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What happens if I can't empty house by completion day?

510 replies

competion · 26/11/2023 12:29

What happens if there are still things in the house when the new owner arrives? Going as fast as I can but unlikely to be done by tomorrow...

OP posts:
TicTac80 · 26/11/2023 18:17

Like a PP, I had a HA house exchange. The lady I was doing the swap with was adamant that we needed to be ready at short notice etc as she had "an army of helpers to move her" and she didn't want any delays. No problem, I'd put aside money for a removal company and packers (I'd also started packing/decluttering weeks before). I booked the week off work (also October Half Term) to make sure I was there to get sorted/moved, kids settled in etc. On the day we got the notice that all the paperwork was done and we just needed to sign everything, I couldn't get hold of her. Eventually managed to contact her and get stuff signed. She then told me that she didn't have anyone to move her. We arranged to move the next day (and she agreed this wouldn't be a problem). Ended up having to move HER stuff as well as our stuff as she'd pissed us about so much and I needed to move that day (as I couldn't take any more time off work). I'd left our flat immaculate. She left her place in a disgusting state (I used to be a cleaner so I know what dirty looks like). Never forgot it and I hated her for screwing us over like that. Thing is, if she'd told us in advance her situation, we would have been able to arrange things better. I could have put our stuff in storage and had cleaners come in to sort the filthy house (and flea bomb it). She didn't. So we spent weeks trying to clean and deal with a massive flea infestation. I don't know what I would have done if this had the added stress of buying/selling property.

OP, your sister needs to pull her finger out and bloody well get on with getting her stuff packed and her house left in a decent state. I can't believe she's left stuff to the last minute.

AnneValentine · 26/11/2023 18:17

The purchaser can sue for damages. Which would include costs for any such claim. And it’s a hefty charge at that.

They need to have vacated by 2pm at the latest. Everything basically should be packed by am so movers are just emptying house. Not packing.

https://www.samconveyancing.co.uk/news/conveyancing/what-happens-on-completion-day-243

What happens on completion day? | SAM Conveyancing

Find out what happens on completion day with all the tips to make sure you complete quickly. With videos and free online guides you'll know what to do and when.

https://www.samconveyancing.co.uk/news/conveyancing/what-happens-on-completion-day-243

User1789 · 26/11/2023 18:17

AutumnCrow · 26/11/2023 12:54

DP went to help a mate move house once and when he got their with the hired truck, it was a bit like this. There was still wet washing in the washing machine. He was scarred by that.

AGGGH. We are having our upstairs recarpeted tomorrow and have had to move all furniture from upstairs, downstairs, ready for the carpet fitters. It's not quite on the same scale as moving house, but it has felt like a mini-house move at times this weekend!

And do you know what I did? I made sure I did all the laundry I normally do on Sunday, yesterday so it could all be packed away today! Because that is what adulting is!

yetanotherdaytoday · 26/11/2023 18:19

When I moved into my first property, the woman who was moving out hadn't finished. I helped her get packed up, it was fine. She was obviously struggling, being cross with her wasn't going to help.

OP if your sister is always like this, could it be possible she has ADHD or some other executive function disorder?

It doesn't mean it's not infuriating! But leaving things till the last minute, being totally unprepared, not focusing on the task and underestimating how long things take are classic signs of ADHD.

I have ADHD and often just cannot make myself do things like packing until the adrenaline from the panic of being late kicks in.

I am an intelligent, professional woman who people assume is pretty sorted. My home, and my home life, is a mess. Understanding I have ADHD had helped a bit.

Dentistlakes · 26/11/2023 18:22

Presumably you’ve known your moving day for some time? I would be very annoyed if I were the purchaser. The removal
company will charge her if they can’t move her
stuff in when they arrive. Be prepared to cover that charge as well as accommodation charges if she needs to stay somewhere overnight. There’s certainly no way I’d be packing your stuff as well as my own!

JamieKnows · 26/11/2023 18:27

"pay the random teens lurking around to muck in"

Wtf 🤣

anon2134 · 26/11/2023 18:27

How is packing taking so long? Surely you've had weeks/months to start packing?

anon2134 · 26/11/2023 18:28

Just read it's your sister. She needs to dump her stuff outside and collect at random points tomorrow.

charlotte361 · 26/11/2023 18:40

I am not sure what the kerfuffle is -she doesnt need to be out tilll lunchtime tomorrow. Normally the removal team turn up in the morning fill the vans up and drive off around lunchtime to the new property.

Cherrysoup · 26/11/2023 18:42

It’s due to rain across most of the country tomorrow.

This thread is scaring me. We’re due to move across country next time. I might organise to turn up a couple of days later than completion, maybe stay in an Airbnb for a bit, stick the house contents in storage!

Womencanlift · 26/11/2023 18:48

Cherrysoup · 26/11/2023 18:42

It’s due to rain across most of the country tomorrow.

This thread is scaring me. We’re due to move across country next time. I might organise to turn up a couple of days later than completion, maybe stay in an Airbnb for a bit, stick the house contents in storage!

Why should you be out of money for someone else’s incompetence? Just make sure there is a clause in the contract that it needs to be vacant by time funds are exchanged and what the penalty is if that does not happen

From some of the stories on this thread, I would also want to add a clause about a clean house but don’t think that’s a legal matter…

competion · 26/11/2023 18:49

charlotte361 · 26/11/2023 18:40

I am not sure what the kerfuffle is -she doesnt need to be out tilll lunchtime tomorrow. Normally the removal team turn up in the morning fill the vans up and drive off around lunchtime to the new property.

She and her partner (and their child) are the removals team!

OP posts:
competion · 26/11/2023 18:50

yetanotherdaytoday · 26/11/2023 18:19

When I moved into my first property, the woman who was moving out hadn't finished. I helped her get packed up, it was fine. She was obviously struggling, being cross with her wasn't going to help.

OP if your sister is always like this, could it be possible she has ADHD or some other executive function disorder?

It doesn't mean it's not infuriating! But leaving things till the last minute, being totally unprepared, not focusing on the task and underestimating how long things take are classic signs of ADHD.

I have ADHD and often just cannot make myself do things like packing until the adrenaline from the panic of being late kicks in.

I am an intelligent, professional woman who people assume is pretty sorted. My home, and my home life, is a mess. Understanding I have ADHD had helped a bit.

No it's just acopia and a life where people always step in and rescue her from crises

OP posts:
Choux · 26/11/2023 18:52

A pregnant woman and her husband are going to manage to remove sofas beds and wardrobes while providing childcare for a toddler??? Recipe for disaster.

Lunde · 26/11/2023 18:55

charlotte361 · 26/11/2023 18:40

I am not sure what the kerfuffle is -she doesnt need to be out tilll lunchtime tomorrow. Normally the removal team turn up in the morning fill the vans up and drive off around lunchtime to the new property.

The kerfuffle is that they don't have movers or packers - they are relying on a "mate with a van" plus they haven't packed yet

HamstersAreMyLife · 26/11/2023 18:56

I would be furious if I were her buyer, there's no excuse for it. We've never used a removal company and it's not essential if you get everything organised in the run up. I once turned up to help a friend move as they had no car and they'd packed nothing. I helped but we are no longer friends as a direct result

competion · 26/11/2023 18:58

I think it's possible without removals IF you have properly planned and prepared.

They've done neither.

Will update in due course!

OP posts:
DahliaJ · 26/11/2023 19:01

When my relative moved, the seller of the house wasn't ready to move. The rather cross and burly removals men ( hers and my relatives) dumped all of the sellers items, furniture, clothing in the front garden.

Sellers removals men went away to their next job, relatives removals men moved my relatives stuff in.

When I moved, I underestimated the amount of stuff in the lift and didn't finish bringing it down until 3am but still moved sharpish on removals day.

usertaken · 26/11/2023 19:01

Don't mean to be harsh but if she has acopia why hasn't anyone in the family pre-empted this struggle before and done something to help before, instead of the last minute?

Guess you would have known this was always likely to happen, and she would have said the same message about other events before.

If she has a condition like this then it's not gonna be her fault entirely but surely family members would have known when exchange and completion were, and not leave a person like this to handle it on their own.

ladywhothefock · 26/11/2023 19:15

This happened to us. Completed and the agent didn’t have the keys. An hour later, they still didn’t have the keys. We were on the way to the new house, the people who bought ours were already moving in (and of course we were out before completion as we are not idiots).

Estate agent told them they had to drop off keys, now, they did not own the property anymore. They did and we picked them up on the way to the house assuming it was all fine and we could move in.

Nope. Turned up on the drive to see the family though the window watching TV.

The excuse was they were both teachers so didn’t have a lot of time. They had dragged the sale on for 11 months. It was half term the week after - they could have completed then instead.

Our removals guys hauled their stuff onto the drive. The wife was screaming and crying and saying how could they book a van now, it was 5pm.

Solicitors involved, their solicitor told them to remove all their belongings from the property entirely - off the driveway. They ended up putting it all on next doors drive and shifting it all back and forth by taxi.

I posted about it on here at the time and I told I was being unreasonable, that I should have offered to wait and stay elsewhere until the next day, or that I should have helped them move stuff 🤣 Um, nope!

Pumpkinpie1 · 26/11/2023 19:17

OP leave her to it ……
People who do things like that will never learn unless they are left to stew in their self imposed disaster!
Feel sorry for the house buyers though

Coconutter24 · 26/11/2023 19:19

competion · 26/11/2023 12:51

No they haven't got any lorries or vans yet to start loading into...

Apparently a mate is coming with his later to help...

They're off to soft play now.

I am not even joking.

Went to soft play whilst their house needs packing for tomorrow!! I’d just switch my phone off and let them deal with it themselves. If they were at home packing frantically ready for tomorrow I’d maybe consider pitching in

saffy2 · 26/11/2023 19:21

You don’t have a choice you have to have vacated the property. You will no longer own it or anything within it. And the rightful owners will probably be attempting to enter it, because it’s their property.

SurprisedWithAHorse · 26/11/2023 19:23

Coconutter24 · 26/11/2023 19:19

Went to soft play whilst their house needs packing for tomorrow!! I’d just switch my phone off and let them deal with it themselves. If they were at home packing frantically ready for tomorrow I’d maybe consider pitching in

I wouldn't switch my phone off because I'd want to hear about this, but I'd definitely be somewhere else and unable to leave!

WellThatChangesThings · 26/11/2023 19:23

Not acceptable by any means. She needs to sort herself out op!