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Original poster

Your WTF Moments As Sellers

250 replies

Smokeahontas · 16/04/2021 21:11

First time seller here, it’s about to go on the market. To prepare myself a little, what’s the most WTF question / demand you’ve had as a seller?

OP posts:
steppemum · 26/04/2021 18:08

@bluebluezoo

*But the land around (was not a garden) was full of old cars, they took 12 months to remove. We were not allowed to remove them, and he insisted they were vintage/antique/special cars, so no chance of chucking them*

Surely if you sell a property any stuff not removed prior to new people taking ownership is considered part of the sale?

If someone leaves stuff behind, you can’t be expected to hang on to it indefinitely in case they turn up 10 years later and decide they want it?

there are strict rules around things left behind. They do not belong to you. This was also before the fixtures and fittings list that you do now. Believe me, there were solicitors involved, but they were legally his and he had the right to remove them. It is effectively squatting.

I think in the end it went to court and he had an ultimatum. But it was a lot of work to get rid.

Mintjulia · 26/04/2021 18:11

After the sale completed, I get a letter from the purchaser's solicitor demanding £445 for clearance of a wood shed.
I pointed out the term of sale that said all fuel must be left (which I think referred mainly to oil) but equally covered wood for the log burner.

Cheeky sods!

Cruddles · 26/04/2021 18:44

One of our viewers opened up by saying, "I'll not be putting in an offer, I'm just here to look round to see what's on offer for the money you're asking to compare with other houses".
We should have shown him the door at that stage, but were so flabbergasted we let him look round.

Reminds me of a rental place i was moving into once, on moving day a guy turns up saying he really liked our place online but was too late for a viewing, could he have a look around? What? Standing there with a massive box in my arms as I'm trying to walk in, i gave him short shrift

SpiderinaWingMirror · 26/04/2021 18:48

I had a 1970s house with a long double glazed porch/entrance hall.
One women turned up to view. I could hear her outside slagging my home off.
I opened the door and the first thing she said was "I dont like the hall. I bet its cold".
"I doubt you'll like the rest of it then". I replied and shut the door firmly on her and her family.
Sold it to a lovely family who were still there after 10 years.

warmandtoasty2day · 26/04/2021 21:03

currently on market, fun times it seems !

seepingweeping · 26/04/2021 23:23

We had a family come to view our house, they seemed to like it but didn't offer. 2 weeks later estate agents phoned to say someone wanted to view. It was the same family booked under a different name who when I mentioned their previous viewing denied all knowledge of being in my house just 2 weeks before.

Just bizarre.

SallyOMalley · 26/04/2021 23:51

When we sold our last house, our FTB demanded that a lot of the furniture should be included in the sale. The estate agent graciously communicated their request but clearly wasn't surprised when we said 'on yer bike '. We needed it all for our new house!

We went to completion with this same FTB, keeping our furniture but leaving two IKEA wall shelving units as agreed.

The CF phoned the estate agent the day after moving in to say she wanted a payment of £50 as one of them was chipped. We had inherited them from the owner before us and they clearly weren't new. And you could buy them in IKEA for £25 each!

youremyperson · 27/04/2021 00:16

@Puppylucky I'd have made the hole in the middle.. or somewhere difficult to put a rug!!

SpringtimeSummertime · 27/04/2021 08:23

@bluebluezoo

*But the land around (was not a garden) was full of old cars, they took 12 months to remove. We were not allowed to remove them, and he insisted they were vintage/antique/special cars, so no chance of chucking them*

Surely if you sell a property any stuff not removed prior to new people taking ownership is considered part of the sale?

If someone leaves stuff behind, you can’t be expected to hang on to it indefinitely in case they turn up 10 years later and decide they want it?

Who owned the land with the cars on it? If it was your land you could have given them notice and scrapped them surely?
steppemum · 27/04/2021 08:30

SpringtimeSummertime

I was the one who posted the original of this, see my post Mon at 18:08
There are strict rules, you can't just scrap stuff.

To be fair, usually people leave stuff behind because they don't want it, so the question is more - who is going to foot the bill for removal? Or you buy it knowing that you will need to clear it.

The issue arises when the previous owner wants the stuff left behind. You do not have the right to throw it away.

SpringtimeSummertime · 27/04/2021 09:04

steppemum
Your solicitor serves them notice to remove it if it is on your land or in your house. If they fail to do so by the specified date, you can scrap it.

steppemum · 27/04/2021 09:48

@SpringtimeSummertime

steppemum Your solicitor serves them notice to remove it if it is on your land or in your house. If they fail to do so by the specified date, you can scrap it.
well, there were solicitors involved and it still took 12 months to get rid.

I was a kid at the time, so I don't remember all the ins and outs, but my dad is pretty shit hot at this sort of thing, so I can't imagine he sat round and did nothing!

SpringtimeSummertime · 27/04/2021 11:17

steppemum
Seems a long time. Our loft was full of stuff when we moved in. Notice was given and we cleared it out (into a skip) after the notice period. Just over a month. Not sure what went wrong with yours.
If the cars went actually on your land that might have been the issue.

SpringtimeSummertime · 27/04/2021 11:18

Weren’t not went

Constantcrayfish · 27/04/2021 11:24

We had buyers when we sold a flat who tried to insist that we changed our internal front door for a fire door, and got the local fire brigade in to do a risk assessment on the whole building.

When I bought my first flat, I got a call from the EA on the morning of completion asking whether I wanted to buy the vendor's sofa. I said no, but arrived to find a giant, wooden-framed and shabby sofa that had clearly been built in situ (it was a flat up some narrow stairs which most sofas wouldn't get through). I had to make three trips to the tip with various friends with cars to get rid of it, not to mention breaking it down to get it down the stairs. Even so, I mostly minded that she'd tried to get me to actually pay for it when she realised she couldn't move it out. She also failed to tell me that a hefty bill for a share of a new roof was about to arrive. So as a FTB I got pretty shafted.

UCOinanOCG · 27/04/2021 11:45

When my DH emptied my FILs house for sale after he went into a care home he completely forgot to empty the attic. When it came to his attention after he buyers moved in he paid for someone to empty it and dispose of the items. This was the right thing to do as it wasn't the buyers issue to deal with.

De88 · 27/04/2021 12:46

My sister in law found a very creepy porcelain doll in the loft when she moved in. 8 years on, it's still there, I think she's too scared to chuck it out!

steppemum · 27/04/2021 13:10

If the cars went actually on your land that might have been the issue.

definitely our land.
I think the issue is when the seller WANTS the stuff.
As I said, I was a kid at the time, but that is how long it took.

It was also 40 years ago, so i suspect laws have changed

MoltenLasagne · 27/04/2021 14:58

The worst I've heard of vendors was when my aunt bought a house from a couple going through a divorce. As the man was showing her round he mentioned the small dog came with the house. She didn't want a dog, had two small kids. He said she either took the dog or it'd be nailed to the fence. Somehow she decided to proceed with with purchase and got the (very much still living) dog on moving in day, along with months worth of dog poo in the garden. It was luckily very much a bargain probably because the nasty seller had put off all other buyers and the dog lived with them happily for at least 5 more years.

steppemum · 27/04/2021 17:59

@MoltenLasagne

The worst I've heard of vendors was when my aunt bought a house from a couple going through a divorce. As the man was showing her round he mentioned the small dog came with the house. She didn't want a dog, had two small kids. He said she either took the dog or it'd be nailed to the fence. Somehow she decided to proceed with with purchase and got the (very much still living) dog on moving in day, along with months worth of dog poo in the garden. It was luckily very much a bargain probably because the nasty seller had put off all other buyers and the dog lived with them happily for at least 5 more years.
It is actually really sweet that she kept the dog, rather than giving him to Dogs Trust.
Cattenberg · 27/04/2021 23:42

@Cocoaone

A note around all the people whose buyers cheekily try to reduce the price close to exchange... we viewed a house with a certain EA (who are of the fixed price type) who advised us to bid over the asking price, seal the deal, then use the survey to offer less... Confused
@Cocoaone, I hope the estate agent’s name doesn’t begin with a G.
Cocoaone · 28/04/2021 06:10

@Cattenberg - it doesn't!

BentBabyBastard · 28/04/2021 06:28

We had a viewer who, after looking round immediately offered the asking price. All was going through and he would come round once a week or so to 'measure things', he was getting quite annoying - especially when I caught him in the understairs cupboard pretending to do a poo (he was 'checking a downstairs toilet would fit')

We were buying a new build around the corner, a few weeks later we were going to choose the kitchen and as we entered the show house, crazy cupboard crapper buyer came trotting out. It transpired he also was 'buying' one of the new builds too - obviously he wasn't, he was just a deranged house obsessive that had offers in on about 10 different houses!!!

This was in 2007, I was pregnant and we decided to stay put - so glad we did as the property market dipped significantly and the house we were buying dropped by 25k a year later

AlanSinclair · 28/04/2021 14:19

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Original poster
Smokeahontas · 28/04/2021 15:20

@BentBabyBastard ‘crazy cupboard crapper’ GrinGrinGrin

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