Closed and have keys, but vendor still in house???

scorpio said:

I’m a first time buyer and closed on my house this morning. My solicitor rang at 1 and told me we closed and I could pick up the keys from the estate agents which I did just before 2. The vendor is still in the house though moving stuff out and seems they won’t be finished for a while. It all seems a bit weird, that I was given the keys, yet they are still there and can’t give me a definite time when they’ll leave? Anyone know where I stand on this?

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thats a new one on me....

are we talking about a few hours, or days ?

Well, they should be gone and they should not be there. You handed over money for keys and vacant possession. However, from the sound of it, they are going so so long as they are gone this eve may be don't panic. If they are not gone this eve ( you don't seem to be moving in straightaway or are you?) talk to your own solicitor tomorrow and get them to contact vendors solicitor to make sure they are going. And then change the locks.

I'm increasingly advising clients to do a pre closing inspection precisely so that this does not happen.

mf

Hours.... (I hope!!) I thought they should be gone by the time I get my keys though.

Start charging them rent and see how quickly they move.
Explain that you are paying rent somewhere else.

Make sure you change the locks when the do leave. On front and back doors.

Not unusual to me that vendor still has stuff in the house ... but this is usually agreed before closing, just to facilitate everybody's needs.
Happened to few friends of mine.. Vendor left some stuff in one room for few days .. gentlemen's agreement
I hope the vendor is still not sleeping on the house though

If this is really unbearable to you at this time, throw everything of their stuff on the pavement and changes the locks.... but consider what you are doing, they know where you live!!!
Also, consider that next time, you may be the one who need a "bit of help" to facilitate your move.

I think you are may be over reacting, understandable as you are FTB (in my case, i over reacted for minor things the first time i bought, so i am not different to others)...... moving houses should be an "enjoyable" time, but the complete process is stressful as you never have any guarantee that the deal will really close until the last second...

Talk to the vendor to understand their side of the story.....

any update ?

slightly different scenario ... ever hear of handing over keys and the money hasn't arrived yet.

Yes, strange but true.

Thanks everyone for your comments, all is fine now. They left later that night but left a few bits in the house, which they said they'd organise to collect (hopefully soon!). By rights they should've been out when we closed but I think they were taking advantage of the fact that I was an FTB and taking their time moving, knowing I wasn't bring a truck load of stuff that afternoon to move in.

nt00deep said:

slightly different scenario ... ever hear of handing over keys and the money hasn't arrived yet.

Yes, strange but true.

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Mmm .. saw that on C4's Property Chain a few weeks back — two parties had made friends and one handed over the keys before the money came through. Certainly not something I'd every dream of doing.

EC1 said:

Mmm .. saw that on C4's Property Chain a few weeks back — two parties had made friends and one handed over the keys before the money came through. Certainly not something I'd every dream of doing.

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My Dad did it once a few years back....my mother nearly brained him for it..

Certainly not something I'd every dream of doing.

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me too, but on the day, I felt it the best option.

House completely emptied. Moving into the rented accommodation that my new buyer was vacating. If I did not let him move in, I would be faced with having to reverse my already completed move-out, with two kids hanging off us. This news came at 10pm on a Friday with closing supposed to have taken place that day.

Got a letter from the bank confirming the "cheque was in the post" and just made a judgement call. Worked out fine, but took a further 6 days for the cheque to land at my solicitors. Certainly made for a nervous week.

Main point is you can plan all you want, but on the day of the close, anything can happen, and you may find yourself having to make strange decisions despite your otherwise better judgement.

Friend of mine has taken possession of a house in Mayo without paying over the money while still chasing the vendor & vendor's solicitor about planning matters (septic tank I think)