Finding your new home in less than stellar condition does not happen often, but when it does, it’s a difficult thing to deal with. The best approach is to be proactive when you are placing your offer to purchase. Include in the terms of sale that all refuse and items not specifically included in the contract be removed some time prior to possession. Add that you’d like to take a walk through the property with your realtor a day or two before possession, so you can check that the work has been done. If you find that it has not, contact your lawyer right away, as he or she may be able to address that through use of a holdback of sale proceeds or other means. Once possession occurs, though, it is often too late to deal with unwanted mess or items other than by a civil claim,
which is time consuming.