Active discussions

Meet the Other Phone. Flexible and made to last.

Meet the Other Phone.
Flexible and made to last.

Buy now

Please or to access all these features

Talk
Property/DIY

Join our Property forum for renovation, DIY, and house selling advice.

Original poster

Flat buyer persistently messaging post completion

199 replies

Angelwithhalo · 09/05/2024 09:47

I sold my flat in February and during the conveyancing exchanged numbers with the buyer at their request to directly negotiate a price reduction for works. On completion I left a folder with detailed instructions of how to use all the integrated appliances, utility meter locations, boiler manual and service history, bin days etc in the kitchen along with a new home card and thought that would be the end of contact between us.

However I have been having a steady stream of texts and queries from the buyer. Some of it is simple things like clarification on how to work the boiler, which water meter belongs to the flat. Others just seems like them complaining but posed as a question for example:
The internet connection doesn’t reach the main bedroom, how did we deal with that inconvenience?
What did we do about windows feel draughty and letting on street noise (windows are original wooden sash and on a busy main road which was apparent before buying)
The lounge smells strongly of damp, did you notice this? (I gave them 5k off agreed price after they had a damp survey)
Complaints about hearing the owner of the flat above moving around (Again it’s a converted period property so I could hear them but just a single adult so occasional footsteps and washing machine, no parties or late nights/early mornings)

There have been lots of other questions and at first I was responsive as I felt bad that the buyer seemed unhappy with the flat and sympathetic to them as a first time buyer but it feels a bit relentless and I’m not sure what the motive is behind messaging me.

Has anyone else experienced this/is this common?
Any advice for dealing with this, I would be tempted to ignore but we are still in the same town so dont want the awkwardness of bumping into them.

OP posts:
MILTOBE · 09/05/2024 11:34

I wouldn't mind a message about how to use the boiler or whether the boiler had a guarantee (if it was fairly new when they bought it). I also wouldn't mind being asked about the paint colour.

DonnasShrugaleros · 09/05/2024 11:34

We asked our vendor why a rad didn't work and she blocked us! Thought it was a reasonable question but she didn't want to know...several grand later in investigations, a hole in the floor and an electric heater bunged on the wall and we're sorted

JuiceBoxJuggler · 09/05/2024 11:35

You're being too nice.

Block the number.

crumbpet · 09/05/2024 11:36

I would ignore/block if you do bump into them say you've got a new number and have moved on now

crumbpet · 09/05/2024 11:37

Normandy144 · 09/05/2024 10:02

This isn't normal. You've done more than enough for them. You can either completely block them or if you still want to be polite for the reasons you suggest, then just send really vague replies that don't really answer their questions, along the lines of that you can't remember because it's been so long since you MOVED OUT! Don't be prompt in replying and gradually phase them out. None of this is your responsibility, they own the flat and they need to figure it out.

Or that's a good idea. Slooow fade. Don't jump to respond then just say oh I left a folder with info that's all I have really

crumbpet · 09/05/2024 11:38

pinkdelight · 09/05/2024 10:01

You need to draw the line nicely but firmly. Something like: "Glad I've been able to help/advise while you settled in, but it's your flat now so I'm going to stop replying and let you get on with it. All the best."

Or that's nice

romdowa · 09/05/2024 11:49

I'd tell them that it's no longer your property and that you can't help them any further.

Rainbowshit · 09/05/2024 11:56

Yeah we had this. Asking where the work surface was from so they could extend it, asking where the tiles were from. We even went round to show them how the boiler worked.

They then sent us a letter asking for money. Obviously trying to intimidate us as it came on headed notepaper from his employment as an advocate. Funny how he went straight to us and not to our solicitor. 🤔

Our solicitor just rolled her eyes and sent them a fuck off letter.

Wish we'd not been so accommodating in the first place.

TheFlis · 09/05/2024 12:03

We occasionally still message the previous owners of our house to ask things. Despite being here 3 years there are still the odd things that come up e.g. recently we needed to find the external stopcock but neither we, the neighbours or plumber could work out where it was (under Nextdoor’s hedge it turned out!).

The difference is that it has been a 2 way street, they live locally still and the odd bit of post still turns up for them which we drop round, we helped with their returning cat when they first moved, we let them move a large item from the garden a couple of weeks after moving etc, and we now regard them as friends.

maximist · 09/05/2024 12:04

I sold my last house to a couple in their sixties, who were very experienced home owners. That didn't stop him contacting me several times after purchase to ask about various things (I'd left a long list of notes/instructions but apparently that wasn't enough). I stopped responding after a few calls and I think he got the message.

BusyMintCrab · 09/05/2024 12:06

Just stop replying - and never give your contact details to a potential buyer again!

DelphineFox · 09/05/2024 12:06

I think you should have sorted out the bedroom Internet, but other than that it's all things they should have checked beforehand

crumbpet · 09/05/2024 12:07

DelphineFox · 09/05/2024 12:06

I think you should have sorted out the bedroom Internet, but other than that it's all things they should have checked beforehand

Why?

PuppyMonkey · 09/05/2024 12:11

DelphineFox · 09/05/2024 12:06

I think you should have sorted out the bedroom Internet, but other than that it's all things they should have checked beforehand

Eh? How could she do that, new owners probably have a completely different provider etc. Confused

MagnoliaPie · 09/05/2024 12:15

We moved next door when we sold our house (had built a new house in the large garden and moved into that) so we couldn't really get away from our buyers!

Because of that they felt free to approach us with every little niggle they came across. Contacted us complaining when the boiler stopped working three months after moving in. I suggested they get a boiler engineer to look at it as it was regularly serviced and working perfectly when we moved out. Turned out it was a blown fuse in the control panel. Then complaining the underfloor heating wasn't warm enough. Seemed to think they could dump all their maintenance issues on us just because we were close by.

In the end we started to just ignore their messages and they finally got the hint. We now have pleasant enough interactions now we all understand where we stand.

Spirallingdownwards · 09/05/2024 12:19

DelphineFox · 09/05/2024 12:06

I think you should have sorted out the bedroom Internet, but other than that it's all things they should have checked beforehand

WTAF

Original poster
Angelwithhalo · 09/05/2024 12:25

Thanks everyone for the replies and all the suggestion and sharing your own experiences.

Definitely will be phasing out contact.

I think I let myself get a bit worked up about some of the complaints especially about it smelling damp as it was written in a ‘impressed you didn’t mind the smell’ way, we never experienced any signs of damp but they’d had one of the free damp surveys who basically condemned the whole flat.

They only viewed the flat when they put the offer in so hadn’t seen it for months until after completion and I get the impression they feel catfished by the flat itself and having to manage and maintain a period building as the block has right to manage.

Some of their messages made me laugh, they complained that people weren’t washing recycling properly in the shared bins and they weren’t aware of this, like did they want me to add ‘occasional improper recycling’ to the Rightmove listing??

OP posts:
Original poster
Angelwithhalo · 09/05/2024 12:27

DelphineFox · 09/05/2024 12:06

I think you should have sorted out the bedroom Internet, but other than that it's all things they should have checked beforehand

We didn’t have any issues with wifi in the bedroom so Im not sure how I could have sorted this. They would be using their own internet supplier anyway

OP posts:
friendlycat · 09/05/2024 12:38

Some of their messages made me laugh, they complained that people weren’t washing recycling properly in the shared bins and they weren’t aware of this, like did they want me to add ‘occasional improper recycling’ to the Rightmove listing??

Oh dear. The more you post the more annoying and unrealistic they sound!

It was up to them to ask for a second viewing etc and not just make an offer on one viewing. Or to ask for another visit to measure up etc once their offer had been accepted.

They do sound extremely pedantic. Any property has niggles.

I think it's definitely time to withdraw your support now, albeit nicely, as they sound wholly unrealistic in their expectations of what they want from you.

crumbpet · 09/05/2024 12:41

Angelwithhalo · 09/05/2024 12:25

Thanks everyone for the replies and all the suggestion and sharing your own experiences.

Definitely will be phasing out contact.

I think I let myself get a bit worked up about some of the complaints especially about it smelling damp as it was written in a ‘impressed you didn’t mind the smell’ way, we never experienced any signs of damp but they’d had one of the free damp surveys who basically condemned the whole flat.

They only viewed the flat when they put the offer in so hadn’t seen it for months until after completion and I get the impression they feel catfished by the flat itself and having to manage and maintain a period building as the block has right to manage.

Some of their messages made me laugh, they complained that people weren’t washing recycling properly in the shared bins and they weren’t aware of this, like did they want me to add ‘occasional improper recycling’ to the Rightmove listing??

Ah right. I'd withdraw all support. They seem to think you are a landlord.

MILTOBE · 09/05/2024 12:44

I think I'd send one reply, "We had no problem with the damp. You paid for a report and made us knock £5K off the price, which should have been used to fix the problem that you believed was there. I won't be answering any more messages as you seem to be mistaking me for your landlord."

mondaytosunday · 09/05/2024 12:44

There's no etiquette. Just reply 'sorry but upon completion the flat is your responsibility, all the best'. Then block them.

HoHoHoliday · 09/05/2024 12:49

You don't need to go to extremes with blocking, everyone is obsessed with blocking these days! Just send a polite but firm reply next time drawing a line. Something like,

I'm not able to help you with this. I've done my best to answer your questions since we completed the sale, but the flat is yours now and these are issues you need to manage yourself.

Riva5784 · 09/05/2024 12:49

A lesson learned not to give contact info to buyers and keep everything via the EA. The more you post, the weirder they sound. I would not have been as accommodating as you.

Bassetlover · 09/05/2024 13:03

I had a complete PITA buyer when selling a flat, he constantly pushed boundaries pre-sale. About a month after we'd completed and he'd moved in, he emailed and said he couldn't open one of the windows and I needed to pay to get it repaired and also the traffic noise outside was loud and I'd not made him aware of this!
I replied saying he had a survey done and he should have noticed these things during the many, many visits he insisted on doing to the flat before he bought. Also he'd have to prove the window was broken before he moved and and that he hadn't done it in the month he'd been living there.
I was so annoyed I told him any further communication would need to go through my solicitor in future and I never heard from him again.
I realise this is probably too heavy handed for you, but if it gets too bad you need to just call their bluff.