Getting annoyed with buyers messages AFTER completion

[AlexisP90]

We completed a weeks ago all good all moved in etc. As the process had taken so long we got chatting to our buyers and thus they have my mobile number. Seemed nice. Was nice to complain together about the process.

Important to say we asked them if they wanted to do a survery 3 times and they declined every time.

Since then we have had constant messages about things.
"Why are there holes in the wall" - asked them for more info on this but didnt get it...
"People are parking in our space can you ask them to move" - i dont own the house i cant!
"The neighbours are having a party and its disturbing us"
"The water isnt very hot"
"Heating not coming on"
"We dont like the bins can we change them"
"We are concerned that there may be a leak"

Etc...

Now aside from being a bit of a pain they are nice people but honestly im getting sick of it now.

I politely replied that we no longer own the house and cant help with these things but the messages keep on coming!! They mentioned in the last message "we may need to take the leak further and seek some compensation"

Im close to telling them to fuck off tbh.... I dont recall any leak so could have happend at any time but they also did no survey so while im a little concerned about the "taking it further" surely thats not on us?!

It's amazing the amount of people who bought their council house (that they'd rented for 25+ years) via the right-to-buy scheme, and hilariously assumed that the council would continue to maintain the property, and do any repairs that came up.

One woman I knew was incensed when the council fitted new windows and doors in the house across the road from her (that was rented from the council,) and didn't do hers. (She bought via RTB a year or so earlier.) She wasn't the only one. 100s of people assumed the council would still maintain their house after they had bought it. They got a house worth £80,000 (at the time,) for £29,000-£33,000, and assumed the repairs and maintenace would still continue to be done! 😂

Sounds like these buyers think like this @AlexisP90 Block them and move on. They don't know where you live do they?!!!

Thank you all for your replies. They have helped and had a good laugh at some suggestions!

Sadly since writing this i got another message about the van parked in the parking space and can i ask them to move... (I actually have no idea who it even is tbh so couldnt help if I wanted to!!)

Wasnt going to reply but to try and end things somewhat politely Ive sent the below

"While im glad we got the chance to talk before I am unable to help with any of these things. You are now the legal owner of the house and thus these are all your responsibility to sort.
I wish you all the best in your new home."

I was going to suggest they speak to their surveyor (knowing they didnt do any kind of survey) but I left that.... 😅

Honestly im just bewildered they are asking me to sort these things. Of course I would be happy with the wheres the fuse box and stuff but this crazy.

We left a note with all heating/locations of things etc along with some welcome chocolates so ive no idea why they are asking about that.

Anyway. I've sent it and blocked. Hopefully they learn for next time quite what it means buying a house

Good call @AlexisP90 Glad you blocked them... As I said though, they don't know your (new) address do they??? 😬

Better still they should be taking the leak further with a plumber!

Thankfully no! DP actually suggested we leave our address details incase we have any post delivered there but I said it wasnt necessary (redirection exists...)

Thank god we didnt!!

Were they first time buyers, these really are ridiculous things to ask of the vendor after a sale.

Surveyors don't as a rule inspect the plumbing or electrics, at best they will make a vague statement on the age/condition of these things, but nothing more - leaks can happen any time!

That was a near miss!

Block. If they write to you return it with a strongly worded Cease and Desist which references harassment, You can google a suggestion from the internet. That should concentrate their minds wonderfully.

No survey, no come back for them. You need to completely cut them off.

That’s crazy. Sounds like they are used to having a landlord sorting out every single little problem for them, and it hasn’t occurred them that the situation has changed now they own the house.

I would respond as say you are not their landlord and it’s not your responsibility. Suggest they go back to renting if they want someone to solve every minor problem, and that you won’t be engaging with them any further.

As others have said, even when a ftb, I would never have dreamt of sending such messages, or even to a landlord before that (leak, yes but not parking etc. That is madness). How strange that they didn't do a survey. That's a big error on their part.

I was thinking this. They don’t seem to have grasped that you’re not their landlord and nobody is coming to fix these things for them.

As others have said, set up mail redirect and block them.

How utterly bizarre! We rented for 10 years before buying and I remember being delighted when something first went wrong in our own house, because we could actually get it fixed ourselves without begging the landlord and waiting ages to get a shitty repair job. My own choice of tradesperson! The luxury! 😂

I think your message to them was perfect. I remember going through that stage with my first bought home, walking round moaning about the decor and position of light switches etc and then it hit me - it’s MINE and I can change it - but it will be more challenging than I’m used to in a rented place.

They will work it out. They will likely have friends and family telling them the same.

I'd have been so tempted to wait for the reply before blocking! 😅

I think it can be the case that the original owner has very simple answers to problems so it is always worth asking them.
I'm in a cottage with two leaks which I would have assumed were structural, and of course it is just the gutter backing up with leaves, causing overflow onto the flashing.

I feel your pain.
We were landlords who sold the property to the tenants. We knocked £5k off as we saved estate agent fees.
Since completion about 6 months ago we have been asked
To mend the fence
To replace the lawnmower (which we gave them)
To retile the bathroom wall
To replaster the hall wall where one of their children made a hole in it.
To consider replacing the carpet in the hall and stairs.

I’d not have blocked yet, just to see what they said in response. Then I’d block 😂

are they very young? They seem to be treating you like a mix between a parent and a landlord.

They are waiting for you to admit fault on text so they can get compensation for the leak (which is probably them just leaving a tap on). I'd cease all contact.

Sorry but that's hilarious 🤣

Questions about how the heating works, I think that’s fair enough, but to complain about neighbours, car parking, bins etc is ridiculous.

Bonkers. I’d said to them that if they make the back payment of 6 months rent to you, then you’d be happy to sort all that out for them.

I'd say their former landlord is heaving a sigh of relief to be shot of them.

Just block them.

Tell them 'There was no leak when I owned the property and I'm afraid all these updates about the condition of YOUR house are getting a bit intrusive. You declined a survey several times and I have nothing more to say to you on the subject.' Then block. Or just block without saying anything.