Unusual Request whilst awaiting sale to complete

Grizebeck

due to the probate delays our purchase is taking sometime, ive done all the searches and everything is ready to exchange and complete pending grant of probate
 was thinking of asking the executors of the estate if they would object if i tidied/cleared the garden, highly unusual i realise. the garden is very over grown.  
f this was you selling your relatives house as an executor  and someone asked you if they could tidy the garden before owning the house what would you say...

and yes i do realise if they said yes the sale could still fall through!

bluelad1927

Sounds an ok request. They may refuse being cautious about liability if you had an accident

MorningcoffeeIV

It's going to be a very personal decision.

Some will say 'sure, if you to tidy it for free, fill your boots'. 

Others will say 'no, I don't want anyone poking around my dead relative's property until we've sold it.

If the executor is a solicitor, I would expect them to say no. 

Grizebeck

MorningcoffeeIV said:

It's going to be a very personal decision.

Some will say 'sure, if you to tidy it for free, fill your boots'. 

Others will say 'no, I don't want anyone poking around my dead relative's property until we've sold it.

If the executor is a solicitor, I would expect them to say no. 

Thanks good points, the Executor is a relative, and your right it is a very personal decision

RHemmings

I viewed a house early on in my buying odyssey that had a fantastic garden. It sold. Last Saturday I went past the house. The garden is getting tatty and overgrown. It made me a bit sad. 

If it were me selling the house, I'd be fine with you (the OP) tidying up the garden. But, I'm not as professional as others here. 

cymruchris

Definitely no harm in asking politely - and if you do get a 'no' - be pleasant and say that's fair enough, we'll wait until everything is processed and the sale complete, without any thoughts of 'how can they be so mean - we only want to clear the garden'! (And from what you've posted I don't think you'd think that anyway!)

eddddy

I think a lot of sellers' main concern would be about you wrecking the garden - and then walking away, without exchanging contracts.

For example, cutting back shrubs too far and killing them; butchering trees; churning up the ground and leaving it full of muddy puddles; taking up the tasteful York stone path and replacing it with cheap pink paving stones, etc.

Maybe if you specify and agree exactly what you intend to do, that might reassure them.

Grizebeck

eddddy said:

I think a lot of sellers' main concern would be about you wrecking the garden - and then walking away, without exchanging contracts.

For example, cutting back shrubs too far and killing them; butchering trees; churning up the ground and leaving it full of muddy puddles; taking up the tasteful York stone path and replacing it with cheap pink paving stones, etc.

Maybe if you specify and agree exactly what you intend to do, that might reassure them.

Aye  but I wouldn't bother working on a garden I am then going to not proceed to buy. But I get your point

Brie

Maybe the executor would be happy to have you pay for a gardener to do X hours work which the executor states should be done?  So you tell the executor "I'd like the roses pruned, the brambles cut back and the grass cut" and they instruct the gardener to do the same and you pay for that to happen.  That way you can't claim you've fallen out of a tree in their garden and sue them and they are sure you're not going to ravage the prized rare plant collection.

SDLT_Geek

Grizebeck said:

due to the probate delays our purchase is taking sometime, ive done all the searches and everything is ready to exchange and complete pending grant of probate
 was thinking of asking the executors of the estate if they would object if i tidied/cleared the garden, highly unusual i realise. the garden is very over grown.  
f this was you selling your relatives house as an executor  and someone asked you if they could tidy the garden before owning the house what would you say...

and yes i do realise if they said yes the sale could still fall through!

You could couple your request to tidy the garden with a request to bury your dead dog in the garden, to show your commitment to going ahead.  Do you have a bag for life you could use?

Grizebeck

SDLT_Geek said:

Grizebeck said:

due to the probate delays our purchase is taking sometime, ive done all the searches and everything is ready to exchange and complete pending grant of probate
 was thinking of asking the executors of the estate if they would object if i tidied/cleared the garden, highly unusual i realise. the garden is very over grown.  
f this was you selling your relatives house as an executor  and someone asked you if they could tidy the garden before owning the house what would you say...

and yes i do realise if they said yes the sale could still fall through!

You could couple your request to tidy the garden with a request to bury your dead dog in the garden, to show your commitment to going ahead.  Do you have a bag for life you could use?

Haha love it