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.

We had Virgin Media rock up a week before completion. Said they'd been sent by our buyers to dig a trench in the garden ready to install Broadband. We sent them packing with the message that the buyers were welcome to do whatever the hell they liked to the property after completion, but until then they could keep their mitts off. We had exchanged, but still no guarantee that the sale would go through.

CF of the highest order! Please update OP, fingers crossed for smooth completion

I’d be raising merry hell with the estate agent!

Even if it goes through I would be demanding the EA waive their commission/ fee.

Id also report to the police today JIC

Hope it goes through

I think you've handled it perfectly, you've let everyone who needs to know, know! 🤞🏼 You can exchange today, I would make sure you keep chasing your estate agent for a response, and when it comes to settling your bill I would be complaining!

That's not karma, that's psychopathic behaviour.

Wow, I would definitely be renegotiating my estate agents fee based on this!

I would be raising merry hell over this. They absolutely should not be allowed to get away with this.

Hope it goes through today, but I'd still be very upset with estate agents 😕

The most likely thing is that the buyers saw the code. That is very much an issue that the EA needs to train its staff on and should result in a fee discount or other apology eg wine and flowers.

I think that would be categorically different to the EA telling them the code though. Just as the buyer swiping a set of keys from the EA’s desk would be different to the EA handing them over.

Iwishiwasjoking I agree that this is high grade CFery indeed! I'd have been tempted to lock the house and windows and leave the garage door wide open.

My last buyers practically moved in before exchange. When I found all their stuff and blew up at the EA, the EA said the buyer removal arrangements had fallen through, so they had to move in as much as they could pre exchange or the chain would fall through

These tossers really do have an answer for everything don't they?
Especially with the implied "don't complain or it'll be worse for you"

And then some wonder why EA details contain that caveat about not forming any part of a legal contract ...

Could always remove the stuff and hide it tahts they’ve left there….. see how much they sweat!! Naughty I know but they are taking the mick!

Are you able to raise the price again given they've ripped out the carpets and made the house worth less before sale?

For the sake of a few days of work they have made a massive error.

Anything like this would make it far less likely completion and exchange happens today.

The buyers are arses, but the no. 1 priority is completing the sale.

Hope they've got insurance. That is bonkers.

Fingers crossed it all works out today!

Wow other people's CFery will never cease to amaze.

I think the carpets being ripped up means it must be the new owners.

I'm not sure they have made an error.

They've done it with impunity. On purpose. Knowing OP has very little comeback.

Not done anything to add value to the house, so the OP is screwed.

Same.

Here for the update! Fingers crossed it all goes through smoothly today.

And what if they then pull out of buying? OP will have to reduce the price to sell to someone else as they’ve ripped up the garden. So that would be stupid. She shouldn’t do anything to risk them pulling out.

Go after the estate agents for a discount on the fee, because their negligence has allowed this to happen. But don’t fuck with the buyer because, now that they have wrecked the place, the OP cannot risk losing the sale.

wow...

Putting in a driveway, maybe?

When my mum left her council house and moved in with me, the first thing that the tenants did was haul up half the hedging and lay the entire front and side garden to gravel.