Legal Requirement when moving house

twogoodtwo

Hello,

Can someone please help me.

What is the legal requirement as to the state of the house when you sell it. What I mean by this is that I have sold my flat and am due to move out early next week. When taking down lights and shelves etc., it has left holes in the wall and I was worried that my buyer may want compensation. Some of the holes are c. 10cm in diameter!

Do I need to get them all filled in etc or can I just leave it?

Thanks

Sujamjen

twogoodtwo wrote:

Hello,

Can someone please help me.

What is the legal requirement as to the state of the house when you sell it. What I mean by this is that I have sold my flat and am due to move out early next week. When taking down lights and shelves etc., it has left holes in the wall and I was worried that my buyer may want compensation. Some of the holes are c. 10cm in diameter!

Do I need to get them all filled in etc or can I just leave it?

Thanks

I'm in the 'treat others as you'd like to be treated yourself' camp. In other words I'd fill the holes and leave the flat in the best state of repair and cleanliness that I could. What do others think?

dragonsoup

I would hate to move into a house with that sort of damage so I would also make good.

Helen_from_yorkshire

Does your buyer realise they are not getting the lights/shelves - I would have thought they came under fixtures and fittings unless you have previously specified otherwise.

YorkshireBoy

twogoodtwo wrote:

Some of the holes are c. 10cm in diameter!

10cm???? They're not holes - they're serving hatches!!!!

If I've misread your post I'll apologise now, but it sounds like you're removing recessed downlighters from your ceiling. This really shouldn't be done without making good the damage (which will probably cost more than buying again for the new house).

It's one thing taking down your nearly-new solid brass triple shade fitting and putting up a "poundland" ceiling rose, but to remove downlighters and expect to leave 10cm holes in your ceiling for the new owner is pushing it a bit IMO.

twogoodtwo

Thank you for your replies. I am inclined to do the same so today I am away to B&Q to get the necessary stuff. The buyer knows they are not getting the lights and shelves - we did offer them to the buyer but they did not want them (we put up the shelves after we moved in.)

Re the lights, they are all wall lights. The reason they have such a large hole behind them is because the developer put circular caps on the wall for where each light to go with the necessary fitments behind them so when we removed the caps to fit our lights, it exposes a 10cm hole ( or serving hatch!!) However, when a wall light is fitted over it, you cannot see the hole at all!!

Fingers crossed there are some baragins at B&Q.

MSA (Money Saving Amateur!)

sooz

when i last sold, the buyers solicitor made me fill in many many forms, including one promising i would repair properly all holes, even ones made from removing picture hooks...seemed a bit ott. i left the picture hooks up instead, but repaired holes left from shelves.

Squidgy

I think you are obliged to make good really. Wouldn't it have been easier to leave the lights behind? Surely even if your buyers don't want them you don't have to remove them? We never had to do that.

roger56

There are new rules in force from Jan 1st regarding electrical safety in the home, go here to view or download if you've removed wall lights etc
http://www.odpm.gov.uk/stellent/groups/odpm_buildreg/documents/page/odpm_breg_033480.hcsp