Buying a new home

willz45

Hi all,

We're in the process of selling and buying and I want to know the following:

What is everyone's views on what the condition we should leave our property when we sell? It is only 3 and a half years old but i am referring to things like nails in walls, screws from furniture etc should we just leave it as is or make an effort to fill and paint?

My second query is around offering things for sale. if we don't need the white goods for example, should we just give them away or offer them to the new buyers? Same with bespoke blinds that wont fit in the new house and what about fitted wardrobes?

Thanks in advance
Will

Alter_ego

I make a point of talking directly with the buyer and agreeing these things without involving EA or solicitor. Communication is key to a trouble free sale.

sal_III

As with many things in live - threat others in the same way you would like to be treated yourself.

If you think it would be nice to get your new home free of screws and nails, I would suggest you fix your old home in the same way.

As for the old furniture, if the white goods have any re-sale value I would probably offer them at 1/2 price to the new owners. Bespoke blinds and fitted wardrobes have piratically zero re-sale value so I would just leave them behind.

Edit: that is of course if you have the time/money and ability to fix them properly. Better to leave the screws/nails in place than half-baked attempt of removing them.

pinkteapot

Your buyer will probably be expecting fitted wardrobes to stay - they normally would. Curtains/blinds is up to you but if you remove them you need to make the walls good. For both these things, the Fixtures and Fittings forms is where you fill in what you're removing and what's staying. It's legally binding, forming part of the contract.

Re nails in walls - I can't remember for sure but I have a feeling there's something in standard contract terms about making good any damage. I've always removed nails and screws, filled and touched up the paint, but someone else can advise on whether you're obliged to.

AdrianC

The age of the property's irrelevant. If you're taking things off that have been fixed directly to the walls, make good whatever you've left.

hazyjo

If the nails are in logical places for pictures or mirrors, I'd leave them. I've often re-used existing nails when say on either side of a chimney breast wall. If big chunky screws (where you usually end up with several holes in a wall trying to find the right place for them), I'd fill them.


On the fixtures and fittings form, you fill out what you're leaving. I would state on there that they're up for grabs (either for free or at whatever cost). I certainly wouldn't ever just leave stuff behind without asking.


Blinds - leave them. Don't charge. They're useless to you.


Fitted wardrobes will obviously have to stay at no cost.

robatwork

I've moved loads of times and never removed nails or screws or made good.

Inevitably people want their own pictures, and own decor. Waste of your time touching up with paint when their first task may be to paint it all anyway.

Discuss white goods separately and just sell them to the buyer if they want.

Taking bespoke blinds is petty and I've never done it, only a mean person would do that if they weren't going to reuse them.

Taking fitted wardrobes is ridiculous - they're fitted, which means they're included.

Flugelhorn

Taking blinds I find really annoying - they will not fit anywhere else. Lots of nails / rawlplugs and random wires in the house we are in now - very annoying, took us ages to get round to fixing them

yksi

Surely the seller is buying the walls as-is - they are not expecting you to remove nails and repaint.

Fitted wardrobes would be considered part of the house and should be left (think about it, they're a selling point of the home, why would you take them?!). Same goes for flooring and light fittings, in my opinion. The blinds are different, but as others have said, you might as well leave them there. The whitegoods would be something you can negotiate.

I would expect there to be a list of fixtures and fittings anyway?

Skiddaw1

I honestly don't think a few nail holes matters. I'd just make sure the house is left as clean as you can possibly get it. As has been said, the buyers will have their own plans as to internal decor.


I agree about taking blinds and curtains. They never fit the new house anyway. As for white goods, again, I'd offer to leave them (free of charge) unless you really want to take them with you or dispose of them.

pattypan4

I left all white goods and window dressings, noted on the sellers form. I then took out all screws and hooks and made good