Angry at house seller?

I agree I’d be pulling out of the sale at this, radiators are fixtures.

I wouldn’t be happy to be buying a house with lovely radiators, for them to change them to plain white ones.

I had a wrought iron fire surround fitted in my old house, just over the wall, although I did have a slate hearth fitted too.

I told the house exchange people that I was taking it when I moved, and they said no unless i purchased a suitable one to replace it.

I found a black version of my black/ slightly silvered one, identical in pattern, and they were happy for me to put that one in its place.

It seems odd, but it was my anniversary present, I loved it, and wanted to keep it 🤣

There was no buyer at that time, and the next buyer, probably pulled it off and threw it out, but they may have done the same with my lovely fire surround too, to put a fire in.

And I wanted to keep it. I don’t think I’ve had another anniversary present.

They did get to keep my lovely hearth, and it was expensive. They probably threw that out too.

Mirrors and light fittings are pretty normal. The radiators are a bit of an odd one. Can you make them an offer to keep them? Or put a bit of extra money aside to reinstate them?

Totally agree with you.

I was going to say something like this. Plus, it isn’t as though they are going to be able to just slot them in at wherever they are moving to - so they’ll have to store a load of radiators. Really weird.

I'd be reducing my offer by the value of what they are taking so you can replace with new. That's what your offer was based on after all. Super stingy vendors. I'd never dream of taking something that was fixed to a wall.

Disagree the radiators are an important fixture. Last thing a buyer wants is to have to fork out for new radiators because the sellers have replaced the ones during the viewing with cheap ones.

Nobody thinks vases of flowers are included though - pretty much everyone expects the rads

Radiators why? Buyers should be left with the radiators that were there when they viewed the house surely.

It's the same house. Buyers ought to be looking at the house, not the extras, but unfortunately we are swayed by the fancy bits. That's why sellers tidy up, redecorate, put out vases of flowers etc.

It’s not normal to take the rads, and anyone on here saying it is normal is nuts. I would my withdraw offer on this basis. Absolutely crazy.

Oh and forgot to say, a pp suggested they may want to take them as they'd spent a lot getting the house looking good to sell.

Well yes, they aren't going to get good offers if the house has cheap basic fixtures but that's because the buyers are making an offer based on what they can see, including the expensive fixtures. It would be like someone buying a piece of diamond jewellery & finding all the gems had been replaced by cubic zircona or Swarovski.

Hmmm. Have you annoyed them in any way @perfectpotato ? Sounds like they are subtly getting their own back….what is your purchase price like compared to asking price? 5% / 25k under, or more? If they had struggled to sell and have felt they had to accept a cheeky offer, this could be how they are rebalancing it in their minds?

I can’t get over people saying they think it’s normal to take radiators?! And light fixtures?! I agree with OP that id be annoyed if I found out that core parts of the decor were going to be taken.
I remember hearing that neighbours of ours had moved out and taken EVERY fixture and fitting including the white part that you screw bulbs into and the staircase from the stira. And they were odd so I’m assuming something similar here. 😆

If it helps OP we bought a Victorian house where the seller was thinking about removing and I’m assuming flogging the original fireplaces! Our solicitor sent a letter to their solicitor saying we only wanted that house because of the fireplaces, made them think twice and they were all there on completion.

I would go further than that, being a somewhat untrusting person. I would insist that any works of this kind would have to be done at the vendors expense but using a company from a list of my choosing - I've seen far too many "cowboy" jobs done to trust the cheapest quote the vendors are able to find.

You can play this a few ways OP…

threaten to pull out and hope they change their minds

agree to the light fittings but don’t agree to the radiators as you are concerned about the replacements paintwork etc

offer to purchase all the items at a set fee

do nothing and accept

I would withdraw my offer. It would be a big red flag. It tells me that they will be trying to screw me over on everything.

Plus the central heating system is never going to work properly with hastily bolted on replacement radiators.

ours told us they were removing all lights and curtain rails as they had bought expensive ones in last 2 years - i liked them so i paid cost price as would rather not repair any damages.

Radiators is bloody weird. Light fittings and mirrors can go either way. Be sure that they make good any damage, and that the replacement radiators are as powerful as the ones they are removing. I wouldn’t be surprised if they change their mind and ask for more money for them.

We moved when I was a kid - around 1980 and we took carpets - it was relatively normal then. I knew someone else who moved into a house when I was a teenager and the sellers had taken the entire central heating system, not just radiators and I know someone else who didn’t realise that the kitchen wasn’t fitted and turned up to just a double unit with sink - everything else gone. More recently I read about someone buying a very posh and expensive renovated house and discovered that none of the bathroom was plumbed in - no water in the taps, no drain or soil pipe - they’d fitted it like it was a film set - beautiful but unusable.

People saying 'holes in the wall'... anything removed has to be listed AND the property needs to be 'made good' so items replaced, painting done, holes filled etc... or the buyer can sue for the costs to fix it.

Cannot believe people think OP is unreasonable.

If OP was the seller saying she was planning this then lots of the same people would be telling her she was unreasonable.

This week I have had to do the inventory of what we are leaving/taking from my Dad's. I was given a form with pre-printed things to tick leaving/taking, with space to add my own. I, like you, was quite shocked that all the things you mention were on the inventory (we are leaving them all!). Given they were though, presumably it is expected that people may want to take these things and you and I are naïve to be shocked!!

I assume you mean the vintage metal radiators that are VERY expensive and the new fad?

If they recently had them fitted they aren't going to want to pay again at the new house. While it might seem a faff to some at that cost it will likely be worth it too them as it could easily be many thousands of pounds worth of goods.

Marble sconces are about £100-£200 each and the bluetooth mirror about the same again.

There have been threads about people taking the bath and the log burner/fire place before.

You can query it through the solicitor, say your offer was based on the state of the house being 'luxury' and you want a discount if thats no longer the case but legally they can take what they want.

Lights is quite a common one but radiators aren't.

I would suggest you work out what it would costs to replace them like for like and then reduce your offer by that and extra to cover the inconvenience on the basis your current offer was based on them being included .

I thought it was just me, @Stillgroupie
I’m in the USA, but here, anything affixed to the house stays with the house.
I think it’s very weird that somebody would pack up all the light fixtures when they sell and move and take them all with them - and leave the bare light sockets behind.
Weird.
I feel bad for any buyer having to moving into a home stripped of everything like that.