Bought house vendors taken kitchen out !!

House.buyer.sarah

Hi everyone I'm actually asking on before of my friend that's hopping mad right now !! I told her you are all fab with advise so here goes....

My friend just completed on house ( Wednesday) her solicitors have not been the best , but that's another storey, she viewed house and purchased knowing it needed completely renovating including kitchen very old run down , but would of made do for now whilst other things were attended too.. AnywY they got keys and discovered the kitchen has been completely taken out except for a sink unit, everything else gone ?? There were base units and wall units not worth anything so guessing been scrapped !! She contacted solicitor and they have said it was on inventory to be left, but her solicitor away currently typical !

Solicitors secretory did say though that vendor will either need to replace kitchen or give allowance, now this vendor I can't see easily parting with cash , do will this go to court etc? Or does leaving sink mean that's a kitchen ??

He also left a yard full of furniture although has said he's arranged collection for next week, but means the back is currently not useable until this is collected..

Advise would be greatful please , is this possibly not going to be worth the fight or should she be doing something more

Idiophreak

House.buyer.sarah wrote: »

Advise would be greatful please , is this possibly not going to be worth the fight or should she be doing something more

I'm not an expert, but it sure feels like one of those things that won't be worth the fight.

It sounds like a few old kitchen units have been chucked away.

If she gets down to ikea she can probably buy a couple of tables to use as base units and some storage to make do as cupboards for ~£100. Probably be much nicer to live with than the stuff that was there, anyway. Tide her over until they do the kitchen properly.

Then she can ask her solicitor (when he returns) if they can claim this back. If not, I'm sure she'll live. Getting stressed and waiting around for people to (possibly) give money back isn't going to be the best use of her energy.

booksurr

the fixtures and fittings list defines what is or is not to be left as part of the contract. depending on how that list identified things in the kitchen you have a breach of contract if what is there now is different to what was listed - eg: fitted kitchen / kitchen units is not the same as leaving a sink alone

but the only way to get redress for a contractual breach is via court or via negotiation with the vendor to avoid court

your friend needs to take advice from their solicitor, that is what they are paying them for after all, not rely on non legal advice from the internet

PasturesNew

As it was old, it might not be worth the fight, as has been said. For now, what I might be tempted to do is to buy a couple of loose base units and a length of cheap worktop and put that in to store things and prep food on.

The sellers are wrong, but the kitchen wasn't worth much, so the cost of taking them to court etc wouldn't make it worthwhile .... not to mention the time, effort, stress.

SUPER Annoying ..... but not the end of the world.

[Deleted User]

I managed to buy an exact kitchen sink I'd damaged for £25 from a large car boot sale. There were sinks of all kinds there, some new, some not but in good condition. If your friend advertises on Freegle she might find someone has a few kitchen cupboards etc they don't want. Its worth a try anyway.

Alias_Omega

The difference is that the house had a kitchen, and now it does not.

Seek legal advice, however I would be thinking of having a like for like kitchen fitted, then recouping the costs.

2nd hand units can be had from eBay, then you just need a fitter...

Small claims court is easy, walked that road not so long ago and won, dont be scared

RAS

Did the purchaser go round immedaitely before exchange to view the state of the house then?

House.buyer.sarah

Hi thanks for all advise il pass it on but can't see it being financially viable to continue for a knackered kitchen myself but maybe worth it in principe to her x

System

My friend moved in a property with just a sink unit and a 1950s kitchen unit with the pull down shelf. The previous tenant lived all her married life - 55 years and moved in from new.

She went to a 2nd hand furniture place and bought three Hygenia kitchen base units for £100 and used a plastic paper organiser for knives n forms etc.

She moved the units in the garage once the kitchen was done.

Yorkie1

Alias_Omega wrote: »

The difference is that the house had a kitchen, and now it does not.

Seek legal advice, however I would be thinking of having a like for like kitchen fitted, then recouping the costs.

2nd hand units can be had from eBay, then you just need a fitter...

Small claims court is easy, walked that road not so long ago and won, dont be scared

These are my thoughts too.

She had planned to move into a house with a kitchen that would do her until she was ready to change it. She now has nothing apart from the sink, and therefore is not in the same position as she had contracted to be.

Small claims court is not difficult if it needs to get that far - no solicitors or anything.

See what the conveyancer says first, though.

G_M

As said, 3 options:

1) suck it up and get on with life

2) negotiate, and try to persuade seller to pay some level of compensation

3) go to court

Me? I'd start with 2 and move on to 3, but I'd be furious and stubborn.

As others have said, the time, stress and hastle of 3 probobly outbalances the financial benefits of (eventually) winning