, thanks to all those who responded

Really pleased to hear the meeting went so well for you. Hope it all goes smoothly for you.
And it's very kind of you to give them so much notice and wait til their exams are over.
Fab news about the money from your Grandmother too.

I’m so pleased the meeting went well for you.

After all the heartache you’ve had in your life you deserve a bit of good luck. What good news about the money left by your grandmother.

Hopefully your sf and sbs move on easily enough. They’ve been bloody lucky getting to live there rent free as long as they have!

They have been lucky and I hope you can all end up on good terms.

Excellent outcome

So pleased it has gone so well. I think you are being very generous to your SF and his children, as he hasn't been very good to you and taken the piss somewhat.

Please keep us updated if you can

That's a great outcome
You are being more than kind

Whew. Thank goodness it was so cut and dried, legally. House in w11 is going to be a significant asset and so good you have somewhere secure to live when just starting out. Well deserved given your losses.

I wonder if the SF was aware you owned the house when he made you sleep on the sofa.

The house will be yours. Not your stepdads or your mums. Redecorate and think about flat mates.. maybe from the grad scheme at work?

So glad this worked out for you - SF sounds like he's really treated you badly so I'm glad he's getting put in his place.

It's lovely that you have remained kind and been thoughtful towards the boys in all this, a lot of people would have tempted to be more vengeful - good for you.