Selling a house comes with plenty of things to take care of before closing. Between packing, cleaning, and getting the property ready for its new owners, most sellers have their hands full.
One couple thought they had everything covered until their realtor sent an unexpected message: the buyer wanted the lawn mowed again before closing.
The sellers were confused because they had continued paying for regular lawn service throughout the listing period. With only one day left before closing, they turned to Reddit to ask whether the buyer’s request was fair and whether they were actually required to do anything more.
The buyer drove by and thought the grass was too long
According to the seller, their realtor texted them at 9 p.m. to say the buyer had driven past the property and thought the grass looked too long. The buyer wanted the sellers to arrange another mowing before closing.
The couple hadn’t ignored the yard while the house was on the market. They had continued paying for weekly lawn service, and the grass had last been cut on Friday, just a few days before the request.
Since this was their first time selling a home, they weren’t sure whether they had to arrange another visit simply because the buyer wasn’t happy with the lawn’s appearance. The seller also mentioned that her husband was especially frustrated by the late-night request.
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The sellers said they had already taken care of the yard
In a follow-up, the seller explained that they had sent their realtor photos from the landscaper showing the recently cut grass. They had also arranged extra weed-whacking to get the property ready for closing.
Their agent still wanted them to find a compromise with the buyer. The seller was trying to figure out what a reasonable response would be, while her husband preferred to turn down the request.
The issue wasn’t really the work involved in mowing the lawn. The couple felt they had already maintained the property and shouldn’t have to arrange another service at the last minute.
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Reddit users questioned why the sellers should mow it again
Many commenters thought the timing made the request unreasonable. The lawn had been cut less than a week earlier, and the sellers were already preparing to hand over the property.
Several people suggested telling the realtor when the lawn was last serviced and leaving it at that. Others recommended giving the buyer the lawn company’s contact information so they could schedule future visits after taking ownership.
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Some thought the real estate agents should handle it
Another suggestion was for the agents to arrange and pay for another mowing if they felt it was necessary to keep the sale on track.
One commenter who identified themselves as a real estate agent said they would arrange for a lawn service to visit after closing in a similar situation. That way, the sellers wouldn’t have another last-minute task added to their list.
Other commenters felt the sellers’ agent had a responsibility to pass along the buyer’s request, even if the agent thought it was unreasonable. Keeping the sellers informed was one thing, but expecting them to agree was another.
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The couple still had to decide what to do
The Reddit discussion brought plenty of opinions, but it didn’t answer whether the sellers’ contract required them to provide any additional lawn care before closing. The original post also didn’t include a final update explaining whether the lawn was mowed again or whether the sale went through as planned.
From the couple’s perspective, they had already done what they were supposed to do. They had paid for regular lawn service, arranged extra yard work before closing, and sent photos when the buyer raised a concern.
With just one day left before handing over the keys, they were left wondering whether the recently maintained lawn should have been enough or whether they were expected to accommodate one more request.
