Ok, so the vendors are taking pretty much everything with them...what next?!

[Sarahlouboo]

Three weeks before the agreed completion date, after chasing the vendors for the fixtures and fittings, they decided to exclude pretty much everything including the integrated appliances (which were advertised in the brochure), fitted carpets and fireplace and surround. I know they are completely in their rights to do this (well I didn't but I do now ) but it came as a shock and, obviously, an unwelcome additional expense at a time when money is already tight. To add insult to injury they are dragging their heels and taking ages to respond to any communication. They have made it clear that they will take everything out if we don't agree to pay for it. They are unlikely to have any need for the fitted carpets etc. as they are emigrating to Canada but we have offered them an amount and we are waiting to hear back. I am not hopeful that they will accept our offer as it substantially below what they were asking but it is all we can afford. In which case we are going to proceed with the sale but just replace everything as new. Better we think than having to pay for 4 year old appliances (they want £200 for a 4 year old fridge freezer!). So...has this happened to anyone else? Did the vendors follow through with their threats? Do you think it is a good idea to ask for a pre-completion inspection? I am dreading what we will be walking into. Bare floors in January with children is not what I was hoping to achieve when we set out to buy this house!!

They are younger than us and well-paid professionals! I know it is a daft thing to say but I have been shocked at how arrogant they are when they look about 12 (to me!).

I think we are going to hang tight, wait to hear if they accept our offer and/or pull out. If they don't accept our offer or start messing around with dates then I think we will seriously consider pulling out. I have had another quick look on Rightmove this afternoon - nothing doing, but new houses might start coming on now xmas is over. I don't think it would harm to drop into conversation with the estate agents that we are starting to look elsewhere! It is just the waiting/not knowing that is terrible. This thread has been very therapeutic and has helped me find my backbone again - thank you for that! My lovely mum wasn't much help, she kept saying over and over how sorry she felt for our buyers!

As well as integrated appliances being expensive themselves, it can also be really expensive to get them fitted to cupboard doors. I upgraded a washing machine to the manufacturer's new model and the holes in the cupboard door (for the old machine) didn't match up. Luckily I knew someone who was able to refit the door, working around the existing holes, but you could end up having to buy new cupboard doors for the new appliances.

Just something else to figure in your calculations. By the sound of it, those vendors could mangle the cupboard doors when removing them from the appliances.

I just read that you're considering pulling out. If you do, I implore you to keep them dangling as long as possible. No need to tell them the sale's off even if you tell your buyer, just use their many excuses why you've not returned the paperwork in time. Again.

strong signs here that you are 'little people' who can be pissed about. As you note, much doesn't add up.

tell them exchange by Friday lunchtime, with the PIF Form to include all the things you want, or you are gone.

and start looking for another house.

They meant they were chain free when they put the house up for sale, i.e. not vacant possession. Some people are hopelessly disorganised - I filled in the last property information form in one sitting in less than an hour because I kept all the details in one place and it was easy.

If they are young, perhaps someone else, such as a parent who may have a vested interest in them not emigrating or who has helped them out financially, has said, 'Ooh, you're not just giving them all of that are you? It cost X amount and me and your mother helped pay for it'. I wouldn't be surprised.

Play hard ball and see what happens. But tell the estate agent you haven't heard back about the F&F - it's in their interest to keep things moving and often people the EA things they wouldn't tell the solicitor.

I do know that by law they have to leave all wiring sound and light bulbs.
Curtain track also, whatever they remove that is fixed they have to leave sound.

In terms of other things, yes I would call their bluff. They won't want the sale to fall through and nobody will pay for their old carpets anyway.
Tell them you'd prefer to buy new anyway if they dig their heels.

Good luck and don't let them try it on, because it sounds like they are.

Meant to ask, what are they doing with the wall/fireplace if they are taking the surround. Are they going to plaster?

OP I think you've had some good advice here and I hope things work out. I'm a little surprised that you've encountered solicitors going on holiday - ours always rang me to let me know if they were going to be out of the office and who would be looking after us in her absence. Our estate agent was the same. If you're in the mood for rattling more cages, I'd rattle them too ! I'm constantly amazed people don't want to do the best job they can, but maybe it's a cost thing ?

Hello - quick update...chased estate agent and asked them to try again and they managed to speak to vendors who hadn't even received offer from solicitors! Anyway, the good news is that they seem like they are going to accept the offer although they want to do it all officially through sols. So, now I need to pin them down to a date and remind them to make good any damage caused by the removal of the fireplace. The fire is electric and apparently free standing so would that cause much damage? They are also taking the light fittings. I feel relieved that we are not going into a house with bare floor boards and no appliances but I will feel even happier when they stop faffing and sign the bleeding contract. Deep breaths! Maybe they read this thread and realised they were being arses! Thank you all so much for your advice and for sharing your experiences.

Good luck

Stay strong

Don't be too nice and polite

If I were u OP, I maybe inclined to speak with your solicitors and consider at completion to withhold say £5000 until you have inspected the house to ensure no damage has been done.(with agreement by both parties). Given the unusual circumstances that the vendors are emigrating, you would not have any redress later on as you would not be able to locate them. If they are decent sellers, I can't see why they couldn't agree to this.

Our house had a free standing electric fire. Took it off and were left with two holes, that was all. No damage.

It's still in the garage. You can have it if you like. Holes might even be in the right place..!

Think about possible damage or safety issues with everything they could remove, although your solicitor should be suggesting this. Plan for the worst etc!

I don't understand why they are taking stuff, but hey ho. Make sure they are clear they need to leave a basic ceiling rose in each light fitting. The bastards people who moved out of our place left us with bare wires and had we not had several lamps we'd have been in the dark. Literally.

I.e. have a catch-all condition that damage from removal of any existing fixture must be made good and electrically sound etc, rather than stipulating that for specific items. That should be in the standard terms/ offer letter really, so check that carefully. (I'm in Scotland, so... )

I would refuse to pay for anything advertised when you offered.
I would be tempted to call their bluff and say you are considering pulling out of the sale as the cost of new carpets/integrated appliances and anything else you had counted on means sale not worth it? And the costs you would lose would be similar or less than starting again and now knowing what to legally agree with another house before you offer. As cost of new everything means may as well pay another set of fees etc to a house you would feel happier in!!!

Then there move abroad would be in jeopardy if need money from the house or at east have to sell from abroad!!

Call their bluff!!! See how they like it perhaps?

Suggest to the EA that you want them to negotiate a reduction in price based on the fact that the vendors are now removing a number of fixtures and fittings that you understood were included in the sale.
We did this when the vendors told us they were taking fitted bedroom furniture out. We got £1.5K reduction (quite a long time ago), and we didn't like the furniture anyway.

TheOriginal makes a really good point above about your solicitor agreeing for their solicitor to withold an amount of the sale proceeds, to cover any damage or missing items.

This is standard practice with a leasehold to cover further charges from managing agents, during the remaining chargeable year, to cover their fees for repairs/redecoration etc. to the property. It should be no bother to arrange the same on a freehold property as an insurance against the vendors buggering off abroad without paying for any damage or missing items from the fixtures and fittings list. It could be held by their solicitor for a period of say 14 days.

I'd also be leaning heavily on your solicitor to pin down an exchange by X date, otherwise you walk.

This is what I mean when I say the sols have been useless! Their whole attitude has been to shrug their shoulders, no advice, no strategies - I have had more advice from posters on here! Thank you. I will speak to my sols today about withholding a certain amount and/or carrying out a pre-completion inspection. I will also check what guidelines are given to the vendors about light fittings that are removed. And press for a completion date.

Whoever said about the fire - thank you, that is very reassuring! And thanks for the offer but we are quite glad, DH wants to put the TV in that spot in any case!

If our buyers had been more amenable, we probably would have considered having a bit of a wrangle about the original offer. It does stick in my throat that we have effectively agreed to pay an amount for items that were advertised and then excluded at the last moment but I just want to get in now. I certainly won't be putting up with any further shenanigans!

Crazy. When we bought ours we had an opposite problem. Vendor listed the things they were leaving - fine, all agreed. We were happy.

We arrived to move in and found that they had left almost everything they said they'd take - couch (ok we didn't have one free couch!!), fridge freezer (ditto), table & chairs, beds etc. Basically everything. We ended up with free things we needed but had to get rid of a lot. Still not sure why

solicitors can go on holiday, but like anyone with half a brain they do something called delegation.

raise merry hell with yours and ask for a big discount off the bill. You are keeping a dog and doing all the barking.

Ememem84, we also had the opposite problem with the vendors leaving stuff we didn't want or need and then we had to pay/arrange to get rid of it. The one thing they did leave that we liked (a huge mirror in the hall), they came to collect sheepishly the day after the move claiming they had 'forgotten it). I was too nice and gave it to them but really I should have said no because it did cost us money to ahve the council collect the huge amount of furniture they had left.

Fingers crossed it all works out op. This was us this time last year. We were going through a private sale and when we completed the vendors wouldn't get out of the house when we arrived to
Pick the keys up! An hour and a half we were chasing them out for!

Good luck!

Specialsubject - sorry it is their solicitor who is on holiday but apparently it turns out that a team of solicitors are dealing with the case - not very effectively it seems . But yes, I get the dog barking thing, spending a lot of my time chasing sols and estate agents to try and keep things moving.

Madcatgirl - the idea of them being there when we turn up to love doesn't bear thinking about! My husband will kill them!

Issysark and Ememem84 - I will be strangely annoyed now if they leave that flipping ugly fire and their stupid light fittings! Because I will only be taking them out at some point. Flaming cheek of some people!

P.s. My solicitor has said we can't withhold funds and to organise pre-completion inspection via the agents. Also said we could take them to small claims court but unlikely to get more than it would cost, plus they are emigrating anyway so...