Van wouldn't hold all my stuff, buyers getting angry... help!

Mark_Michalowski

Helloo everyone

I need a quick bit of advice..

Finally completed on my move on Monday: the most stressful day I can ever remember. It turned out the whopping great removal van wasn't big enough, due to a combination, I think, of my not putting everything in stackable boxes, and possible overestimate by removals firm of what would fit in the van. It didn't help that of the four guys that came, only two of them actually seemed to do any moving (they were ace!): the other two seemed to spend a lot of time standing in the van looking at their mobiles.

Anyway, it took forever to load (started at 9am, were only just done by 3pm) and there were lots of garden tools, mower, plant pots, ladder, some greenhouse junk, bike etc - plus a bookcase, the hoover and a couple of boxes of stuff - that simply wouldn't go in the van. I packed the car so full I couldn't see out of the passenger side! I did a rubbish job of trying to clean the house as the van set off for my new house, half an hour away, and then (as a single guy moving on my own) I had to go pick the keys up and meet the van at the new house, so I had to abandon all the rest of the things I couldn't take.

 I left a terribly apologetic letter for the new owners, wth my phone number, telling them I'd come back to collect the rest of my stuff when it was convenient for them (I'd need to hire another van, obviously). I felt awful but I didn't know what else to do.

On Tuesday they sent a text saying they were unhappy about it all (understandably) and complaining about "broken locks" (which were fine when I locked up!) and "unopenable windows" (they're those old-style tilting sash ones and I suspect they simply didn't know how they opened).

I texted back, again apologising profusely and explaining what had happpened with the van and telling them about the locks and the windows.

On Wednesday they replied giving me a two-hour window on Friday morning during which to remove all my stuff. Whilst I was trying to contact the removal firm to see if they had another van available, the buyers texted again, wanting to know when I was coming and threatened me with getting a skip for my stuff and contacting their solicitors. I've texted them to tell them I'm waiting to hear from the removal firm, but this is really stressing me out

I totally understand how they feel, and I'm fine with them dumping all my stuff in the garage until II collect it, which I have every intention of doing so. I just can't organise it all withn the space of five days, especially when I have all the stuff at THIS end to contend with at the same time (and no internet, problems with the electrics and heating etc).

I genuinely want to know if I'm being the bumhole here, and what reasonable steps I should be taking. I'm not messing them about, I'm just struggling to do it to their deadline. Part of me wants to just tell them to bin it all and charge me for the skip - except there's a good ladder, lawnmower, plants, garden tools etc. And I genuinely don't want to mess them about.

Any advice before I go totally mad? LOL

Thanks in advance.

Mxx

hazyjo

It's their house. Your stuff is in it. I wouldn't be too happy either.

My removal men have ALWAYS packed the van the night before (or days before in one case). Why on earth didn't they? Perhaps they're at fault here. Were they recommended? It usually takes all morning just for the essential stuff they couldn't pack the night before!

Couldn't you have just hired a van this week? Or got some other firm to collect it?

Sorry, not meaning to be harsh or anything, I just can't find anything to criticise the buyers for.

Hope you manage to resolve it soon.

Woshi

Get your stuff out, stick it in storage if necessary. Your buyers are going to be contending with the exact same issues that you are with the added bonus of your leftover goods.

Asking them to arrange/host a skip on their drive and having them rid the house of your contents is just as inconsiderate.

cymruchris

As much as you’re stressed it’s totally your issue to resolve. Things go wrong - that’s life. From the new owners perspective they’ve turned up to their dream home and it’s still full of your junk. Instead of getting themselves settled in they’re contending with your leftovers. I would also be very upset in that situation, and the hassle of getting a skip and dumping it all would be a headache I could do without. If your existing removals firm can’t shift it quick enough / find a man with a van on fb and get around there double quick to clear your stuff within their time schedules. You’ve caused the issue - you’re playing by their rules to solve it. You might want to taken a token gift with you as way of an apology - a really decent box of chocolates for example (and I don’t mean a £2 box of Roses) 

Doozergirl

It needed fetching the next day, even if that meant driving there are back in your own car several times or hiring a van immediately. 

It really doesn't matter that you still have issues to deal with at your end, I'm sure most of us know how stressful it all is, but your first priority was to give them vacant possession and you haven't done that. 

Get it all gone, yourself.  

We had worse happen when our removal
van didn't turn up to move us 100 miles!  We hired a van on the hottest day on record at the time and the stuff that didn't fit we put where we thought it be cause the least inconvenience and drove back to London the next day to get it and the car we'd also had to leave behind.  

It isn't the buyers' problem.  

74jax

Mark_Michalowski said:

Helloo everyone

I need a quick bit of advice..

Finally completed on my move on Monday: the most stressful day I can ever remember. It turned out the whopping great removal van wasn't big enough, due to a combination, I think, of my not putting everything in stackable boxes, and possible overestimate by removals firm of what would fit in the van. It didn't help that of the four guys that came, only two of them actually seemed to do any moving (they were ace!): the other two seemed to spend a lot of time standing in the van looking at their mobiles.

Anyway, it took forever to load (started at 9am, were only just done by 3pm) and there were lots of garden tools, mower, plant pots, ladder, some greenhouse junk, bike etc - plus a bookcase, the hoover and a couple of boxes of stuff - that simply wouldn't go in the van. I packed the car so full I couldn't see out of the passenger side! I did a rubbish job of trying to clean the house as the van set off for my new house, half an hour away, and then (as a single guy moving on my own) I had to go pick the keys up and meet the van at the new house, so I had to abandon all the rest of the things I couldn't take.

 I left a terribly apologetic letter for the new owners, wth my phone number, telling them I'd come back to collect the rest of my stuff when it was convenient for them (I'd need to hire another van, obviously). I felt awful but I didn't know what else to do.

On Tuesday they sent a text saying they were unhappy about it all (understandably) and complaining about "broken locks" (which were fine when I locked up!) and "unopenable windows" (they're those old-style tilting sash ones and I suspect they simply didn't know how they opened).

I texted back, again apologising profusely and explaining what had happpened with the van and telling them about the locks and the windows.

On Wednesday they replied giving me a two-hour window on Friday morning during which to remove all my stuff. Whilst I was trying to contact the removal firm to see if they had another van available, the buyers texted again, wanting to know when I was coming and threatened me with getting a skip for my stuff and contacting their solicitors. I've texted them to tell them I'm waiting to hear from the removal firm, but this is really stressing me out

I totally understand how they feel, and I'm fine with them dumping all my stuff in the garage until II collect it, which I have every intention of doing so. I just can't organise it all withn the space of five days, especially when I have all the stuff at THIS end to contend with at the same time (and no internet, problems with the electrics and heating etc).

I genuinely want to know if I'm being the bumhole here, and what reasonable steps I should be taking. I'm not messing them about, I'm just struggling to do it to their deadline. Part of me wants to just tell them to bin it all and charge me for the skip - except there's a good ladder, lawnmower, plants, garden tools etc. And I genuinely don't want to mess them about.

Any advice before I go totally mad? LOL

Thanks in advance.

Mxx

I'm not sure if I was your purchaser I'd have messaged you. 

Everything would have been done via my solicitor.  You have broken the contract and I'd instruct my solicitor immediately to take action.

Completion was Monday and your stuff is still there? Not a chance I'd be happy and you'd already have my solicitors on your solicitors back. 

MobileSaver

Mark_Michalowski said:

I genuinely want to know if I'm being the bumhole here, and what reasonable steps I should be taking.

Sorry to say you absolutely are! I can't believe you weren't back there in your car that evening and if needed again at 9am the next morning, apologising profusely and making as many trips as necessary to move everything out of their home.

Your new place is only half an hour away for goodness sake, it's not as though you were the other side of the country! You could have hired an estate car for a day or asked a friend who has one or maybe a car with a towbar and trailer.

housebuyer143

It's not really an excuse. Rent a van, go and get it. You can get one the next day without much issue. 

You can really expect to leave your stuff in their house for more than 5 days. 

HampshireH

Why can't you rent a van?

You have your whole life to sort out boxes /internet in your new place.  You priority should be getting your stuff out your old place for the buyers.

They are in the right here. 

Should have rented the van or extended the removals if it wasn't planned sufficiently to have moved out on the day 

You say much was down to poor packing so I doubt your buyers have much sympathy. House moves don't happen overnight so there would have been plenty of time to pack properly.

Sorry probably not what you want to hear and you're likely to get asked to pay for the skip

[Deleted User]

@Mark_Michalowski was this your first house purchase ?
How did the previous go ?

If it was i can understand your angst, this is the way it is though, it's a very fast learning curve - and it'll only get faster and harder from here on in !

Forward planning and contingencies is the only way to be when moving house, you have to spend days packing and storing everything ...... boxes and bags everywhere so you're fully ready for the off when it comes because it's invariably last minute and unprepared means un-necessary hassle. 

I hope you've sorted it now 👍

 

Flugelhorn

Hope you get it all moved as it is definitely your problem, remember to get a good removals company next time who will come and pack the day before, costs more but far less grief - they can get an idea about how big the job is and means the actual moving day will go more smoothly.