chain-free property sale - seller delays moving out without a good reason

housebuyer143

Mattti said:

GDB2222 said:

4 weeks always used to be the normal delay between exchange and completion. Has that changed? 

I don’t think the OP’s landlord is going to be happy with a very short notice period ending in December, which is a dead month for letting. 

The seller doesn’t need to rent another property—when the process began, he claimed he already had a place to move into. He was clear about wanting to complete the sale quickly. 

I’m not someone with unreasonable demands; in fact, I’ve done everything possible to show the seller that I’m serious about completing this process as soon as possible, which is typically a positive approach. However, he also needs to consider our position in this situation.

It sounds like he does have a place to move into but he has a lot of stuff and needs time to dispose of it etc. Some people are truly bad at organising and just because you can do it in 2 weeks, doesn't mean he can. 
Why didn't he do it sooner, yes maybe but potentially he's been messed about before and didn't want to get started without solid proof it was actually going ahead. 

Linton

Mattti said:

Linton said:

If you find the seller’s date inconvenient because of the holiday period why not propose  completing after the new year? If the seller does not want further delay you  both may be able to compromise on an earlier date.

You have to work with the seller to get a date both sides can accept. There is no other way, unless you want to pull out of the deal.

Today is November 7th, so it's nearly six weeks until December 20th. For a chain-free sale, a six-week gap between exchange and completion is excessive. Two weeks should be more than sufficient to move without rushing—unless the seller is actually part of a chain.

It doesnt matter what you think.  The seller can delay things for as long as they want for whatever reasons they want.   So you have the choice - either get an agreement that keeps you both reasonably happy or walk away from the deal.

GDB2222

Mattti said:

GDB2222 said:

4 weeks always used to be the normal delay between exchange and completion. Has that changed? 

I don’t think the OP’s landlord is going to be happy with a very short notice period ending in December, which is a dead month for letting. 

The seller doesn’t need to rent another property—when the process began, he claimed he already had a place to move into. He was clear about wanting to complete the sale quickly. 

I’m not someone with unreasonable demands; in fact, I’ve done everything possible to show the seller that I’m serious about completing this process as soon as possible, which is typically a positive approach. However, he also needs to consider our position in this situation.

The seller has proposed 20 December. It’s quite a good date from some points of view. For example, lots of people are off work for a fortnight then. So, he may think that he is doing you a favour, whereas you have rather jumped to the conclusion that he has suggested that date more or less to spite you.

All you can do is enter into a discussion where you point out that a different date would suit you better. Neither party wants to pull out over this, I guess. 

thegreenone

Voyager2002 said:

Mattti said:

The seller hasn’t provided any real reason for the delay, other than needing time to move his belongings. He could have started the process once the offer was accepted, especially since he mentioned during viewing that he’s moving in with his partner and they already have a place. On our end, all documents are signed, and the deposit has been paid.

He could NOT have started any process once the offer had been accepted, since buyers can and frequently do pull out for any or no reason.

A committed seller should have started to pack anything that is unused, on a day to day basis, as soon as an EA had been engaged.  As he already has somewhere definite to move to, he could've either moved some boxes/furniture there or to a storage unit, knowing it would only be needed for 3 months approx.

I completely cleared my late Mum's flat before it went on the market.

Schwarzwald

Mattti said:

GDB2222 said:

4 weeks always used to be the normal delay between exchange and completion. Has that changed? 

I don’t think the OP’s landlord is going to be happy with a very short notice period ending in December, which is a dead month for letting. 

... he claimed he already had a place to move into... 

that doesnt seem to have changed, has it?

Mattti said:

GDB2222 said:

4 weeks always used to be the normal delay between exchange and completion. Has that changed? 

I don’t think the OP’s landlord is going to be happy with a very short notice period ending in December, which is a dead month for letting. 

... He was clear about wanting to complete the sale quickly ..

"complete quickly" ... did you agree what they means upfront? 6 weeks might feel like very quickly to the vendor.

the bottom line is:

you cant do nothing other than (A) negotiate, (B) accept or (C) drop out.

chose one.

youth_leader

It always used to be four weeks between exchange and completion, I must say I was pleased to have five weeks. My vendor kept changing her mind about her 'retirement date', I had several months of uncertainty.

My landlord allowed me to give five weeks notice, which gave me a week to show new prospective tenants around, then thoroughly deep clean before I moved out.  

BonaDea

Some removals companies won't fit you in without 3 or 4 weeks' notice, especially in December, which tends to be booked up quickly.  And four weeks between and completion always used to be standard, as more than one poster has already noted.  My buyers and I are having 5 weeks and 1 day - and my preference would have been for longer precisely because I have a lot of arrangements to make and they involve third parties who can't be relied on to jump when I say 'jump' because they too are busy, have their own constraints etc.  Two weeks between exchange and completion might suit you, but it's not your place to decide that it's reasonable for your vendor.

MysteryMe

Buying someone's property does not mean you know them personally so best to park the assumptions and expectations as they are based on ignorance. 4 weeks was/is standard gap between exchange and completion. It can be sooner, can be same day, but only if both parties agree to it. It sounds like an early completion period is not going to happen so in your shoes I would be trying to negotiate a 4 week completion upon exchange. 

LHW99

The only good reason I can see, that might persuade the seller to agree to a (slightly) earler completion date is that 20th December may actually be the last date in 2024 that the solicitor(s) are in the office.

We had to do that wih one purchase (we were renting at the time) and were on tenterhooks in case something got delayed, as completion ouldn't then happen until after the holiday.

That thought could encourage him to agree to complete the week before. Or not, you can but try.

youth_leader

Good point @MysteryMe - my vendor was my age, 67, and I assumed we had the same expectations and standards.  It turned out she wasn't anything like me, she certainly had far lower standards.

I was upset to find out she had gone two days before completion.   She had completely filled both bins with her rubbish, some of the food stuffs already going off. 

I would have appreciated knowing as I could have bought my beloved late cat the day before, I was very concerned about moving her here.  Luckily the safety of a massive dog crate in the bathroom and the radio worked.  My beloved late sheltie went to kennels.