What can you legally remove from your house when selling?

Ness_2

We have recently sold our house to a couple who agreed a price (which included kitchen appliances, curtains etc) but then dropped their offer by £3k. We informed them that they can have it for this reduced price but that we will remove all fixtures and fittings. We are quite annoyed about the way they've messed us about and want to remove everything from the house that we can on principle. What can we legally remove?? We're planning to remove all the integrated appliances, curtains, curtain poles, bathroom cabinet, shelves etc. Just over a year ago we installed a lovely fireplace in the lounge - can we take this?

sarmia

Is the fireplace noted on the sales particulars? if so you will have to leave it there unless you speak to them and put something in writing as they can come back to you after completion and demand it back or compo as it is classed as being sold with the property.

Before the price reduction did you complete the fixtures and fittings as you should do another if some items you where going to leave are going, just to watch your back.

bap98189

THis is a fairly standard tactic. The buyer knows you want to sell and is just testing the water to see if they can get a few extra pounds off the purchase price at the last minute.

Do you actually want, or have a use for, any of the fixtures and fittings? If not then it seems a lot of wasted effort to remove them and second hand fitted appliances have very little value. Can you not talk to the purchaser and agree to meet them halfway instead, offering to sell for £1500 less.

clutton_2

what a childish thing to want to do - move on - lifes too short

Doozergirl

Have you filled in your fixtures and fittings form? All vendors have to do it.

You do have to tell them what stays and what goes, so taking things out of spite and surprising them on completion day won't work. Taking anything that is stated as being included in the price, would be illegal.

If you're going to start pulling everything out, you have to tell them and well, they're just going to renegotiate again if you're going to be (frankly) silly and start removing things like integrated appliances and fireplaces aren't they? If you do remove a fireplace, you will have to 'make good' the hole that you leave.

Why have they knocked you down £3000? You can say 'no' you know!

pusscat

As far as I know the rule of thumb anyting that is attached to the house counts as fittings and fixtures and is considered part of the house unless it is specified that it is going - this means things such as

Fireplaces screwed to the wall
Fitted kitchens and any fited appliances
light fittings
radiators
light switches
curtain rails
doorbells
hard flooring such as wood/laminate/tiles
Bath/shower/toilet
toilet roll holders/soap holders if screwed to the wall
spice racks if screwed to the wall
Plants that are planted in the garden (but not in pots!)
etc.

You can remove these things if you have upgraded them and replace with standards - so you can replace your nice light fittings with a standard lightbulb, or your expensive light switches with plain plastic ones. You could replace the fireplace with a standard one. This should be made clear on the solicitors forms though.

You are at liberty to remove anything that is not fixed - so curtains, carpets, non fitted appliances, garden sheds etc. Again if you are not sure make sure it is specified on the forms that it is going.

To be honest, removing everything you can seems a lot of work just to score a cheap point - I would look for an alternative solution as otherwise your new house will have a garage full of stuff you will never use....

By the time you have paid the removal men to move it, stored it and disposed of it - it will probably have cost you more than the £3k anyway.

Puss
xx

Bun

I would remove anything that it would cost me to replace in a new house that I legitimately would use, but it really is a bit petty to take everything for the sake of it.

kingkano

If teh fireplace is gas, you will need a corgi engineer to come to remove it and cap the gas pipe.

joapet

My aunt and uncle have moved 3 times in the past 2 yrs and every time they took the fireplace! Usually you have to write down the particulars that you are going to take and leave. Why did the buyers wanna drop the price?

advent1122

Ness wrote: »

We have recently sold our house to a couple who agreed a price (which included kitchen appliances, curtains etc) but then dropped their offer by £3k. We informed them that they can have it for this reduced price but that we will remove all fixtures and fittings. We are quite annoyed about the way they've messed us about and want to remove everything from the house that we can on principle. What can we legally remove?? We're planning to remove all the integrated appliances, curtains, curtain poles, bathroom cabinet, shelves etc. Just over a year ago we installed a lovely fireplace in the lounge - can we take this?

Rather than spit your dummy out why didnt you just refuse their kind offer of a price reduction.?