Buying house from messy tenants!

londonmaiden

We've finally had some good news, had an offer accepted on a property but the property has been rented for quite some time and the tenants have let it get into an absolute state. On a second inspection we saw a dead mouse and droppings and the house is absolutely filthy and full of crap! We are not happy to buy the house unless it is cleaned, fumigated and removed of all rubbish. This is our first time buying so does anyone have any advice with regards to stipulating these conditions as terms of the sale? Can we reasonably ask this of the vendor?

PasturesNew

You're buying what you saw, not what you want in a perfect world. If the owner was to take the time to do all that lot anyway they'd have probably done that, painted the lot magnolia and put it on at a higher price.

You can put it into the terms of sale by asking your solicitor to include it in the contract. You should also agree/arrange to revisit the property before you exchange. So, once you're ready to exchange, do a quick fly-by and check (take photos), then phone your solicitor to say "Yes, seen it, go ahead and exchange".

However, even if it occurs, expect to be disappointed by the quality of that work as they'll be doing it the quickest/cheapest and in your mind it'll come out gleaming and shiny and lovely (which won't happen).

Annie1960

Are the tenants still living in the property? If so, make sure they are out before you exchange.

If it were me in your position, I would also require that the place had been cleaned up before I was willing to exchange. You could then go and visit it and make sure it had been done before exchange.

After exchange, you lose the power to negotiate.

londonmaiden

Yes tenants still living there but have been served notice to vacate. The vendor lives in Australia and I'm sure would be shocked at the state of it. Cleanliness is one thing but a mouse infestation is another. I don't see why we should have to pay to have the house fumigated because the tenants have let it get into that state. I would assume if they want their deposit back they would want to leave it in a clean state anyway and why should we pay to hire a skip to remove all of their rubbish!!

Yes, we won't exchange before they leave and I think we will negotiate on the cleaning part, if the vendor is a reasonable human being I can't see how he would refuse. We not expecting it gleaming and shining, just without mouse crap everywhere!

mrginge

You are not living in the real world.

Ulfar

You are paying for the house as seen, if you want it cleaned lower your offer to take that into account.

Also you better read these forums for a bit as to how long it can take to evict a tenant especially when the landlord is abroad. You better also check how long your mortgage offer is good for.

Bantex_2

londonmaiden wrote: »

Yes tenants still living there but have been served notice to vacate. The vendor lives in Australia and I'm sure would be shocked at the state of it. Cleanliness is one thing but a mouse infestation is another. I don't see why we should have to pay to have the house fumigated because the tenants have let it get into that state. I would assume if they want their deposit back they would want to leave it in a clean state anyway and why should we pay to hire a skip to remove all of their rubbish!!

Yes, we won't exchange before they leave and I think we will negotiate on the cleaning part, if the vendor is a reasonable human being I can't see how he would refuse. We not expecting it gleaming and shining, just without mouse crap everywhere!

If (as your username suggests) you are in London you have little chance and the vendor will probably just sell to someone else that is less hard work.

londonmaiden

@mrginge clearly you have read I am a first time buyer, I have been trying to buy for a year and have had one sale already fall through (not our fault), missed out on countless properties by being outbid by cash buyers and the whole process has been incredibly stressful. Maybe it would be more helpful to give me advice seeing as you are so wise rather then just telling me I am not living in the real world? It's hardly like we are asking him to paint the house in magnolia or we won't move in for christs sake.

@Ulfar, I know our mortgage offer is good for 6 months and we won't exchange until the tenants have moved out.

@Bantex, no I don't live in London, I am not sure if you are aware but part of house buying is called NEGOTIATION, if the vendor doesn't want to bother doing what we've asked then fair enough, that is part of the process. Where we live people are reasonable and EA was embarrassed about there being a dead mouse on the floor and said he would inform the vendor straight away. If anyone walks into a house and sees it full of crap and dead vermin, I think you'll find that is called being cautious and wise rather than 'hard work' as you put it.

Mean spirited and unhelpful all of you.

Bantex_2

londonmaiden wrote: »

@mrginge clearly you have read I am a first time buyer, I have been trying to buy for a year and have had one sale already fall through (not our fault), missed out on countless properties by being outbid by cash buyers and the whole process has been incredibly stressful. Maybe it would be more helpful to give me advice seeing as you are so wise rather then just telling me I am not living in the real world? It's hardly like we are asking him to paint the house in magnolia or we won't move in for christs sake.

@Ulfar, I know our mortgage offer is good for 6 months and we won't exchange until the tenants have moved out.

@Bantex, no I don't live in London, I am not sure if you are aware but part of house buying is called NEGOTIATION, if the vendor doesn't want to bother doing what we've asked then fair enough, that is part of the process. Where we live people are reasonable and EA was embarrassed about there being a dead mouse on the floor and said he would inform the vendor straight away. If anyone walks into a house and sees it full of crap and dead vermin, I think you'll find that is called being cautious and wise rather than 'hard work' as you put it.

Mean spirited and unhelpful all of you.

How sweet.
Be interested to know where this place is where everyone is so nice to each other.

londonmaiden

Not where you live thank God!

SerialRenter

Quick chaps, we need to take the brenda10 approach to remedy this.

OP, everythings going to be just fine. The house might be messy right now, but if the landlord can prove that the tenants left the house in a worse state than they received it in then perhaps you could ask the owner to use the deposit money he withheld to make good the property before you complete.

Perhaps the tenants will have a good clean before they leave, mice and all.

:T:T:T:A:A:A:T:T:T

Good luck!