Fixtures & Fittings

dodgy

Hi,

We've accepted an offer for our house (second time lucky hopefully) which didn't mentioned anything about carpets and curtains. The house is unoccupied but still has the carpet/curtains as we thought it looked nicer to prospective buyers.

Now I understand that if they aren't a condition of sale then it's up to me if I leave them or sell them. The curtains will be coming with us, but the carpet I don't actually have any use for.

I suppose that I should list it on the F&F form with a price in case the purchaser wants to buy it, but does anyone have any suggestions how much to put? It's a four-bed house and the carpet is all neutral colours in pretty good condition (we only had it cleaned two weeks ago).

Obviously I would like to get something for it, but I don't want to overdo it so that the buyer says they don't want it, as I don't actually have any use for it so would like it to go with the house!

If I list it on the F&F form with a price, and they buyer chooses not to pay, do I actually have to remove it?

Thanks

pie81

Are they fitted carpets? If they are fitted then I THINK (but someone please say if I am wrong) that they are expected to come with the house anyway.

of course you can always try getting a little £ from the buyer nonetheless but they may just say you're obliged to leave them anyway.

Cannon_Fodder

If there was no mention of the carpets NOT being included, then as a buyer I would be assuming them to be included. Loose rugs etc don't count as carpets.

How was the kitchen described - "space for cooker", "space for washing machine" - if that specific, then not being clear about the carpets is not on.

Curtains are a little different as often they go with furniture etc...but even then, it should just be about being clear on the F&F form what does and doesn't stay, rather than making money out of the lack of clarity.

If you're thinking £100 for the lot then maybe it'll be ok, if you're thinking of £100 per room or something, then that might risk alienating your second (potential) buyer...

keith969

If a seller put down carpets were extra, unless they were nearly new and in really good condition and I liked the colour etc. I'd just say no thanks. Why pay for someone's mangy old carpets?

Doozergirl

I agree, I'd never buy a carpet from a vendor unless it was nearly new. The state of a carpet owned by us from new bothers me enough! I'd think they were being cheeky if I'd agreed a price and they suddenly brought up the carpets after the deal had been effectively done. It helps to say what you want included but it's a bit unfair to exclude it. I'd laugh if someone had put a price for them on the F&F list

I have once specifically excluded carpets but that's because we were really locked in negotiations, it had been going on for 2 weeks and I said that the buyer could have the house for £2000 less than my bottom price but I was taking the carpets and the light fittings as I could genuinely use them. I ended up with the extra money. We hadn't agreed the sale when I started using them as leverage though.

Fire_Fox

I wouldn't pay for someone else's carpets, I'd think they were being unreasonable. Curtains I'd expect to be taken or to pay extra for. Don't ask me to explain my logic, I'm female and there probably isn't any!

barnaby-bear

dodgy wrote: »

Hi,

We've accepted an offer for our house (second time lucky hopefully) which didn't mentioned anything about carpets and curtains. The house is unoccupied but still has the carpet/curtains as we thought it looked nicer to prospective buyers.

Now I understand that if they aren't a condition of sale then it's up to me if I leave them or sell them. The curtains will be coming with us, but the carpet I don't actually have any use for.

I suppose that I should list it on the F&F form with a price in case the purchaser wants to buy it, but does anyone have any suggestions how much to put? It's a four-bed house and the carpet is all neutral colours in pretty good condition (we only had it cleaned two weeks ago).

Obviously I would like to get something for it, but I don't want to overdo it so that the buyer says they don't want it, as I don't actually have any use for it so would like it to go with the house!

If I list it on the F&F form with a price, and they buyer chooses not to pay, do I actually have to remove it?

Thanks

If you take the carpets and curtain poles remember it's up to you to put right any damage from their removal - filled holes, removed nails, gripper rods etc... I'd laugh at a vendor asking for money for fitted carpets these days - it came from a time when houses were cheap and carpets expensive and it could cost 10-15% of the house price to carpet....

pie81

I was told that as a rule of thumb, anything that would stay put if you turned the house upside down would stay with the property, anything that would fall down is a furnishing and needs to be bought separately unless listed as included. it's not a perfect rule but not bad as a starting point.

fitted carpets definitely would stay put.

dodgy

Thanks for the responses. I'm fine with leaving them as they are no use to me, but as the first buyer was so specific about them being included with the offer - and the second buyer hasn't even mentioned them, I wondered what the "done thing" was. We've always been very specific about them when making offers in the past.

Buyer two has agreed the sale for £2500 less than buyer one ... so it seemed like a way perhaps help make back a bit of the difference. Seems like the curtains are coming back with us and we'll never mention the carpets then!

They are nice carpets, just to speak to the earlier posts. We've never allowed outdoor shows in our house and I think it shows (virtually everyone viewing offered to take them off) - not only that, I've just had them professionally cleaned. But your feelings are noted :-)