Swap out the curtains before moving out of sold house

fionah

Hello,

I am in the process of selling my home, and would like to take some of the curtains with me. The only reason for this is because they are of sentimental value as I made them myself, so nothing to do with value.

The offer from the buyer stated:
“The price will include the following additional items (if any):- all carpets and other flooring, all curtains and blinds, all white goods….”

The schedule pictures does show the rooms with the curtains.

Would it be acceptable to buy new curtains to replace the ones I wish to take away with me?

MeandO

Just tell them the curtains (and any other items you don't want to sell) are not included. You don't have to include things you don't want to sell to them. If they want to re-negotiate over curtains then they don't seem to be the sort of buyers I'd want to deal with anyway!

Good luck!

PasturesNew

As the new owner. If I were buying it I might be wanting them because it takes time to measure up/go out and buy new curtains .... so I'd just not want bare windows.

It might be they love those curtains, or it might be they just want there to be the privacy/security of having curtains up.

So ask them ....

ThePants999

Ask your buyer! It's all up for negotiation between you. Chances are, they'd be fine with it.

seven-day-weekend

We sold our house including curtains.

However, one pair was a William Morris pattern and I wanted to keep them, so I just bought a pair from IKEA and put those up instead.

As far as I was concerned, nowhere did it say I had to leave William Morris curtains, just a set of curtains.

AnotherJoe

Yep, if they are like most people it will be more an immediate convenience of having curtains when they move in.
I would suggest "includes all curtains except those in rooms X&Y which are being retained for sentimental reasons" so its clear you arent being awkward for the sake of it.

Worse case they will say they want a couple hundred quid off best case they will want to measure up and buy their own before hand.

EmmyLou30

Legally you leave what was agreed at the point of sale - i.e what you showed the buyer when they viewed the house. If you want to swap them then tell the buyer and mention it on the fixtures and fittings form so they know. It could be they don't care so long as they have usable curtains for the first few weeks to tide them over....or it could be they liked yours and were really pleased they went with their furniture so will be a bit peeved to turn up and find them gone.
I had that in a house I bought. They took all the blinds they were supposed to leave (only cheap roller blinds but it meant no privacy for me and an urgent shopping trip I could have done without), and swapped out the curtains that matched the wallpaper colours for some god awful granny floral ones about 40 years old that were falling apart and unusable. Thanks then. I don't know why people do it, especially if the sale has been a good one and it's not petty vindictiveness.
So if yours have sentimental value....just let the buyer know please.

Slinky

When my parents bought their house in the 1960s, what they thought were pairs of curtains turned out to be strips of fabric hanging on either side of the windows. The vendors obviously didn't draw their curtains at night.

pinkteapot

Have you filled in the Fixtures and Fittings form yet?

This is done as part of the conveyancing process and you have to tick for carpets, curtains, light fittings, etc, whether they're staying or whether you're taking them. That forms part of the legal contract so you're bound by it. You're not bound by the estate agent's details.

I would say though... I think you should warn your buyer. If you currently have high-end made to measure curtains made out of good quality, heavyweight fabric, and you replace them with the cheapest, thinnest ready-mades you can find, I'd be pretty miffed as a buyer.

Also, your replacements may not suit the buyer's taste. It seems pointless to buy curtains if they then immediately remove them. I'd talk to them, and they may be happy for you to simply take the curtains and give them a small discount (ie the amount you'd pay for replacements). Same net effect for you financially and you don't have the hassle of buying new curtains.

fionah

Thanks for all your replies so far.

I definitely intend to replace them, so wouldn't leave the windows bare on the date of entry. I would make sure the replacements are of similar quality and match the existing decor. Also, the buyer has not actually viewed the house before!! His mother came to view it as he was working abroad... If anything, the buyer would probably be getting a better deal if I do replace the curtains with store purchased ones, since the existing ones were made by myself, and I am no sewing expert!

I do not want to change the terms of the contract at this late stage. The concluding of missives is already being delayed due to problems on the buyer's side. I just want to get the contract signed off as soon as possible without throwing in any extra complications. I'm also reluctant to speak to the buyer directly, again due to their delays already.

We were not asked to fill out a Fixtures and Fittings form. Is this only used in England? (I am in Scotland). The only mention of the F&F was on the offer qualified acceptance letters:
“The price will include the following additional items (if any):- all carpets and other flooring, all curtains and blinds, all white goods….”

pinkteapot

Ahh sorry - didn't realise you were in Scotland. The Fixtures and Fittings form is indeed England.