Allowing seller to temporarily leave furniture

trakky14

I honestly wouldn't, they will just have to put it into storage. Too many risks of them not collecting when they say they will, you could be accused of damaging it, risk if there was a break in or worse.. I would just politely say no

doodling

Hi,

The only way I would permit this is if there is a written agreement that:

1. I have no responsibility as to the condition of any items left in the house; and

2. After a period (say 3 weeks in your case) where you need to be in in a month) all items would become mine for me to do with as I please if they have not been collected.

That still leaves you with the risk that you might have the cost / hassle of disposing of the furniture but at least you won't be stuck having to look after it for an arbitary period of time.

macman

They obviously haven't grasped the meaning of 'vacant possession'...

anselld

Just say no, which I am sure the Solicitor will advise anyway.  There are simple storage solutions available to the vendors at relatively minor cost and inconvenience.

Flugelhorn

they are jus trying to avoid paying for storage and expecting you to look after the stuff instead - what if they do a runner and you never hear from them again?

TripleH

I agree that should you store the stuff, you need set specific guidelines in place.

- How long the items can stay

- That you won't insure the items in take any responsibility for them.

- That they have to be in a single room not about the house

Whether it's a deferment of suing for failing to provide vacant possession.

I'd discuss with your solicitor and if you agree, emphasise that the deadline is finite and non negotiable.

It might be worth holding a retention on the property (enough to cover cost of disposal) released when the furniture goes.

UnderOffer

Which is it? “our seller would like to leave some furniture and possessions in the house for a week after we complete” but you also state “ but this is all their furniture in a four bed house.

A whole furnished 4 bedroom house I would not accept, a few things stored in the garage, maybe yes. 

koalakoala

For me it would be a NO

saajan_12

I wouldn't involve the solicitor or any vacant possession implications now - you'll never actually sort it out and the risk of anything actually going wrong is relatively small. Practically, I think you have two options:

1) Don't agree anything formally now. Then upon completion when they leave the things behind, just don't bother enforcing for a week. After that, if the items are still left then get your solicitor to send a notice and sue for losses, give them the necessary time for abandoned possessions and ultimately sue for your out of pocket costs to dispose etc. Same as you would if they hadn't mentioned now. 

2) Separate to the purchase, agree that you store the items for x weeks in return for a nominal fee. That'll make it an enforceable contract on its own, and make sure you specify in writing, what the items are, how long they'll be stored, who has access, who insures them, what happens if they don't collect, etc. 

thegreenone

They've known for weeks/months that they are moving and yet have done nothing about their furniture?  Tell them it must all go into storage as they sold with vacant possession.   Lazy, cheapskates.  I assume after their set time for free storage, there will be removal men all over your house to move it.

You want to get in and decorate/new carpets/new furniture delivered etc - don't you?  

We packed up our previous house and the whole lot had to go into storage as we had cash buyers for our house and didn't want to lose them and our purchase wasn't ready.  The four of us slept in my Mum's dining room for five weeks.