Curtains in House Sale

Catbells

I said I would leave all the curtains at my house which I've just sold and I have. Its just that I have taken down two sets of curtains and replaced them with similar ones which I bought new because I wanted the ones that were up when the buyers viewed the house. My friend said I shouldn't have done this. Curtains are curtains surely. ALSO The buyers are coming round tomorrow to measure up for curtains so assume they only want them for temporary privacy. They weren't lavish curtains.

LandyAndy

What you have done is fine.

harrup

Catbells wrote: »

I said I would leave all the curtains at my house which I've just sold and I have. Its just that I have taken down two sets of curtains and replaced them with similar ones which I bought new because I wanted the ones that were up when the buyers viewed the house. My friend said I shouldn't have done this. Curtains are curtains surely. ALSO The buyers are coming round tomorrow to measure up for curtains so assume they only want them for temporary privacy. They weren't lavish curtains.

I disagree with LandyAndy. It isn't fine.

Curtains aren't just curtains. They vary phenomenally in terms of quality, price, style.

I would NOT be pleased if a vendor tells me that they'll leave all their curtains....and then replaces them surreptitiously with different ones. I would expect the ones which I saw when I viewed the house and made my offer. I'm certain that you would, too.

However, since your buyers are coming to measure up for curtains - why replace them at all? Just explain to them that you had a change of heart about your existing curtains, and give them the option of either replacing them with something similar at your cost or knock off a mutally agreed price from the price.

But you are risking a huge upset if you substitute the curtains without informing the buers. They WILL feel duped.

tbs624

There's a bit of hypocrisy going on here: first you say:

Catbells wrote: »

I said I would leave all the curtains at my house which I've just sold and I have. Its just that I have taken down two sets of curtains and replaced them with similar ones which I bought new because I wanted the ones that were up when the buyers viewed the house.

My highlighting


and then:

Catbells wrote: »

My friend said I shouldn't have done this. Curtains are curtains surely. ALSO The buyers are coming round tomorrow to measure up for curtains so assume they only want them for temporary privacy. They weren't lavish curtains.

If "curtains are curtains", why are you not just getting new ones for yourself and leaving the original ones in place, unless the buyer agrees that they don't mind you taking them?

westlondonbuyer

I agree with Harrup.

When I bought my flat, the vendor had removed the beautiful glass doorknobs that were on all the doors, wardrobes, drawers etc and replaced them with cheapo chrome ones. Doorknobs aren't *doorknobs* either. I thought I'd paid for ones which cost £40 each; the ones she'd replaced them with cost £1 each. I asked my solicitor to drop her a line threatening her with court action, and a cheque for £600 arrived two days later. Apparently there's a very clear and important legal judgement on the very subject of curtains and doorknobs!

marmitequeen

There's a lot to be said for buying a Repo where you can see that they've taken out the boiler (and left a hole in the back wall), removed the lightbulbs, slashed the wallpaper and possibly weed on the carpet. Oh, I forgot the leg of the kitchen worktop, the toilet seat and the curtain poles. I changed the locks rather quickly.

giddypenguin

Along a similar vein, we've had energy saving bulbs in most of our light fittings during viewings - would it be cheeky to replace them with normal bulbs when we left?

Catbells

tbs624 wrote: »

There's a bit of hypocrisy going on here: first you say:
My highlighting


and then:


If "curtains are curtains", why are you not just getting new ones for yourself and leaving the original ones in place, unless the buyer agrees that they don't mind you taking them?

I think this is an over reaction.

Firstly I am renting - I hadn't planned to do this when I put my house up for sale with all the curtains for sale.
The place I am renting temporarily until I buy has very drab curtains on big windows. So when I found out the buyer wanted to come and measure for his own curtains tomorrow I realised he is clearly going to replace them with ones of his choice - not my choice. The ones I have put up are the same colour and will give them privacy until they get new ones.

I can see that technically - to the letter - the other ones were the ones up first but they are not superlative quality so I am not taking away anything which is going to leave them out of pocket.

What I wanted to know was the legal standing on this.

Catbells

giddypenguin wrote: »

Along a similar vein, we've had energy saving bulbs in most of our light fittings during viewings - would it be cheeky to replace them with normal bulbs when we left?

I would have said it is ok to change lightbulbs. Which reminds me.....

Catbells

harrup wrote: »

I disagree with LandyAndy. It isn't fine.

Curtains aren't just curtains. They vary phenomenally in terms of quality, price, style.

I would NOT be pleased if a vendor tells me that they'll leave all their curtains....and then replaces them surreptitiously with different ones. I would expect the ones which I saw when I viewed the house and made my offer. I'm certain that you would, too.

However, since your buyers are coming to measure up for curtains - why replace them at all? Just explain to them that you had a change of heart about your existing curtains, and give them the option of either replacing them with something similar at your cost or knock off a mutally agreed price from the price.

But you are risking a huge upset if you substitute the curtains without informing the buers. They WILL feel duped.

Not having sold for 20 years I have to admit I hadn't realised how significant this issue of curtains was. I guess the said curtains are not fitted ones and aren't particularly grand either and they would fit my rental house's windows which are quite big. I'll mention it to them tomorrow and let you know what happens. As said since they are getting new curtains I'm hoping that the replacement ones I've put up will be acceptable to them.

pimento

Years ago we bought a vistorian terraced house. It had been systematically stripped of all it's period features by the guy who did it up long before we viewed it, but we had previously viewed an identical house a few doors along which had been beautifully restored in a 1930s style with the proper bakelite doorhandles and light switches and fittings.

A few months after we moved into our house, I found myseld talking to the new buyer of the 30s house and she told me that when they moved in, all the 1930's fittings had been taken by the vendor and replaced with modern replacements.

The 1930s house was being marketed at a higher price (about £30k if memory serves) mainly, I would have thought, due to the sympathetic restoration, so the vendor was a very naughty boy. Not sure if the buyer pursued it or just rolled her eyes.