ABSOLUTELY NOT!

NO WAY JOSE!

NOT ON MY WATCH!

The seller would be advised to consult with an attorney before granting any such request.  

No way and I'm not an agent. There are way too many things that could happen before the house is legally theirs.  And what if the buyer trips on something and is injured!!

No, absolutely not! There are so many things that can go wrong and the seller is usually the one who is adversely affected when they are unable to get people out of their property once they move in.

A fire could break out, a major water leak could occur prior to closing, the property could be broken into and the buyers belongings stolen.

I advise my clients to wait until recording before allowing the buyers in. Of course, it is the owner's decision in the end.

You insisted or asked for it in the contract along with a pre-possesion agreement?  Big difference. 

For you, Richie, maybe I would let you pitch a pup tent in the back yard. 

Everybody else, nope, not happening.

Seriously?  What if...

I can think of so many bad scenarios, especially in the case of buyers who actually have bad intentions.  If you represent the seller I would not ever recommend this happening, even if seller agrees to it.

Pre-settlement occupancy is not something I would recommend. 

No.  If a concurrent close doesn't happen, then the buyer would need to stay in a hotel or some similar option and do a double move.  No ways around that.

Nope, not on my watch! The sellers attorney would kick my butt if I let a seller sign that on a contract.  Small word - big impact - NO.

Nope, not happening. There are too many risks. I can't think of any pros, certainly not for the seller.

Richie,

NO, NO, NO....Don't mess with what works. A

No they don't, far too many things can go wrong. Why chance it?!

Depends, but for the most part, never.  I might talk my client into allowing it if they just want to move some furniture in a day or two early to accommodate moving company, or to take measurements for new carpet, etc.  As far as allowing them to physically occupy the place, the liability risk is just too high, and probably not insured against any injury.  Sometimes a weekend stands between funding and recording, so I do try to allow my seller clients to be somewhat accommodating.

As a Realtor -- on the buyer or seller side -- it would not be my recommendation due to the many things that "could happen", however, there are always exceptions and I have had success on both sides.  Just like everything in real estate, you have to weigh the odds and make sure all parties understand the pro and cons.  

Was there a prepossession agreement? 

NYET!
Or $700 a night,,,,non-refundable.
Untilites remain OFF.

Hard NO!

My broker advises strongly against allowing a buyer to move in prior to close. Most people are honorable and have good intentions. The exception to that rule could prove to be fraught with pain and costs.

And...accidents can happen.

That's what we consider a Buyer Possession Before Closing and they are rarely done. 

Not in my world!

Only if the seller gets to stay an additional two nights after closing to finish packing things up. 🤣

Unfortunately landlord tenant laws kick in the minute something like this happens, and they are always in favor of the tenant.  Very risky for the seller.

Richie Alan Naggar ... guys and gals.. we are not talking stranger danger but our old buddy ole pal Richie. 😁

No way Jose as Kathleen Daniels, Probate & Trust Specialist would say! Insurance issues, as-is, where is at the moment of occupancy, amount of -non-refundable deposit if buyer fails to lose for any reason, who is reponsible for legal fees if litigation occurs, and who pays for sellers legal fees to have an attorney reproesent their interests reviewing the lease the buyers attorney prepares at their expense. Not enough? How about the daily fee for occupancy?\

Is the hotel lookig good yet?

I've had a couple of buyers wanting to tent the house before it closed.  No way. There's another can of worms! 

No, no, no. NO. Too much liabilty for everyone. Sleep in a hotel, a friend's couch, anywhere but the house before it closes. If the closing doesn't go through, then you have just become a squatter with tenant's rights. It's a legal nightmare to get you to quit the property. 

No. I've heard there are some places who do this. It is not common practice here and I hope it never is. I once sold a house the area that wasn't close to the airport but close enough to have an occasional plane fly over. It wasn't a secret to the buyers when they went under contract. After going under contract, they came back and asked if they could sleep in the house with the windows open because they like to sleep in with the windows open and wanted to see if the planes would fly over and wake them. Of course my sellers said no. First of all, the sellers and their children still lived in the house. Secondly, who would want strangers sleeping in their house or having access to their things for 24-48 hours? Third, planes don't fly over every day. Lastly, if they sleep in we figured people getting in and out of their cars to go to work/school, the school bus, the trash pick up or someone else would be out and about early in the morning and wake them. The buyers backed out of the contract and we put the house back on the market. Strangely enough, they came back and put in another offer. We had multiple offers both times and of course the sellers didn't give them another chance. Crazy!

The usual answer is NO. If absolutely necessary, it would have to be with a ton of legal protection as in hold harmless agreements, insurance, cash deposits and so on, drawn up by attorneys.  In other words, more expensive and troublesome than staying in a hotel. Just too risky to allow this to happen, not worth it.

Do buyers "get to" move it before closing?  No, they absolutely do not "get to" move in before closing.  If a buyer want to take possession prior to closing that's going to require an entirely separate negotiation.  And while I can think of the occasional pro for the buyer, I can only come up with a laundry list of cons for the seller and would strongly recommend against it.

I agree with the consensus - the risk is too great. Fire, injury, etc are risks not worth taking.

nope, nope and more nope.  I'll pay for your hotel room before you stay in my house before I've been paid for it.

The answer is usually No~ for liability risk. Yet, once we had the similar to yours situation and the buyer had to sign full liability responsibility if something would go wrong.