Moving out after exchange

[NoMoreChangesPlease]

Namechanged as pretty detailed and outing!

So I've just received a message from our buyer (via our estate agent) and have never heard of anything like this before..although I admit I'm not super experienced in house selling/buying.

They're asking if we're happy to do a key undertaking at exchange so they can access the property between exchange and completion. They want to be able to clean and do some minor decorating before moving in properly on completion as they have an under-3 child.

Also tacked on is whether we would be happy to move out on exchange, or even a week before completion when they would need to be out of their property...

I just don't even know where to go with this!

Are they being CF?

Is this a done thing?

Are there any repercussions if we were to comply with what they've asked, that could bite us on the bum?

No way do you release keys to them until your solicitor has confirmed that the full sales proceeds are safely in their client bank account. Otherwise they could squat in your home and never pay for it. Your solicitor will be adamant on that point. You would lay yourself open to serious consequences.

They can jog on.
I did a key undertaking on my mums property but it was empty. They wanted to paint 1 room and realistically they take over responsibility for the property on exchange anyway.
If I was living there no way at all.

We wanted to do this but the vendor's solicitor said no. It was no big issue.

I have sent the EA the message saying no, and offering to bring the completion forwards to assist in any issues with moving dates their end.

Glad you all think they're CFs as well!

@mamamalt

We exchanged today, complete on the 2nd Aug but will be out by end of next week so the buyers can have keys if they want. Its just a request and no need for you to say yes if it doesn't suit. Don't ask don’t get!

Good luck with that if they take possession and refuse to complete leaving you out of pocket then.

Good god no! They move in when they own it and not before!

Absolutely not!

And LOL at having a child under 3 being some kind of extenuating circumstance

Well done 👍

How weird. We moved into our house with a 4 year old, a 2 year old and a 3 month old and managed to decorate… just did it when they were in bed!

I know right?

We've now had the same question sent through via the conveyancers... they will be receiving another firm and solid "no that doesn't work for us".

They've either ignored the answer via the estate agent or chosen to pursue it more officially...

I did state that we were happy to bring the completion date forward, in case it was an issue with rent lease finishing early.
Funnily enough they ignored that part of it!

They want to have the keys a week before completion.. but I don't see what they aim to achieve in that week, that cannot be done post completion. Whatever arrangements are in place for that golden week before completion can also surely be put in place for the week post completion?

Just.... gah!

My parents had this on an empty probate property they were selling. Solicitor advised absolutely no way and it is massively CF to even ask. The buyers also had young children and wanted to clean and decorate before moving in. The house itself was immaculately clean...so a bit of a double insult there as well.

What you have to think is imagine if they go into the house and rip everything out and find something not to their liking e.g. unknown damp or an expensive issue to fix. Maybe even an issue which makes the place unmortageable? I have no idea what would happen then. They could also accidentally flood the place or ruin the electrics...who would be responsible for repairs in that instance?

They can wait for completion like everyone else. Their solicitor should have advised them that such a request is not realistic and not the done thing.

They want to clean? Won't it just get dirty again before you move out? Madness.

You could charge them a decent rent?

But really your answer should be fuck off you CFs.

They want to have the keys a week before completion.. but I don't see what they aim to achieve in that week, that cannot be done post completion. Whatever arrangements are in place for that golden week before completion can also surely be put in place for the week post completion?

They want to clean, redecorate, faff about checking where their furniture can go etc - but at leisure, without the removals men and all their furniture sat in lorries outside! It certainly is a luxury and much nicer to have the keys to your new place before you have to move out of the old one. But the only way you can make that happen is if you can pay for the new one before you’ve completed on your own sale.

I hope your conveyancer has clearly told you not to do this under any circumstances? I know you won’t but I hope they have your back on this too.

I understand that perhaps they may want to not have the hassle of furniture in and around cleaning/light redecorating, but there's a storage unit down the road if needs be...
If they're in rented then I would have thought that us offering to bring completion forwards would work...

The conveyancer hasn't said anything either way on it - it was tacked onto an email with points for us to answer...

We have said a solid No to them again, so we will wait and see what comes next!

Absolutely it's a no.
Your solicitor shouldn't even be entertaining such a request.