When is acceptable to request access to a property?

Lancs1234

hazyjo said:

Lancs1234 said:

Deleted_User said:

Lancs1234 said:

lincroft1710 said:

If you're going to make changes why do you need to measure up now? 

We also want to make a few bigger changes, and I currently work in a school so its now the perfect time to be doing these. We are looking at a completion towards the end of august potentially but being able to get these things done before heading back to work in September would be brilliant. 

Perhaps I have misunderstood your comment, but you do know you can't make any changes to the house until after you complete? 

Yes obviously, but being prepared and ensuring you can get everything needed is helpful. With Covid lots of people have been doing plenty to their homes, meaning lots of things have longer wait times due to factories being closed etc. Being able to order something sooner rather than later may be the difference between it arriving in August or September. If it arrives early it can be sorted until completion not an issue.

Did you read my earlier post? Crazy to order anything before exchange.

I did yes, not to say anything will be ordered before exchange, but there's also time to make use of the 28 day return period if the worst did happen. As I said, storage isn't an issue until that time comes. And obviously we wouldn't plan on ordering anything until an exchange date was set. 

possibly worth adding that I currently live in a village, the house im buying is on the village boundary. The seller's family know my family (as is often the case in a small village where everyone 'knows' everyone'). So we do know his current circumstances and he does just want rid to give him a decent savings pot.

[Deleted User]

You would be better off going somewhere like Currys, picking a couple of washing machines of slightly different dimensions and asking what the lead time is on them, but not ordering until you have exchanged.  Although it would be nice to arrange things early because of the school break time, its not impossible to do them after and better than wasting money (which will work out to hundreds of pounds) on items you may not be able to use if the sale falls through.

But I don't think you'd be waiting weeks for a washing machine, there are usually others in stock that can be delivered in a day or so.

Lancs1234

deannatrois said:

You would be better off going somewhere like Currys, picking a couple of washing machines of slightly different dimensions and asking what the lead time is on them, but not ordering until you have exchanged.  Although it would be nice to arrange things early because of the school break time, its not impossible to do them after and better than wasting money (which will work out to hundreds of pounds) on items you may not be able to use if the sale falls through.

But I don't think you'd be waiting weeks for a washing machine, there are usually others in stock that can be delivered in a day or so.

We were planning on making use of current NHS deals that can be got through a scheme at my partners work. These scheme do currently have wait times, but for that offer significant discounts.

Lancs1234

babyblade41 said:

whoa , hold on for a little while... get the transactions further down the road yet.  Searches could take a while and in those searches something might come up . Have the surveys come back Ok ? 
My last purchase should have been the easiest ever as 2 buyers, both cash and only 2 in a chain.. it was one of the longest I've had .

Searches in my area are taking about 10 days. I'm asking here now with a view to asking for access once an exchange date has been set so searches etc sorted and any major issues within contracts have time to appear. Surveys all good etc

Mojisola

Lancs1234 said:

We were wondering if it is acceptable at any point to request access to the property to measure up for a few changes we would like to make? If so when is it deemed acceptable?

When selling my Dad's house, the buyers had half a dozen visits - viewing, measuring up and then with workman to get quotes for the work they were planning.

The house was empty so it didn't cause any issues for us and it showed that they were serious buyers who were unlikely to pull out.

Hannimal

I'm viewing the property I am planning to buy again this week and I haven't even got a mortgage offer yet. I was thinking of taking some measurements so I can get quotes for new floors and fireplace and then as soon as i know the date I can get the keys I can book those in, as I don't want to move in before I've new floors and the fire is sorted. Isn't this quite normal? Why are people on here so negative about it? It's a genuine question - I'm a FTB and could be doing something stupid, unusual, silly here?

Slithery

Hannimal said:
I was thinking of taking some measurements so I can get quotes for new floors and fireplace and then as soon as i know the date I can get the keys I can book those in, as I don't want to move in before I've new floors and the fire is sorted. Isn't this quite normal?

With most solicitors only doing simultaneous exchange and completion at the moment you won't know the date that you will get the keys until you actually get them and the property is yours.

onwards&upwards

Lancs1234 said:

hazyjo said:

Lancs1234 said:

Deleted_User said:

Lancs1234 said:

lincroft1710 said:

If you're going to make changes why do you need to measure up now? 

We also want to make a few bigger changes, and I currently work in a school so its now the perfect time to be doing these. We are looking at a completion towards the end of august potentially but being able to get these things done before heading back to work in September would be brilliant. 

Perhaps I have misunderstood your comment, but you do know you can't make any changes to the house until after you complete? 

Yes obviously, but being prepared and ensuring you can get everything needed is helpful. With Covid lots of people have been doing plenty to their homes, meaning lots of things have longer wait times due to factories being closed etc. Being able to order something sooner rather than later may be the difference between it arriving in August or September. If it arrives early it can be sorted until completion not an issue.

Did you read my earlier post? Crazy to order anything before exchange.

 And obviously we wouldn't plan on ordering anything until an exchange date was set. 

An exchange date doesn't get set in advance, it happens when everything is ready and when both parties agree.  You can aim for a particular date but there are absolutely no guarantees. 

Falafels

There's no harm whatsoever in asking for a third viewing at any stage of the proceedings; the purchaser of my house has been for a third viewing, which was actually very useful for both sides. I could obviously fill her in on all sorts of details which the estate agent couldn't. No problem at all (all suitably masked, disinfected, socially distanced and all windows open of course!)

Mickey666

Lancs1234 said:

We were wondering if it is acceptable at any point to request access to the property to measure up for a few changes we would like to make? If so when is it deemed acceptable?

You can ask for anything, at any time.  There are no real rules.  Whether or not it is acceptable to the seller is up to them.  Try to put yourselves in their position and consider how you would react to such a request.

It's expected that someone would want to view a property before making an offer, maybe two or three viewings if they are serious.  Once an offer has been accepted then asking to visit again for measuring up things or confirming other details seems perfectly reasonable to me.   Asking to visit every day is obviously going to be tiresome, but I'm sure you already know that.

Just remember, as pointed out above, the house is not yet yours and the sale could still fall through so planning some changes is fine but committing to any changes is a risk.