What can i take from my old house ?

totalguitar

Had my house on the market for just over a week and the first viewer has made an offer and can proceed. I told the EA that i was leaving caprets and blinds but didn't mention anything else. The couple who have bought my house where only in it for 10 mins as they have already lived close by before and know the house layout etc. and we didn't discuss what was being left. Can I take whatever i want, i.e (in no particular order) bathroom fittings, plants from garden, curtain rails, shelves etc etc. What has the person actually bought and what constitutes "the house" from a purchasing point of view ?

mandi

totalguitar wrote:

Had my house on the market for just over a week and the first viewer has made an offer and can proceed. I told the EA that i was leaving caprets and blinds but didn't mention anything else. The couple who have bought my house where only in it for 10 mins as they have already lived close by before and know the house layout etc. and we didn't discuss what was being left. Can I take whatever i want, i.e (in no particular order) bathroom fittings, plants from garden, curtain rails, shelves etc etc. What has the person actually bought and what constitutes "the house" from a purchasing point of view ?

Hi you can take anything that isnt mentioned on your EA details........ however you must notify your solicitor, when he/she sends details through of what your taking and what your leaving... A word of caution though.. your buyers may not be happy if your taking everything but the kitchen sink..

suki1964

You will get a form from your solicitor to fill out regarding whats included in the price, whats being sold to your buyers as an extra and what you are actually taking.

If you are taking light fittings for instance then you have to leave a replacement - bulb and ceiling rose. If you are talking fitted furniture such as shelves then you have to fill and make good any damage to the walls, same with any fixture (loo roll holder etc)

Its a legal binding document so dont be taking stuff that you tick as being left

Argyll_2

Basically if you turned your house upside down and everything that fell down you would take. As mentioned in the previous posts you would complete a questionaire asking what fixtures and fittings you are taking.

However the buyer would be perfectly within their rights to walk away. Although you could leave these items and negotiate a price in addition to the house price. I would however mention this on the first viewing if they don't ask.

Poppy9

Also if you take light fittings you will have to have a certificate showing that the replacements have been fitted/inspected by a qualified electrician.

Personally I would be p'd off if a seller started unscrewing things like curtain rails, bathroom fittings etc. It makes it such a nicer experience if you can have some privacy on your first night your new home with curtains or blinds at the windows. Also its a hassle to get fittings to fit the screw holes left by old fittings on the bathroom tiles.

When most houses are selling for over £100k it's piddling and cheap to take everything. I had one seller fill in the questionaire to say he was taking TV aerial. We threatened to pull out and the aerial stayed!

It's also a pain when you get the keys to your new house and they have left all their rubbish behind. Nothing worse than clearing someone elses rubbish.

YorkshireBoy

Poppy9 wrote:

Also if you take light fittings you will have to have a certificate showing that the replacements have been fitted/inspected by a qualified electrician.

Not true. 'Part P' does not cover light fittings.

Q5: What types of electrical work are 'non-notifiable'?

The following types of work are non-notifiable:

Replacing accessories such as socket-outlets, control switches and ceiling roses

http://www.iee.org/Publish/WireRegs/BR-PartP-dwellings.cfm

Poppy9

YorkshireBoy wrote:

Not true. 'Part P' does not cover light fittings.

http://www.iee.org/Publish/WireRegs/BR-PartP-dwellings.cfm[/QUOTE]

It does if its in the bathroom or kitchen (or if a posh des res sauna or pool room )

Medway council checklist

Kruger

Do the decent thing and leave the fixtures and fittings, unless agreed with the buyer, nothing worse than moving into a place where shelves have been ripped out the walls and blinds/curtains have been taken.

I know of someone who bought a house that was stripped of lighbulbs and lightswitchs on moving in, an upright piano had been left, with a note saying the vendor would collect it later in the week, my friend was so angry he decided to bonfire it, lol.

Debt_Free_Chick

totalguitar wrote:

What has the person actually bought and what constitutes "the house" from a purchasing point of view ?

Just to answer this specific point ...... they have bought the house "subject to contract". It's the contract that specifies exactly what is included in the price and this is what the Seller's Information Form does - it lists what is included and what's not.

Different buyers have different expectations, as you can see from this thread. I never expect to get anything included and have known some people move into a house where the seller didn't even leave any bulbs in the light fittings! :eek:

You should think carefully about what you want to take and whether it really will be of any use in a new property. Remember that many "fixtures" really only have jumble sale value - you might have paid £100 for a curtain pole, for example, but its second-hand value is minimal.

Finally, you might want to ask your buyers if there is anything they specifically want you to leave then consider whether you're prepared to leave it. You want to sell the house at the end of the day and losing the sale for the sake of a pretty worthless fixture probably isn't worth it. On the other hand, do ask a reasonable price for anything that really does have some value.

HTH

totalguitar

Thanks for all of the info. I hadn't intended leaving the house not looking nice, thats why they bought it in the first place. I will however be taking curtain poles as these are not only expensive (as mentioned) but can be used in my new house. I think carpets (all under a year old) and blinds are reasonable to leave as they never fit a new house anyway. The only shelves i'm taking are a radiator cover with shelving unit above it, only secured by 2 small screws. I will be taking all of my lights and will replace with a suitable baton and bulb.

Thanks :T

YorkshireBoy

Poppy9 wrote:

YorkshireBoy wrote:

Not true. 'Part P' does not cover light fittings.

http://www.iee.org/Publish/WireRegs/BR-PartP-dwellings.cfm[/QUOTE]

It does if its in the bathroom or kitchen (or if a posh des res sauna or pool room )

Medway council checklist

No, if you look at the table in your link, replacing a light fitting is not notifiable - whether in a bathroom/kitchen or not.

Perhaps I should have qualified my earlier post...I am an electrical engineer!