Buy a house - contract says I have to "keep all the furniture and fittings"

I agree. Personally I would not accept such clause. Once I get the keys, I don't want to hear from the vendor or agent ever again. All ties need to be cut then.
If they sell the house "as is", with some contents left, then the contents are sold with it and it is up to you to dispose of them. Or that is what I would expect!
 
Be careful, I've heard of a case where the seller turned up to take out two fireplaces as they were seen as 'fittings'. I believe the same has been argued for a fitted kitchen!

I was a bit concerned also with the likes of an expensive gas boiler or radiators etc.
There is an old cabinet in 1 of the bedrooms.
 
Yes it is
Don't you think it would have been important to have told us this piece of information at the beginning. You need to get a list of the items. If it's basically useless stuff you should agree for them to go in the garage and be picked up at a later date. I'd also take pictures now of the house, put on a disc and make that part of the contract too.

There is NO WAY in hell you should let a previous owner in the house ever. Not in this kind of case.

Personally though I think I'd have the clause removed and the receiver to remove the items and store them. Looks like previous owner might be upset and trying to cause problems. You don't want to be at the receiving end of that.

Has your solicitor not given you any advise at all on this?
 
I'd imagine it's a fairly standard clause in a receiver sale. The receiver only has legal rights to sell the house, not the contents which belong to the previous owner.
There's probably no engagement with the owner, so don't expect lists of contents, or end dates or anything. The receiver is covering themselves with the clause. You need your solicitor to explain what it means to you.
 
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Might I recommend you may want to watch "Moving" with Richard Pryor.

When the owner was showing his house to the purchaser, he kept saying "and we're taking it with us" as a joke for all the fittings, including the staircase.

Sure enough..........