Dishwasher broken between exchange and completion

ramit

Hi,

As above, we exchanged last week and are due to complete next Wednesday. We had agreed with the buyers that we would leave behind our dishwasher as our new house has one fitted.

Unfortunately the (fairly elderly) dishwasher has just broken. It appears to just be the knob rather than a major fault, as such it is possible that it could be repaired.

Obviously we will be contacting the buyers to tell them tomorrow, but we were just wondering to what extent legally we are responsible for providing them with the dishwasher?

Thanks for your advice!
Ram

TrickyDicky101

Providing them with the dishwasher is one thing, providing them with it in full working condition is another. Did you sign a fixtures & fittings list included as part of Exchnge stating the dishwasher would be left in full working condition. You would probably be legally obliged by this if so (may be wrong - I'm not a lawyer). What has your solicitor said?

Property_Auctions

Ram,

The agent and solicitor will certainly have a disclaimer protecting them and you from any comeback from the buyers for such an event - but morally it would be a nice touch to replace the knob ready for the new owners.

BitterAndTwisted

You undertook to supply them with that dishwasher. The fairly elderly one, not just a dishwasher. Tell the vendors that you're prepared to have it repaired if there's time before completion otherwise you'll get a quote and pay for it. Most people are fairly decent if you're honest and look like you're prepared to behave decently.

hazyjo

I remember a long thread on here not that long ago re the same thing. The general consensus I seem to remember was that it was second hand to start with, so either replace it (with 2nd hand), repair it, or contact them to say would they accept say £50 in hand as it had packed up. (Oh, and some said say zilch and plead ignorance!)

Is it integrated?

Jx

ramit

Thank you for the replies!

The dishwasher is not integrated. It was left for us when we moved in four years ago, and it seems pretty ancient. We did include it on the fixtures and fittings form, and the buyers have also checked a couple of times that we'd be leaving it.

We will try and contact the buyers through the estate agent tomorrow (assuming that they are open), but with the weekend and Bank Holidays I don't think that we will have chance to repair it before we move on Wednesday.

We will own up to it, we are hoping that they will say not to worry about it and we can get our removal men to remove it so that we can dispose of it. Otherwise I guess we will offer them some money for a repair. I'm hoping that the estate agent will have some advice for us, it can't be the first time this has happened, but it's really annoying!

property.advert

If you feel like mentioning it and offering anything, I'd say £50 is on the button for an ancient machine which would seem to be past its useful date. They don't last forever.

BitterAndTwisted

If it's just a knob that's causing a problem is this something that five minutes with some superglue could sort?

Newly_retired

Our dishwasher is 18 yrs old! A knob was replaced about 5 yrs ago for £4 by ordering a part from the manufacturer and DH fitted it. Job done.
I appreciate you may not have time for this yourselves.

ramit

Thanks so much for all your help, just a quick update. We were able to contact the buyers over the weekend and they said not to worry, we can still leave them the dishwasher (we explained that it was only the knob that doesn't work, and we have actually managed to get it to work to a certain extent). So we are much relieved!

Thanks again, Ram

geoffky

They may thank you..we have never used our one we got with the house...i am the dishwasher..