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.

Very glad it's worked out, but I'm still dying to know what the EA had to say. How did you approach it, and is a discount on the cards?! Did the new owners ever get in touch once they discovered they were locked out?

Great news OP - and thank you for returning!

As far as I’m aware they didn’t contact the estate agent but my solicitor let theirs know first thing that i had removed the keys

So pleased its worked out for you!

Crumbs🤢

Luckily I didn’t give the crow the cherry as OP has come back

Good news OP🥳

Thinking this might be why Kirsty Allsop has just posted on Twitter about completion and exchange dates 🤔

So are you taking it further? (if you can)

I have an iPhone and it takes the date and time from what you set it to be. Usually I have it set to "automatic" but you can switch this off and change it to anything you like. If I forward it to my iPad, the date remains as the false date.

Honestly that would make my day! Even if its not true I may believe it

I wonder why if it was Kirsty Allsop, no comment about the estate agent was made.

Still think that the payment to the estate agent should be reduced, and there should be licensing of them.

I've been lurking on this thread hoping it would work out for you and glad to see it has. Did you actually complete and exchange both at once then? We've done that a couple of times and it always seems that bit more stressful.

On another note you're clearly going to have to change job so you have internet access .. you simply can't leave your mumsnet public hanging while you jaunt off to work

Congratulations on getting the sale through - it's so stressful and your buyers audacity wasn't exactly helpful.

Thank you all!! And thank you for keeping me sane last night too ….

Exchange and completion on the same day sounds really fraught.
Traditionally, the gap between exchange and completion used to be 28 days, but now it depends on both parties and when they want to complete.
The 'gap', allows time to pack your things, order removal men, etc, whereas if exchanging and completion on the same day, you would presumably have no time to sort things out, or you would need to do so before you exchange , which itself is fraught with difficulties.

Yes exchange and completion on same day. That hadn’t been the plan, it was literally suggested yesterday (probably after they started doing the work!!)

Iwishiwasjoking

I'm glad to hear that the CFs didn't pull out!

Phew. Thank goodness it is done and dusted.

If the estate agents genuinely didn't know, and the windows were left open I suspect that these CFs must have broken in to gain access.

Is it worth talking to the neighbours?

Usually the gap between exchange and completion allows for packing, arranging movers, getting everything lined up for the chain to move etc. Exchange and completion on the same day seems to make sense in this situation though, given that the seller had already moved out and the buyer wanted to do work.

Completing ASAP seems extra sensible here, as it resolves the complications that could have arisen between exchange and completion if the buyers were doing work (not that you'd let them, once you'd found out).

So glad it worked out OP; awful as it's been this will just be a memory one day

And for whoever asked, the Property Ombudsman Scheme is a purely voluntary one for EAs, despite justified calls for much tighter regulation, and even that's largely funded by EAs themselves so naturally isn't a lot of use to their clients

I would have nicked the equipment and not said anything… I mean not in reality but would want to….

Glad it worked out OP

Glad it worked out.

We exchanged and completed on the same day and moved into our home within a month of first viewing it. We were not in a change, neither was the seller but he was under pressure to complete before his return date to Australia and I was heavily pregnant.

did it all in one day, with a 2 year old and 8 months pregnant. Neighbours at new place were just amazing and helped so much.

That was lovely of them, I had a toddler too and did most of it by myself as DH wasn't able to do much, no wonder I went early and DS2 was born 4 weeks early😂

Brilliant news! Huge relief for you

Estate agents always say they have no idea how something's happened when it's obviously a cockup of theirs. I've been there.