Offering buyer furnishings: how much should I ask?

HouseHunter_2

Having sold my house, and buying a property with an integrated kitchen, I have several items I would like to leave behind. Plus the buyer has already asked after a couple of them. They are all pretty new so I don't want to let them go for nothing but equally, if I leave them I can do the removal myself, saving around £600. How much should I ask?

fridge/freezer: frost free, two years old
washing machine, as new, two years old
pine wardrobe as new, three years old but rarely used
this is the difficult one: leather corner sofa unit, cost £1200, just over two years old, I'd need to get the window taken out and put back in (£100) to take it so I'd like to make it an attractive sum

OR, should I let the buyer make an offer first?

Debt_Free_Chick

To be honest, these things always seem so much more valuable to the owner. But in reality, I can think you can only expect the buyer to pay whatever the price would be if you put them in your local "free ads" newspaper.

Furniture and white goods in particular, are effectively "disposable" these days. They only seem to last 3-5 years and we're expected to replace rather than repair. So the price you paid - or the price the buyer would have to pay to replace with new - is irrelevant. To be blunt (without wishing to be rude) ... these are simply second hand goods with little value

In a way, the buyer would do you a favour as you have no need/use for these things. They would save you the hassle of advertising and then dealing with enquiries .. particularly the time wasters!

What would you have done if the buyer hadn't expressed an interest?

HouseHunter_2

I'd have sold them on ebay I guess (am an experienced seller), or possibly the free ads in the local paper, where I always get a good response The fridge seems to go for about £120, which is better than I thought, the washing machine about the same as well

It's the sofa that I'm not sure how much to ask for really: looking on ebay similar styles in similar condition seem to go for around £500. You'd be surprised what people will buy you know

Debt_Free_Chick

HouseHunter wrote:

You'd be surprised what people will buy you know

I agree entirely - you'd be even more amazed at what people will collect for free off Freecycle

And I think this is the point .... Someone who really wants that particular style & colour of sofa may well pay £500. Especially if it's exactly (or very close) to what they want and it would cost double to buy brand new.

I think what you need to determine is how badly your buyers want it. If they really, really do ... then you should hold out for the price you are happy with. If they don't, they might just see it as though they are "disposing of your unwanted items" and might not be too motivated to pay a lot for it.

Suppose you could put it on ebay and ask them to "fight it out" with other interested bidders - but you might end up having to pay to have the window removed! And, of course, it's probably going to be a collect only job ... which might narrow down the interest.

No easy answer ... sorry. But good luck