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Original poster

Buying a shit filled shit hole!

96 replies

GrumpyBagFace · 16/04/2018 20:10

We've just had an offer accepted on a house that's currently occupied by hoarders, dirty hoarders, with animals that have shit all over the house.

--We got a good price!

Anyway, what happens if they don't removed all of their faeces and tat when they leave? A man in a pub or a woman at work said they legally have to remove all of their belongings from the property. Is this true?

OP posts:
Original poster
GrumpyBagFace · 16/04/2018 21:48

DH is currently looking up cleaning companies. Even if they took all of their crap, the cleaning would be too much for us (we have two very young children to add to the chaos).

I will definitely talk to the solicitor regarding a retainer for cleaning and skip hire. Although I'm not too bothered as it is a bargain!

OP posts:
Mrsx79 · 16/04/2018 21:50

I can't see the pictures... can you post them again

Easilyflattered · 16/04/2018 21:55

Well good luck OP, I viewed what could have been a perfect house if only it didn't reek of dog ( dog breeder not just the family pet). The agent pretty much said " go on make a cheeky offer, she needs to sell" but I just couldn't face the work. Bleurgh.

I admire your spirit!

Somerville · 16/04/2018 21:55

The vendors won't be able to empty and clean the house - if they did, they wouldn't be selling it at a 40% discount.

Legally IIRC they have to hand it over on completion day in the state (in terms of repair and cleanliness, but obvs empty, too) that it is in on the day you exchange contracts. So them cleaning it isn't going to happen, since the state of filth is well established.

Leaving it empty is standard. It might be they could be negotiated a bit further down on price to allow for you paying for people to remove their rubbish... but they also might feel that this has already been priced in.

You need to talk to your solicitor and make sure they understand the state of it.

TooExtraImmatureCheddar · 16/04/2018 21:57

The only photo I can see is the shed one. Is it just me?

restorrestore · 16/04/2018 22:05

I don't think it looks that bad!

restorrestore · 16/04/2018 22:05

As in it's fixable!

specialsubject · 16/04/2018 22:10

Small issue , but if your skanks have filled the green waste bin with rubbish then meeting the bin men and asking nicely is much easier than emptying it.

It will only be once and they've got a truck with a tail lift. Then you get the lovely job of cleanin g it.

Been there.

paranoidpammywhammy2 · 16/04/2018 22:15

Some hoarders I know pulled out of a sale; they were already unhappy at the offered price (way below market value) but were overwhelmed by the actual move.

When they eventually sold to a different buyer at a slightly higher price - they were still moving stuff out weeks after the sale went through. It was very stressful; the buyers were really decent about it but they'd got people coming to make renovations, redecorate and recarpet before moving in.

Loads of the stuff is still boxed up in various relatives garages and cellars. There was not enough room in the new house and they won't let hardly anything go.

DamsonOnThisDress · 16/04/2018 22:20

Preparing for the worst is an excellent plan.

Speak to your solicitor though. We bought a shit filled shit hole and although, legally we could have pursued, our solicitor advised there would be little point as the previous owner was in financial difficulties. Just had to lump it really.

Oh and not to rain on your parade but we got a full structural survey. Thought we knew what we were getting but the £2000 estimate for chimney repairs is actually total rebuilds and we're sitting with bill of £7000. And that's just the start of it. Everything. Absolutely everything has cost us considerably more than anticipated.

But. Still don't regret it. If you're absolutely prepared for the worst and have money set aside for the shit and unexpected shit you'll have yourself a lovely home. And you'll certainly be adding value with everything you do.

Sorry if my post sounds doom and gloom. Not trying to put you off. I love my shit hole.

Good luck and congratulations if it all goes ahead! Smile

Original poster
GrumpyBagFace · 16/04/2018 23:57

Please do post your horror stories. Prepare us for the worst of the worst!

I'm glad to hear people love their shitholes.

OP posts:
GETTINGLIKEMYMOTHER · 17/04/2018 00:12

If possible, you could do what I did when buying a flat where I suspected that the vendor was going to leave a load of rubbish and manky old furniture behind.

I told the EA I was not going to complete until he cleared the place completely. I was not prepared to pay someone else to take his old rubbish away.
I arranged to meet the EA at the property a few hours before the rest of the money was going to be paid over. Sure enough, he had left a lot of rubbish and a manky old sofa.
Completion was delayed for a day, until he cleared it. He was pissed off with me, but tough. He'd been warned and had chosen to take me for a mug.
I would do exactly the same again.

mayhew · 17/04/2018 00:28

My friend bought a hoarders house. He had a contract that specified that the house had to be empty and clean on completion. Otherwise big financial penalty.

mayhew · 17/04/2018 00:30

It's now the most beautiful house and much admired. However it was in worse condition than suspected, so the low price did not cover the renovation

nursy1 · 17/04/2018 00:54

Our ex neighbor was elderly though not unfit and a bit of a hoarder. Not to the shit and piss extent but loads of farm stuff from his former life. Boxes everywhere and sheds full of very toxic farm chemicals.
He didn’t really want to sell but had to as the house was too big, he couldn’t afford it after his wife died ( couldn’t clean it either)
Anyhow it sold. His son kept coming round to pack a few boxes 📦 but his heart wasn’t in it. He just went into denial.
Come removal day the new owners turned up with their van. His removal van had turned up early and the men were throwing all his unpacked stuff in, beds with the bedding on, wardrobes with clothes in. He had done nothing sat there in his pyjamas and said he had changed his mind!
The buyers removal van disappeared and put all his stuff in storage and they booked in to a hotel whilst the vendors son tried to sort it out. It took him 3 days.
He was a lovely neighbor in the end and did recover some of the extra money he had to spend.
The shed chemicals had to be removed by the local council. That cost him too!

Pradaqueen · 17/04/2018 05:57

OP, I specialise in purchasing ‘shit filled shit holes’ at Auction Grin as no one generally wants to tackle them. I have bought squats so bad even squatters left, properties literally filled with bags of faeces, baths used as toilets, drug paraphernalia, very extreme porn, hoarders - I could go on. All of which were fixable and ultimately profitable. That said, I would say that your expectation that you will be able to sort in two weeks is a bit optimistic. You won’t want to use the same sanitaryware (boak) so that’ll have to be changed, If there is animal urine soaked into floorboards you will need to change them and I would bet money they’ll be a non standard size and that alone is a good two weeks work. Bags of shit bring with it flies. And fly shit which cannot be painted over as it bleeds through. Fly shit also sticks to any exposed wires - particularly lighting wiring so that’ll need to be replaced too. So you may need to plaster to cover the fly shit (looks like tiny black dots which no plasterer wants to scrape off first so you’ll need someone to do that too). It is also possible that the smell won’t go once everything is out unless everywhere is replastered and all flooring replaced. You are getting into summer so look out for flies hatching from under the floorboards and other crevices. I’d get a crew of general builders in to clear everything in 2/3 days - get them to strip out floorboards/kitchens etc and then see if it still smells. Then start the work. I’d say with everyone lined up, you’d need 6-8 weeks to get it into a position where you’d be happy for the kids to live there. Good luck, ultimately turning these properties back into lovely homes is very rewarding and yes, the neighbours generally will love you for doing so! Good luck to you!

Soundsgood · 17/04/2018 06:09

My first call would probably be to the RSPCA.

Sad
rwalker · 17/04/2018 06:30

you are saving 40k so for that be prepared to move it yourself cheap for a reason .Mask,gloves and white suit just don't look at what u are moving .

littlebillie · 17/04/2018 06:36

The aga could be reconditioned or sold on they are worth a few grand even in that state!

mirren3 · 17/04/2018 06:38

I haven't read the whole thread as I'm working -allegedly - on a night shift. We have just had a family member buy a real wreck and one thing we didn't realise that if you have to hire a skip and don't have a driveway our council need at least a week to give you a skip permit and charge you for it, no skip company would deliver a skip without the permit number. If you've got a driveway all is good but if not check your council.

TreeClimbingMonkey · 17/04/2018 06:59

I wouldn't be giving notice on your rental until the house is ready to move into, especially as you have children.

Get the place gutted including new floorboards, replastering etc and get a kitchen in before you move in. You are in rented, use that to your benefit. We have over-lapped rentals by 2 weeks, then overlapped the rental with a bought house. We even lived in a hotel for a few weeks whilst we completed on a house (couldn't get completion dates to match and wanted out of the last house desperately.)

Yes it will cost you in terms of money but it will be worth the investment.

fuzzyduck1 · 17/04/2018 07:06

That’s why your getting it cheap if you want a nice clean house buy a nice clean house. I bought a house once and got £5k knocked off as they were leaving all the stuff in it. Also had documents drawn up saying we were buying there junk which reduced the house price and reduced the stamp duty we had to pay

BurningTheToast · 17/04/2018 08:39

Another voice here saying you need to be prepared for the place to be left full of junk when they leave and that you'll never have it ready to move into within a couple of weeks. But - big but - it was seriously cheap and could be lovely so just brace yourself for the horrors first. Plan for the worst, hope for the best.

We bought a place at auction for about half of what it had been on the market for two years at. Gorgeous listed cottage but there were reasons why it was cheap and no one else wanted it. And once those reasons were fixed, it was worth what they were originally asking and is a beautiful home.

Good luck!

Dancingtothemusicoftime · 17/04/2018 14:42

Hi OP, I used to be a police officer so was well used to going into properties like this. It wasn't as bad as I expected it to be from your description but I do agree that you would probably be wise to grit your teeth and pay a specialist house clearing and cleaning business to blitz it first.

The council in the city I worked in used these companies a lot and they do a great job. The council would often have to have walls replastered and floors replaced though as the smell of urine and faeces seems to become part of the fabric of the property Confused

Seems like you have a great bargain and I am sure you will transform it into a beautiful home.

Mrsmadevans · 17/04/2018 16:15

IMHO it en that bad OP , perhaps l have lower standards Good luck

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