Buyer has entered property pre exchange and started renovation

[Iwishiwasjoking]

We were supposed to exchnage last week, then yesterday, now the proposal is exchange and complete tomorrow, all delays on buyers side told its mortgage company releasing fund.

property was vacated last week, but I removed the last items yesterday. Went back this evening to do a meter reading. Garden dug up, carpets ripped out, all windows open, lights on.

I am so shocked I have no idea what to do now …technically is burglary … but if this sale falls through I have a much less saleable house …

and before you ask how has he got in, there was a lockbox with keys in that the estate agents have been using … so either they’ve shared the code with him or he’s watched them and then let himself in.

Why do people keep suggesting this? What do you think the price reduction was for? A consolation for living with unfit carpets or to cover the cost of repalcing?
Are people really this dim?

The carpets are obviously in very poor condition, so need to be replaced. The house was marketed as having carpets so the buyers asked for money off to cover the cost of replacement. So why would they not rip them up? And why would you demand the money back just because they did exactly what the money was for?

The negotiated a reduction to replace the carpets so of course they’re going to rip them up and replace them.

It’s been a really long time since I’ve worked with the public and I think I forgot just how poor some people’s comprehension skills are.

"I wouldn't say nothing and hope it goes ahead" clearly being referred to as a whole. PP is arguing against others' advice to say nothing and hope it goes ahead. Pedantry not necessary.

@Curiousto i thought, as part of a sale process, you signed something to say you had returned or destroyed all keys?

Now, there’s no real problem if you wake up 3 months after a sale and think “ah, crap, I never got the spare key back from Bob and now he’s emigrated”

But if you are still using the key you have to open doors on the property… that’s not a joke.

Did they break in?

@penjil
I agree with PP. 'I wouldn't say nothing' is not the same as 'I would say something' in that post.

So there 😂

Have you spoken to your solicitor?

So cheeky.

I think they are lucky the OP left the garage locked. Supposing the OP had left it wide open, with the light on so anyone passing tea leaf could see it was full of useful tools.

Hope it all goes smoothly today. I would still be making a formal complaint to the EA and speaking to my solicitor TBH.

Hope it all goes through today and that the estate agents give you a discount!

Holy shit!

Hope everything goes through!

But the estate agent did not have the right to give permission for the ripping up of carpets. If somebody wanted to borrow my car how can another person give permission. They can't AFAIK.

Assuming you actually want to sell the house and complete, I wouldn't do any of the bonkers suggestions on here which might jeapardise the sale.
I would complain very vehemently to the estate agent though, assuming they allowed the buyer access to the keys.

Because the carpets aren't their property to rip out until the house is theirs?

Wowsers. What cheeky bastards.
Fingers crossed for you it all works out today op. If not, I hope the weight of the law absolutely clobbers them.

@sueelleker

Yes, but that’s not what anyone is complaining about. They’re not saying “take the discount back since they’ve trespassed and destroyed your property.” They’re telling OP to take the discount back because the discount was for the carpets and the buyers have removed the carpets… well obviously they’re going to remove the bloody carpets. That’s what the discount was to pay for.

I have known two people have this happen to them at different times (years apart) and in different places.

Have you rtft? The house isn’t theirs. They haven’t exchanged.

and its a civil matter

I agree, and I am hoping they aren’t going to try to pull a stunt where they insist on a reduction before they will exchange because the place has been trashed.

maybe - but as they say things can always get worse. Take keys out of lockbox, take photos, put it in writing that you do not and have not given them permission to and consider it trespass and theft.

be on your guard against more delaying tactics whilst 'work' continues which is followed up with a revised offer of thousands less than previously agreed.

We had the keys to our property from exchange, for a specific reason, and had to sign a document to say we wouldn't do any work or move anything in until completion. The estate agents handyman arrived a couple of days before, essentially to check, thankfully I was just cleaning and the reason for the keys was in progress.

The buyer should have insurance from exchange.

Wow that is either outrageous CF or the buyer is a pure idiot. Possibly both. Fingers crossed for you today!

Omg. Another with comprehension issues.

Yes, I know that. This isn’t about that. No one is saying they need to remove the discount because the people have trespassed. They’re telling OP that she should remove the discount since they now know the buyers are going to remove the carpets… that’s what the discount was to pay for, so of course they will remove the carpets. But at least two posters don’t understand that the discount they negotiated is to pay for new carpets, not as compensation for having to live with shit carpets. Someone said that if they’re not keeping the carpets then they shouldn’t be allowed the discount… eh, what? That’s what the discount was to pay for!

It’s nothing to do with them illegally entering and removing OP’s property. If posters told her to up the price because they trespassed then fine, but they’re not saying that. They’re telling her that the buyers were given a discount for the carpets so should no longer be allowed that discount because they’ve removed the carpets. That’s what the discount was to pay for so of course they were going to remove the bloody carpets.

I am an estate agent and this is actually illegal. The property is still yours until the day of completion and you get the call from your solicitors saying the money has been received from the buyers solicitor, and keys can be released to the buyers . In order to allow these works to take place prior to completion, you would have to do what is called a Key Undertaking and agree the works being done in writing.... and that goes through the solicitors, not the estate agents. This is very very shoddy from the agents and I would be complaining in writing to the Ombudsman if I were in your shoes and claiming your sellers fee back.