What do and don't you have to leave when you sell?

louiserer

Good afternoon,

My husband and I are to purchase a new home and we have part exchanged our current home.

Our solicitors have sent us a form where we outline everything we are planning to leave and what we will be taking. So far in order to get the valuation we have had a visit from two local solicitors and a RIC (?) survey done.

All we would like it curtain poles and a blind. There are a couple of light fittings we would like to take too and replace with standard ones.

The house is in good decorative order and is very clean and tidy all bar one unfortunate rip in the kitchen lino. After this happened we have kept it covered with a mat. This was not moved when anyone looked round the property nor was it checked by them. Will we have to put this right before we leave?

Does anyone know if we will be due for another more detailed inspection on our property? We have an offer in writing of a p/x value and been told to exchange in 28 days but I assume they will want to check more about what they are buying from us?

Thank you

pinkteapot

You can take curtain poles and blinds, so long as you declare it on the form. You do then have to make the walls good (fills holes and paint).

You can also take light fittings - as you said, you do have to replace with a standard ceiling rose (it's no longer legal to leave a bare wire hanging down).

Re rip in the lino, it's buyer beware so it's up to the buyer to look under rugs, etc. In a normal purchase, you wouldn't have another inspection unless the buyers did another viewing. I doubt a builder taking a PX will bother doing a viewing. If they find it they can ask you to put it right. It's up to you whether you agree to or not. Part of the negotiations!

louiserer

That's great thank you. I think I thought that was the case but just worried they'd start trying to renegotiate or something! As we are having to exchange within 28 days (although this is their time scale not ours) I guess they won't want to try and mess around with 75 quid's of lino!

boatman

I can't really understand wanting to remove curtain/curtain poles/blinds, its a pain being the new person moving in first night, you can't cover the windows, most people don't make good the holes because they are using the curtains till the day they move out and have better things to do than filling and painting over holes. Unless they are particularly expensive, most people would want to get new ones in a new house, by leaving them it at least means don't have to do it straight away.

benjus

pinkteapot wrote: »

(it's no longer legal to leave a bare wire hanging down)

Are you sure about this? Just seems a bit surprising, as you might be buying a place for refurbishment that needs full rewiring, so it would be a waste of time for the vendor to put in ceiling roses.

AndyT678

benjus wrote: »

Are you sure about this? Just seems a bit surprising, as you might be buying a place for refurbishment that needs full rewiring, so it would be a waste of time for the vendor to put in ceiling roses.

There's a line on the standard Law Society fittings and contents form about having some fittings to prevent folk leaving bare wires. That document forms part of the contract between buyer and seller.

It's not a criminal offence!

benjus

AndyT678 wrote: »

There's a line on the standard Law Society fittings and contents form about having some fittings to prevent folk leaving bare wires. That document forms part of the contract between buyer and seller.

It's not a criminal offence!

Yes, but is there anything to stop you ticking "No" to that option, if the buyer is happy with it?

louiserer

They are nice curtain poles that cost a fair bit, we are moving into a brand new house with two windows per room. It is the pain of having to have no curtain poles in my new house that makes me want to take mine.

The windows that have curtain poles incidentally have blinds that will be left so there would be some coverings for the windows where as us in the new property have nothing.

DRP

louiserer wrote: »

They are nice curtain poles that cost a fair bit, we are moving into a brand new house with two windows per room. It is the pain of having to have no curtain poles in my new house that makes me want to take mine.

The windows that have curtain poles incidentally have blinds that will be left so there would be some coverings for the windows where as us in the new property have nothing.

We took most of our (expensive) curtain poles with us when we recently moved.

We didn't make good the holes - in my experience the new owner can either use the holes for his new poles or the new poles will conceal the old holes anyhow.

AdrianC

'course, this presupposes that the old windows and new ones are the same width...

Fortheloveofmoney

You need to check your contract with the builder. We did a part exchange in 2012 and they specifically said we have to leave bathroom cabinets, light fittings and curtain poles. They also took a £500 deposit which would only be returned if you left the property as described. They did send someone to check the property over once we had left and before they would release the deposit.

I though this was a little cheeky as you don't get any of these things included in your newbuild...

Anyway we only had 1 curtain pole which we wanted to take and we told them they couldn't have the bathroom cabinet as it had been an Engagement present from a family member. They were fine with this as long as fixed the holes.