Rubbish/belongings left by previous owners

[onlyme]

Hello

When I bought my current house I was horrified to discover that the loft had been left jam-packed with the previous owners' rubbish including, for some bizarre reason, more than a dozen old doors. It took us hours to get everything out of there but fortunately my husband at the time was able to borrow a van from work to take it all to the tip.

I'm now moving house again and am worried that I'll end up with loads more rubbish to clear. These days I'm by myself and don't have access to a van, only a small 2-seater car, so I won't be able to get piles of bulky items/rubbish etc to the tip without paying someone.

The documents from my solicitor mention the need to clear the loft, so presumably the same thing will appear on the other side's documents too, but what if this is ignored and I'm faced with having to pay to clear their stuff? Do I have any recourse?

Thanks.

[Kaz]

Hi

It's a bit of a tricky one. I totally understand your concern - once bitten, twice shy and all that.

I was going to suggest that you ask to look in the loft before you exchange but the seller's aren't obliged to clear their rubbish until just before completion.

Although I believe you would have recourse against the sellers to come back after completion and remove it, I think in reality that's easier said than done.

Anyway, hopefully the sellers will clear their rubbish themselves but if not, I'm sure others more knowledgeable on here will be able to help you.

Good luck

[Dan S]

Hi onlyme

Your story is one so frustrating that Im sure if you tell it the owners of the next property you want to buy they'll be happy to oblige. If they've nothing to hide they should be ok with you taking a look.

All the best

Dan

[onlyme]

To be fair to them they seem very open, genuine types and happily offered their phone and email details so I've gone with your suggestion and asked them in an email, explaining what happened before and saying it's made me a bit worried. Hopefully it was a one-off the previous time and my fears are unfounded.

Cheers.

[Dan S]

Oh good! I'm pleased theyre being amenable...it's such a horror story that I'm sure they understand. Good luck with the purchase.

[onlyme]

Well, I'm feeling relieved right now because the owners replied already to say they will leave the loft totally clear. If only all vendors were like them!

[Dan S]

That's brilliant news. Now make sure you check the garage!

[New Homes Expert]

No one should leave anything that wastnt agreed.
Your solicitor should state vacanct possession and that shoudl include contents!

If you find the loft, garage or shed full of stuff contact the previous owners and tell them that they will have to pay for it to be cleared. Send them a bill and go to small claims court if it is not paid.

[Dan S]

The same goes for renters. When you move from one property to another the management company (or landlord if they don't use one) can charge ridiculous amounts for the removal of literally anything!