The Law
What should you leave behind, and what can you expect to find, when selling or buying a house? The issue of fixtures and fittings can be very contentious, primarily because there is no law that specifies what should be left in the house and what should be removed. Different buyers and vendors have different expectations and it is wise to clarify what will be included with the property in the early stages of the sale proceedings.
Legally the vendor is not obliged to leave any fixtures or fittings in the house, but the onus is on the vendor to clarify what will be taken. Usually conflict is avoided by the creation of an inventory which is attached to the sales contract stating what is included with the price of the house and what will be taken when the vendor moves. If an inventory is not formed, it is generally assumed that fixtures will be left but fittings will be removed, unless stated otherwise elsewhere. This means that if a fixture is removed without the buyer being forewarned the vendor could find themselves in a small claims court and have to pay the cost of replacing the contended fixture.
What is a fixture/fitting?
There are no set definitions for what constitutes a fixture or a fitting, but generally a fixture is understood to be any item that is bolted to the floor or walls, and a fitting to be any item that is free standing or hung by a nail or hook. Below is a list of items that will usually fall under each category.
Fixtures
- Light fitments
- Central-heating boilers and radiators
- Built in wardrobes/cupboards (e.g. if they use a wall to form one of their sides and would thus be incomplete if they were removed)
- Bathroom suites (sinks/baths/toilets)
- Plugs
- Kitchen units
- Wall paintings
Fittings
- Paintings or mirrors that are not bolted but hung or screwed to a wall.
- Carpets
- Curtains and curtain rails
- Free-standing ovens, refrigerators and washing machines
- Beds/sofas and other free standing items of furniture
- Lampshades
- Television aerials and satellite dishes
Why all the fuss?
Whilst a plug here or a towel rail there will not make much difference to the value of a house, fixtures and fittings can add up to thousands of pounds in total and will make a big difference to the monetary worth of a property. Typically, if the vendor took all furniture (fitted and free-standing) central heating fixtures, curtains, telephones, satellite dishes, dustbins and fireplaces the buyer would have lost approximately ÂŁ15,000, so it is well worth taking the time to clarify what will and wonât be left in the property before the sale goes through. It is important that the buyer ensures they are getting what they think they are paying for and for the vendor to avoid any legal trouble that could occur later on in proceedings.
Inventory
When buying or selling a house it is useful to have an inventory in order to agree from the outset which fixtures and fittings will be included in the sale. Below is an example inventory form which can be tailored to each buyer or vendorâs own specifications.
| Room | Fixture/Fitting | Included in purchase (tick or cross) |
|---|---|---|
| General | Plug Sockets | |
| Door Bell | ||
| Door Knocker | ||
| Shutters & Grills | ||
| Interior Door Furniture | ||
| Exterior Door Furniture | ||
| Double Glazing | ||
| Window Fitments | ||
| Kitchen | Cooker | |
| Cupboards | ||
| Fridge | ||
| Freezer | ||
| Microwave | ||
| Dishwasher | ||
| Spice Rack | ||
| Cutlery Rack | ||
| Extractor Fan | ||
| Washing Machine | ||
| Utensils | ||
| Curtain/Blinds | ||
| Built-in Appliances (specify): | ||
| Living/ Dining & Bedrooms | Curtains (Including net curtains) | |
| Curtain Rails, Fittings, Tracks & Poles | ||
| Pelmets | ||
| Blinds | ||
| Carpet | ||
| Heaters | ||
| Lamp Shades/Bulbs | ||
| Wall Fittings (shelves/mirrors etc.) | ||
| Gas/Electric Fires | ||
| Burglar Alarm | ||
| Smoke Alarms | ||
| Other (Specify): | ||
| Bathroom | Carpet | |
| Medicine Cabinet/Cabinet | ||
| Mirrors | ||
| Towel Rail | ||
| Fitted Shelves/Cupboards | ||
| Shower or Bath Unit | ||
| Toilet Fittings | ||
| Heater | ||
| Curtain/Blind | ||
| Shaver Fitting | ||
| Soap & Toothbrush Holders | ||
| Shower Fittings & Curtain | ||
| Outside | Shed | |
| Greenhouse | ||
| Trees, Plants, Flowers | ||
| Lights | ||
| Garden Equipment & Furniture (Specify) | ||
| Garden Ornaments | ||
| Water Butts | ||
| Dustbins | ||
| Satellite Dish/TV Aerial | ||
| Additional Notes | ||
| I hereby certify that the items checked and noted on this agreement are included in the sale price of the property. | ||
| SIGNED: _________________________ | House Seller |
Negotiation Techniques
Getting the most for the price of a house often comes down to good negotiation techniques.
- Stay calm and polite when attempting to negotiate the fixtures and fittings you would like to be left â a sale often falls through because of heated conflict over the finer details of a property.
- Ensure both parties are clear which items are fixtures and which are fittings to avoid confusion later on.
- Do all negotiating face to face â that way both parties can gauge responses more accurately and working out what will be left after the move will be easier.
- Be friendly â the other party is much more likely to accommodate your wishes if they like you.
- Think about which fixtures and fittings you actually need â there is no point arguing to keep a sink if youâre just going to get rid of it later on. Remember, disposing of unwanted items can be very costly.
- Donât make unreasonable demands; youâre more likely to strain relations and end up with a worse deal.
- As soon as any agreements are made write it down so there can be no contentions further down the line.
My friend has just bought a house. The vendor ticked the box to say she was leaving all the 4-month old carpets. She then took the two very large bedroom carpets. It turns out she had told her solicitors she had changed her mind about these carpets but they did not pass the message on. My friend had a copy of the fixtures &fittings list and even had a text from the vendor saying there had been an error in communication. My friend has had to unexpectedly buy and fit new carpets. What is her legal position?
Hi Karen,
Sorry this has happened to your friend! I have done a little research and found this quote in a Telegraph article;
“Before an exchange of contracts, a seller’s solicitor will ask them to fill in a “Fittings and Contents” form, which states which items are included in the sale, which are to be removed from the property, and which items are to be charged for separately.
This form should be provided to the buyer before the contracts are exchanged, and should be attached to the parts of the contract signed by the seller and the buyer immediately before exchange.
So who is at fault?
If our readers’ solicitor failed to show them such information, “they have strong grounds for complaint because it is a breach of the Law Society’s conveyancing protocol, which is designed to standardise the process of transferring property”, said Ms Blackburn. This applies to all legal advisers who are registered with the Conveyancing Quality Scheme.”
Full article can be found here: http://www.telegraph.co.uk/finance/personalfinance/money-saving-tips/11691738/Can-seller-take-the-cooker-fridge-and-curtains-after-weve-exchanged.html
Sounds like your friend could opt to seek legal advice on how to proceed further. However she should be mindful that the cost of doing so (in legal fees etc) may end up being more than she’d spend on 2 carpets
Best of luck to her!
Hi could you advise me as I canât find a specific email address to contact!
I recently left a business premises after 10 year..! Of which I payed the previous tenant for the doors some display cabinets etc
I moved to a different location and asked my landlord if she wanted to buy the fixtures and fittings off me before I moved or I would take them she chose not to buy the doors/display cabinets etc (which were beautiful and ic payed a lot of money for) so I took them! I have left the place spotless.. yet she is saying I need to replace the doors!! Plaster and paint the whole place?
Hi Donna,
It may be nest to have a solicitor look over the initial contract (where you paid for the doors) and to make sure there’s nothing in there about replacing them. The same can be said for the plastering and painting work, too.
I have had my offer accepted for a property but some items are being left out. We both signed identical contracts but I didn’t read them and so didn’t know what would be included in the sale. I assumed that the flagstones paved in the garden (as well as some left over on the side) would be included as well as a shed in the garden. However, when I went back for another visit both these items were removed. I was told by the sellers that the shed would remain but we hadn’t discussed the flagstones. What is my legal position? Can I claim these items?
Hi Catherine,
You would need to speak with your solicitor on this matter and have a read through the contract, they may have said one thing, but if it wasn’t in the contract you both signed, it’s hard to go back on that.
It’s odd that they’d take the flagstone paving though! I can’t find anything that suggests whether they are considered fixtures or fittings to ascertain your position. Apologies we can’t be of further assistance!
Myself & brother sold out late parents property in March. In September we received a small claim from the buyer, who wanted reimbursing money for cleaning the oven/grill, the washing machine as it was missing a button and also is trying to claim for what she believes was a fridge-freezer as we had ticked under the heading refridgerator/fridge-freezer and being included in the sale, although this was just for a refridgerator. Can she claim reimbusement for any of this?
Hi Diane,
We suggest you speak to a solicitor about this issue.
We’re just about to sell a property that has fitted cupboards in the hallway. I’d like to take the doors of the cupboards for a project at our new property but am unsure if the doors officially/legally form part of the fitted unit.
Are they classed as an ‘internal door fitting’ (I assume this is more of a door to a room) or do they form part of the cupboard? Can you offer any clarification?
Hi Ian
If you intend to take the doors, this would need to be accepted in writing from the buyers prior to exchange of contracts
Good luck with your project!
I am due to move house soon and on my contents fixtures/fitting form, I ticked that I was leaving the Electric fires & surrounds that I have. One is hard wired and the other is plugged into the socket. Can I remove and replace the plugged in fire & surround and leave in a tidy state
Hi Teresa
As long as the buyer agrees in writing prior to exchange of contracts
hi, I have recently bought a house with a tenant staying on. My understanding with the vendor is that she has left everything in the house. The Fittings & Content form provided by my solicitor was quite high level. When I asked the solicitor to contact the vendor, seller’s solicitor replied that ‘all white goods will remain in the property, My client does not intend to take anything with her’. is this legally strong enough to assume that everything in the house belong to me, how do I protect myself better with tenant against missing fixtures/fittings/furnitures in the future when tenant moves out? thanks
Hi There,
We think your best bet here is to have an inventory from the Seller where they state which of their possessions are being left and also carry out an inventory of the items belonging to the tenant. You would then be able to cross reference these when it comes to the tenant moving out to ensure nothing is taken / left behind that shouldn’t be
Hope that makes sense
Can I change the curtain poles to basic white tracks after agreeing to leave curtain poles
Hi Amanda,
If you do, The Buyer would need to agree to this in writing prior to exchange of contracts
When the Estate Agent showed us round the property he pointed out the boiler and the cupboard. On the actual boiler there was a sticker saying “your system is protected by Magnaclean” “annual service required. When British gas came to inspect the boiler, after purchasing the house, engineer could not find the Magnaclean. Has the seller mislead us? Or perhaps having the Magnaclean removed?
On the inventory the seller said he was taken some hanging lights in the kitchen but he not only took those down but also all the light fittings in the house without notify us. He did replace them with ordinary ceiling pendants. He made extra holes on the ceiling plaster and took 95% of all the bulbs in the house. Now we are worried because the work was done by the seller and does not appear to be done properly. He has admitted in writing that he did the work himself like for like so he claims. But it was not like for like as the original fittings were of a greater value and fitted nicely on the ceiling. The new pendants are smaller so you can see the extra holes made to accommodate the new pendants. In the hallway part of the plaster is missing so you can see quite a big gap. Where do we stand on this
I have accepted an offer for the sale of my house, had completed a fictures and fittings form and ticked that we woud be leaving the greenhouse. The buyers solicitors have asked us on the buyers behalf if we would remove the greenhouse. Are we legally obliged to have to remove it, just becaue they’ve asked, even though we’d stated it would be staying?
Hi,
Very useful opinion on the site, thank you for that. I recently purchased a property where the FFC form stated that the cooker hood/extractor until was both installed and included in the sale, yet immediately prior to completion the seller removed the existing hood and replaced it with a vastly inferior product (albeit brand new).
Furthermore as part of the fitted kitchen there was a built-in coffee machine and wine cooler – both of which they removed without any notification. These two items were not explicitly listed on the FFC form but my assumption was that these would be covered by the ‘fitted kitchen units’ section, which was ticked as included. Now these items have been removed there are gaps in the kitchen with the back wall exposed.
The seller appears to think they’ve done nothing wrong as ‘an extractor hood is included and the other two items were not explicitly listed on the form’.
For context there are a lot more items that they have left (such as a glass sided fireplace and ceiling speakers) which are fittings and not explicitly listed. Am I correct in assuming that legally the onus should have been on them to explicitly state and get our agreement in writing if they wanted to remove fittings such as the build-in coffee machine and wine cooler?
Hi Paul,
This is a conversation best had with your conveyancer as these details should have been stipulated before the exchange of contracts. From our understanding, anything that was to be explicitly left or taken should be agreed in writing prior to exchange
Hi, my girlfriend and I are buying a house and after our offer was accepted, the estate agent sent an email saying that the oven didn’t work 100% and they ‘wanted to be honest about this from the start’. The listing states “Modern Fitted Kitchen” and “…inset electric oven and grill with four ring electric ceramic hob, stainless steel extractor fan over…”.
We asked for clarification and they have said the grill might work, but the oven doesn’t. Does this count as mis-advertising? Where do we stand?
Hi Jordan,
At this stage, if contracts haven’t been exchanged then the house hasn’t been miss-sold with a broken oven. In this instance, we’d suggest a conversation between both sets of solicitors about the repair/replacement or removal of the oven. Can the current owners agree to repairing or replacing the oven prior to sale? Or remove the oven and agree on the cost of a new one to be taken off the sale value?
Just a couple of ideas to go back with
If you had purchased the house and the Fixtures and Fittings form said the oven DID work and then you found it it didn’t (at the point of sale) then you’d have a right to go back as this would have been miss sold
We hope that’s helpful – good luck!
I am in Scotland and have a friend who has just sold her house and the buyers have moved in recently. They have contacted her and said the general bin has been stolen from the property. My friend didnât live at the property during the selling process so wasnât aware it had been stolen and now the new owners want my friend to pay for the bin. Where does she stand?
Hi Caroline,
If you mean the general household waste wheelie bin, simply contact the local council, as these should be available free of charge so there should not be a cost involved for your friend. Hope that helps!
Alice
Hi I am buying a property and I don’t want the gas fire or surround can I ask for them to be removed. Also can I ask for the pond in the garden to be drained.
Hi, we are about to exchange contracts but on packing up the contents under the sink my partner discovered that the undersink kitchen unit (which has been falling apart for a while) was in a state of collapse.
He took it to the dump. There is now a gaping hole under the sink and I am concerned about how to approach this with the buyers.
Hi Lynda
Best thing to do is be honest. If the contracts have been exchanged, the house should be sold in the condition it was found in at the time (with both buyers and sellers agreeing the condition) if there are any changes, the sellers should make the buyers aware and come to an agreement on how to resolve i.e. You’ll take the cost of the new unit iff the sale price, you will fit a new unit or you both split the cost
I have made an offer on an empty property that has a chair lift in place. Is it reasonable for me to ask the seller to remove.
Hi Angela,
It would not be unreasonable to ask them to remove it. Get it in writing (In your contracts) and agree on who will foot the bill for the removal and the state in which the property will be left in post removal
Hope that helps!
Hi I’m buying a house with tenancy. Part of the furniture in the house belongs to the tenant part belongs to the current owners. The owners want to take the furniture back at the end of the tenancy which is expected to be after the completion of the sale. Can he do that?
Hi Gloria,
These details should be in the written into the contract between the current owner and the tenants in situ. If they have agreed that the landlord can remove his belongings, that will be between them. Assuming that you’re buying the property with tenants in situ, you’ll then need to come to an agreement with them, too.
Hi,
We have sale agreed on a property and the property description clearly stated the kitchen had a range master job and oven and the living room had a feature fireplace. The feature fireplace is actually a built in inset electric fire, there is no surround or fireplace as such. When we received the fixtures and fittings list these are now listed as available to buy. We challenged this via the vendors estate agent as they were on the description and were told they were a description of what was in the room and not an indication they were included in the price. These items would be significantly expensive to replace and and would have impacted our offer had we known. We were just wondering if we have any rights in this situation and the best way to proceed?
Many thanks in advance, GS
Hi Gill
For such a specific situation, we recommend seeking professional legal advice on this matter
Morning , I am in the process of buying a house which is subject to a probate sale. It has been tenanted for several years and the tenants are in the process of moving out. The vendors that have inherited the property are advising that they will not complete the fixtures and fittings form with no real explanation as to why. My concern is that, not only the property could be left completely gutted it could also be left with a lot of junk from the previous tenants and I would have no come back? Would you be renegotiating the price to take into account this risk? Help!!
Hi Alex
For such a specific situation, we’d suggest seeking professional legal advice on this one!
im the owner of a flat (its leasehold).
A few months ago i changed the bathroom around, not thinking that i should have asked the freeholders permission. I took out the bath, moved the sink and put in a shower on the other side of the bathroom. Im now about to sell and nervous as i have changed the bathroom and have not asked the freeholder. Will the buyers solicitors question the bathroom layout ? i dont want any issues when selling.
thank you
Hi John
As far as we’re aware, if there is nothing in your leasehold agreement that states you can’t do any of the work you’ve carried out / re-plumb appliances etc, you should be ok
On selling a house are sellers responsible to ensure a real look gas fire has a certificate and is working properly
Is an alarm system considered a fixture or a fitting? I would expect this to remain and not have to pay extra?
Hi Shannon
As per this article on Property24, alarms are considered a fixture and fitting https://www.property24.com/articles/property-fixtures-and-fittings-what-goes-and-what-stays/22790
It’s worth discussing the finer details with the seller
our house is being bought by the council and they are going to demolish it to make a road what can we take legally from the house we have some very expensive light fittings
Hi May
For such a specific case, you’d need to have this discussion with whomever owns the property. If you are the owner, I’d seek professional legal advice or contact your CAB
I stated in my fittings and contents form that I was including free standing kitchen white goods in the sale but after exchange of contracts the buyers say they donât want them. Who is responsible for the disposable and associated costs?
Hi Andy
Fixtures and fittings technically form part of the contract and youâve exchanged those so itâs up to the buyer to remove them if they donât want them but would assume both sets of solicitors should talk to each other to come to an agreement on this
Hi Franki,
I have recently purchased a house – I had a verbal discussion with the sellers prior to exchange when they asked what I would and would not like to remain in the house. I stated I would like the white goods but nothing else, and they offered to remove carpets which I accepted.
I later mis-read the qualified acceptance of my offer in which they removed the inclusion of the white goods, but included the carpets and floor coverings.
I am now slightly put out at having to replace white goods which I thought were included in the sale, and am considering charging for the replacement of the carpets which were included within the sale (even though not desired) in a way to recoup my additional expense – is this a reasonable approach?
Thanks,
Hi Jamie,
For such a specific case, this is best discussed with your solicitor as I am unable to advise
Hello,
I bought a house just over a year ago, the vendor left a few items including an outdoor large table with 8 chairs. This wasnât included in the fixtures and fittings list so I contacted her after a couple of weeks to see when she would be collecting it and was told I could keep it as she didnât want it anymore. She has contacted me today (a year later) saying she wanted to collect it and when would suit? Iâm just wondering where I stand on this from a legal point of view?
Hi Laura
For such a specific case, we’d suggest talking to your solicitor as we are unable to advise
We have sold the house and submitted our fixture and fittings form to our solicitor 3 weeks ago. The stair carpet is stained and the purchasers would have seen this and the form stated that we would be leaving it, however, since their last visit and submitting the forms I spilt a drink on the stair carpet leaving a large pink stain which I’ve not been able to remove. The purchasers would probably wish to replace the carpet in any case, however, this stain would be make it something they would probably want to do straight away.
Should we contact the solicitors to say it’s no longer included and remove it? Or can we leave it as it is?
Hi Lynnifred
As you suggested, it’s probably best to speak to your solicitor about this matter as they will be in a better position to advise
I have had an offer accepted on a house, the building survey is due tomorrow and I’ve had the fittings list through. A lot of the legal questions have not been answered and they have missed off providers like who supply electricity. They have just missed off questions completely like “Please provide an EPC certificate” they have put nothing at all.
What should I do?
Thanks
Claire
Hi Claire,
Congratulations! I would simply go back and ask them to fill out the missing details; you need to know..!
If certain items are included in the house sales details which have been ‘signed-off’ by the vendor or they then obliged to leave them. My daughter recently bought a house which went to Best and Final Offer and paid ÂŁ3k more as the details stipulated that all carpets, curtains/blinds, light fittings etc as well as the integral oven and hob, fire and shed. However when they completed the vendor had removed all the curtains? It is my understanding that all items mentioned within the details should then be left??
Hi Sue,
From my understanding too, yes, the curtains should have been left. This is something I’d go back tot he solicitors with
Hi
I am buying a house. The seller has made the inventory to say that they are excluding the kitchen units from the sale of the house. Does that mean they have to replace them or do I the buyer negotiate to get a lower sale price.
Thanks
Hi Hassan,
In this instance, you and the seller will need to come to an agreement; either they agree to lower the price or they replace, but best to check with your solicitor
We completed our house purchase recently. The estate agent described it as “FULLY REFURBISHED” (showing this in block capitals) and said it was fitted with a coal/wood burner in the dining room and a fire in the living room.
Today, the chimney sweep has advised that the coal/wood burner is, “A ticking time bomb and needs to be replaced” and that, “The fire in the living room still has part of a gas fire behind it and a cushion stuck up the chimney, perhaps to stop the draught coming down”.
Are we liable to rectify these, please?
Hi Sandra,
We are unable to comment on such a specific case; this is a question for your solicitors
We’ve just signed contracts and when the vendor went to sign their part they changed a clause that said the oven was excluded. We have it in writing from the vendors agent that ALL appliances are included in the sale but now, over 3 months since we went sale agreed they are saying otherwise. ‘Integrated appliances’ is also noted in the sales brochure also. This oven has cubboards below and on top so it’s within a unit. Doesn’t this classify as an integrated appliance anyway or what’s the exact definition?
Hi there
When we were in the process of moving, we said via email we would leave the cooker. We forgot we had done this and later ticked âundecidedâ on the fixtures and fittings form. We took the cooker (genuine mistake) they now want it back/money towards a new cooker.
Where do we stand? Do we legally have to give the cooker back?
Sharon
Hi, we have had an offer on a house accepted. On the website it was advertised as having ‘out door storage’ there was a shed. He has put on the form that we can buy the shed but I belive this should be included as it was advertised as been included. Am I right in fighting it as the seller is pretty stubborn. Also is a fitted fridge/frezzer and over that is not free standing classed as a fixture or a fitting? Thank you
Hi Jodie,
These specifics are best discussed with your solicitor
We have sold our house and almost ready to exchange. Its been a painful journey as our buyers sought to reduce the price several times after the survey even though the report categorically stated immediate work wasn’t required. We had to threaten to put the house back on the market three times to get a decision even though we had already agreed to a reduction to keep things moving, so the whole situation has become quote fraught and much more confrontational than we ever wwante. I started some clearing up at the weekend and noticed a stain on the carpet in the master bedroom, which was minor and would have been visible when the buyers visited but I thought I would try and clean it. Unfortunately I made it worse and it’s now very noticeable. The carpets are quite old and needed replacing anyway, and at the moment I am begrudging any further allowances as I feel our buyers have already held us to ransom. Where do we stand on this if our buyers take issue with it when they move in?
Can you tell me do I have to remove carpets from the whole house and wooden flooring when selling my house
Hi Andy,
You are not permitted to remove the carpets or flooring unless this is something you agreed with the buyers
We are in the process of selling and want to take are current radiators with us but happy to replace with other radiators. Is this something that we can do and where should this be specified? Thanks
Hi Alex,
We think that as long as the radiators are in working order, then that should be fine. However be mindful of how they are listed on the fixtures and fittings forms; if you have lovely sparkly chrome ones installed and they are stated, you can’t then leave basic white ones. Be sure to state Standard White Radiators, or words to that effect, on the form.
Hope that helps!
We are almost at exchange on a house that is in probate. We want the garden cleared of all the rubbish. 3 wheelie bins ful of household stuff and a coal bunker full. A green house we do not want and 5 compost bins that we do not want. Also there is stuff in the lift including a wasp nest. Who is responsible for this. Can we demand that these are removed as they have not confirmed despite requesting this over 6 weeks ago
Hi Colett
From our research, it is the responsibility of the Executor(s) to ensure the property is cleared of belongings prior to sale. We are not 100% sure though about the garden, it may be “sold as seen” so in this case, we’d suggest speaking with your solicitor
Hi,
My partner and I have recently purchased a property. Contrary to the Fixtures and Fittings form, the vendor has taken the freestanding freezer and has taken the light fittings for 2 of the rooms without leaving a ceiling rose, bulb flex or bulb.
We have purchased a new freezer but have not yet remedied the lights. We would like to make a claim on MCOL for the cost of the freezer and the cost of an electrician to put right the lights, is this the sort of case that is suitable?
Hi Clare,
Sorry to hear this!
In this instance, if the items were agreed in the F&F form, you should question them; best to speak to your solicitor about what route to take and to ensure the F&F form clearly stated what would be included in the sale.
Weve just moved into our first house and it is a mess, whilst everything works we are replacing the cooker hob, the oven, the light fittings and the internal doors
Upon sale (ideally in the next 2/3 years to a bigger property) we plan on taking our next to brand new items with us, including oven etc etc. We are keeping/disconnecting the old oven, hob, doors, light fixtures etc and take to our next house.
When is best to replace them? before it goes up for sale and people view/put offers in, or upon leaving shall we replace them and take our belongings with us?
Hi Vanessa,
You could do either, but if it were me, I’d replace beforehand and sell your property as seen. That way you can avoid any complications that arise if your sellers feels the standard of the replacement items doesn’t match that of the ones already in situ.
We have just bought a house and the vendors have taken the roof ladder (not specified in the inventory), is this a fixture?
Hi,
Thanks, Indeed a nice article. It is very informative and guide us on how we can self make our home beautiful.
Hi,
Iâm selling a flat and the Chinese buyer would like all of my furniture included in the sale price.
Is this usual? And should I agree?
Thank you!
Hi Jane,
You can sell houses with furniture in situ, but that is totally down to negotiations on the buyer and seller’s part. This is probably best discussed with your solicitor – but I haven’t known all of the furniture to be included in the sale price, there’s usually a few things that the sellers may agree to, but not a whole house worth..!
Hello.
Thanks for this really useful article.
Iâm selling my flat to a Chinese buyer, who wants to take the furniture in the sale price.
Is this usual, and should I agree?
I donât mind doing this because Iâm not that keen on the furniture I have any more!
Hi Jane,
You can sell houses with furniture in situ, but that is totally down to negotiations on the buyer and sellerâs part. This is probably best discussed with your solicitor â but I havenât known all of the furniture to be included in the sale price, thereâs usually a few things that the sellers may agree to, but not a whole house worth..!
I am in process of moving home.. Buyers have been a nightmare from start. Wanting appliances, money off etc. Early on before all this we agreed to leave appliances + ÂŁ250 for freehold a hall mirror and now ÂŁ750 for stuff come up on independant survey but not on valuation one. Where do we stand if we replace appliances for like for like as my appliances have long term warrenties on them. Can we do this and i also want to replace Gas Fire inset surround. Can i put a different one in.
Hello,
We have recently moved in to a property to find the doors were removed from the kitchen and living room. They are not noted on the fixtures/fittings but I don’t see where they would be, as we assumed they would need to be installed for fire safety regulations (after reinstalling our own door before moving out of our flat.
Thanks.
Hi Rebecca,
Not sure that this is correct as yes doors are there for fire safety purposes. Best to speak with the agent you used to move into the property to see if they can offer an explanation / any details on why this happened.
Hello
I bought my first home in July 18.
The acting Agent property details advertised a insert living flame gas fire in the dining room.
Winter has now set in and I went to light the fire and nothing happened.
I have been informed that the fire doesnt work and is for decorative purposes only.
Is this covered under The Consumer Protection from Unfair Trading Regulations 2008 (CPRs)Â and The Business Protection from Misleading Marketing Regulations 2008 (BPRs)Â
Hi Andrea,
You would need to bring this up with the agent you used or your solicitor
Hello, we are about to exchange on a house. The vendor has removed an ornate mirror which is a fixture from the fireplace. It is built onto the mantel and matches the fireplace and is original to the house. As a result the wall has big marks left and the mantel is destroyed. We did not see a need to request for this to be named in the inventory as it is a clear fixture, similar to the fireplace. What are our rights here? Thanks
Hi Siobhan,
This is a question for your solicitors
Hi we have spent many months patently waiting for the vendor to work out the right time for him to finally look to complete.
One of the main reasons we felt the house was for us was due to the storage.
The estate brochure explaining each bedroom as âwith a range of built in wardrobes â and the utility âwith a range of units to one sideâ.
Today we were told these are not classed as included on the vendors inventory list. The figure wanted for these units which we had believed to be included will be a big extra expense.
I feel upset and dissapointed that they were mentioned in the leaflet if not included.
The vendor must have proof read the estate leaflet.
We are purchasing a property and have received a long list of fixtures and fittings carpets, curtains) and including oil and gas bottles and toilet roll holders! Where do we start with deciding a price for it all? Also our solicitors have it stated that the price agreed through them has tax added onto it.
Hi, I am purchasing a house at the moment and the sellers want to charge me for an inter grated dish washer or they will take it with them. I always thought this was part of fixtures. Where do I stand in this matter
Hi Jean,
As far as we know / think it should be included as a fixture, too.
I have had a good read of this article https://www.telegraph.co.uk/finance/personalfinance/money-saving-tips/11691738/Can-seller-take-the-cooker-fridge-and-curtains-after-weve-exchanged.html and it would seem they agree too. However, they do say to check the particulars of the property details advertised at the time of sale.
It would also be worth checking with your solicitor where you stand on this.
Good luck!
Hi .My buyer is having a survey done in 2 days .2 off my lights donât work can they make me pay to amend this
Hi
We have bought our house.
Previous fittings form didnât have any information pertaining to the oven as she left blank. She has since left the oven And we have moved in.
She is now asking for the oven. Legally where does it stand?
We done up our kitchen 18 months ago and spent a fortune on appliances, we donât mind leaving the hob and hood, but want to take our two very expensive Bosch ovens and integrated fridge and freezer, are we allowed to do so? the ovens are in an oven housing, worst case can we replace the appliances with cheaper alternatives? We are doing our fixtures and fittings list this week and would like to know where we stand? Many thanks
Me and my partner have recently started a 12 month lease of a house that was listed as unfurnished and we were told during the viewing that there would be no white goods left in the property when we move in other than a built-in hob and oven. We therefore purchased our own washer dryer and fridge freezer and to our surprise there was a fridge freezer and washing machine in the property when we moved in. When we then contacted estate agency and were then told that they belong to the landlord and were told they needed us to sign a amended leasing contract. They are not specified in the inventory or leasing contract other than âdo not remove any fixtures or fittings from the property, including into sheds or garages.â We are left in limbo as we cannot store them anywhere other than the lounge and are not prepared to cut a loss and sell our appliances that we recently purchased. Would be much appreciated if you could confirm whoâs responsibility they are. Kind regards.
Hi Marc,
I think in this instance you are within your right to go back to your agent and question why the white goods were left when they stated they wouldn’t be. It’s unfair for you to have to store items in your living room. In the meantime, is there any outside storage you could use for your purchased items?
I’ve recently purchased a house and on the schedule it mentioned that there was a fully-integrated Electric Oven, it also mentions that there is a bathroom etc.
The electric oven is needing completely replaced.
Also, the bathroom toilet’s cistern is broken and will need fully replaced.
The seller’s lawyer is refusing to acknowledge these issues.
Can you advise what my position is, can I claim for these items? Is it my responsibility to replace them? I reported the issues within the 5 working days required.
Thanks
Hi there,
Best to speak to your local solicitor regarding this issue.
Hi,
My partner and I have just exchanged contracts on a house and are due to move in at the end of the month.
We received a fixtures and fittings list prior to signing our contracts which indicated that the oven and hob would be left but afterwards received a new list which indicated the vendors wanted money for these items. We never agreed to this additional cost and it wasnât mentioned to us at any stage. On the top of the form it said we would need to negotiate this through the agent which we did and in the meantime exchange occurred.
Now the vendors are saying they are going to take the oven and hob unless we pay them despite the original list, which we signed contracts based on, indicating that these were included in the price.
What should we do?
Hi Rosie,
This is an issue that’s best kept between your solicitors. We cannot help with this issue.
Is the vendor under any obligation to admit to whether something is working? For example, the dishwasher was included in the inventory but doesn’t work properly.
Hi Matthew, we would advise you speak to a solicitor.
I just brought/moved into a property and have a number of issues relating to how the property was left, which was not as per the fixtures and fittings form.
My biggest problem is that the integrated oven is unsafe to use, it looks like a bracket securing the internal glass door as been broken off, meaning the glass isn’t properly attached; it either doesn’t move when I open the door, so I’d have to try to open it separately, it prevents the door opening making it spring back upwards, or it falls against the door and could shatter – on one occasion it actually fell out of the bottom brackets altogether – given the purpose of the oven is to get hot I’m not prepared to mess with it at over 200 degrees. Another issue is that the markings have been removed, so I don’t even know if I’m turning on the oven or grill and at what temperature.
I feel that the oven is not fit for purpose and will have to be replaced and I would have reduced my offer if I’d been aware prior to buying. It’s beyond wear and tear, it’s fundamentally dangerous. Can you please advise?
Hi there Paddy, your best option is to speak to the provider who sold you the house as that matter is between the both of you.
Greetings! Very helpful advice within this article! It’s the little changes that make the greatest changes. Thanks for sharing!|