Vendor Won't Clear House (Options)

YoungBlueEyes

Small point. Does the form say it'll be empty on completion?

You haven't even exchanged yet. That could be a couple of weeks away, and say another couple of weeks from exchange to completion. That gives the fellah a month to get his 4rse into gear. Plenty of time! There no need for all this legal talk. Yet.

Ithaca

A large skip is £250-£300. Eight large pizzas from ASDA and 2 x 24 packs of beer is about £50.

Hire a skip, invite some friends / family over, spend an afternoon clearing in the house and then feed everyone with pizza and beer - cost less than £400, nice clear house, and lots cheaper (and less stressful) than risking the sale or going to court.

Silvertabby

Ithaca wrote: »

A large skip is £250-£300. Eight large pizzas from ASDA and 2 x 24 packs of beer is about £50.

Hire a skip, invite some friends / family over, spend an afternoon clearing in the house and then feed everyone with pizza and beer - cost less than £400, nice clear house, and lots cheaper (and less stressful) than risking the sale or going to court.

I agree. If you insist that the vendor clears the tat himself who knows what 'accidental damages' may occur during the clearance.

Hoploz

Are you sure he is really saying he will not empty the house in time for completion? He might just not want to be clearing it until exchange has happened ... In case it needs to go back on the market for whatever reason, an empty house might not sell as easily as one furnished?

YoungBlueEyes

It's rare I disagree with the wise owls on here, or am I missing something?

You haven't even exchanged yet! You can't make demands on a house that isn't yours, and (god forbid) may not end up being yours.

We're selling our house atm. We haven't exchanged yet either. If our buyers came to us and said "Get all that out now or I'll drop the price and charge you for a skip and yada yada yada!" I know what my instant, non-negotiable answer would be.

If the form says it'll be empty on completion, see what state it's in when you get to completion. He might be doing the pizza/beer/mates round/skip thing himself - after exchange! And if he doesn't, you can, when it's yours

Edit: your first post says there are no large furniture items, that sounds like he's doing it bit by bit. Why the stress?

Badger50

I'm pretty sure there is a requirement to clear the property in the standard contract. If on completion it is not cleared you could litigate to recover the cost. Just ensure your solicitor is retained on a no win no fee basis as it would not be worthwhile to win but have to pay your own costs.

PersianCatLady

SavvySaver24 wrote: »

First time house buyer here and it is proving to be hell. No one can undeestand why our vendor has been so difficult through the whole process but the latest saga is he won't clear the house. There are no large furniture items but there is a whol loas of generaly crap/tat both in the house and in the garden. It would take a medium to large skip to clear it.

I don't mind clearing it ourselves but I would expect him to cover the cost of the skip required to do so. This will be what we put to him next if he still won't budge on clearing it himself but just want to understand our options. The property information form said he would clear the house.

It does just seem though that if he point blank refuses we just have to like it or lump it, is that really what it comes down to :-/

The cost of hiring a skip is going to be far lower than enforcing your legal right to have him clear the house.

konark

How much does a 'small claim' cost? Probably less than a skip.



I'd agree though that the house isn't yours yet so you can't demand the seller clear it.

Smodlet

Maybe the guy does not want to sell. Maybe he is having second thoughts or, if he has to sell, is in denial. I think YoungBlueEyes may have the right of it; you have not yet exchanged and, from your vendor's point of view, are probably being as much of a pita as you consider him to be.

Worst case scenario, barring your losing the house, is the beer and pizza gig. Worse things happen at sea; you can't get pizza delivered, for one thing... Unless drones do it? How much :beer: can they carry?

-taff

You haven't exchanged contracts yet but you want the house clear now?
As above, until the house completes, you're not going to know whether it'll be empty or not.
If it isnt, you empty it, then get your solicitor to send his solicitor a bill for clearing it.