what is the cheekiest thing you have taken when moving house.

[Bignosenobum]

We are moving next week and we are planning to dig up a tree and take it with us, plus other stuff. Did say we would take one or two setimental plants...
What have you taken and what happened. Funny stories please.

[TheSecondMrsAshwell]

I read a story once about a family who moved in to find that all the light fittings, switches and so on had been removed. They got that sorted and, a few days later, they were looking in the cellar, where there were built-in wine bins. The previous occupants had removed all the bottles from the bottom ones but missed the small semi-circular ones at the top.

They sold the contents, which paid for the electrician and quite a nice holiday......

[TheVonTrappFamilySwingers]

If I was your buyer I’d be taking legal action

Actually if you mention it in the fixtures and fittings form it is perfectly legal. We were going to move a camellia someone gave us when DD1 was born and mentioned it on the form. As it was we didn't have time on the day. Should have potted it before the move!

[ArthurShelbysTash]

The dick we bought from dug up everything from the garden. We moved in to find mud and brambles.

When we tried to challenge it, he was uncontactable, on holiday, in hospital, family emergency etc etc. I was pregnant and the house was a full reno job as it was so the garden was the least of our worries.

Still pisses me off when I think about it even though we now have a beautiful established garden of our own design now.

If we had know he was going to do it, we would have negotiated on the price.

[Lalliella]

We took a tree because it was a wedding present from my best friend and bridesmaid. Sadly it didn’t survive.

[SabineUndine]

The poor tree's likely to die anyway.

[Alsohuman]

You do know that taking the tree’s illegal unless it was agreed prior to contract exchange, OP?

[Itssosunny]

Why would anyone want to take the old carpets into a new property?

I think we would remove the ceiling lights only and of course the buyers would know about it. Everything else that is fixed to the wall or to the floor (except paintings or pictures) we would leave for the new owners.
When we moved in into our new place the owners left us their old furniture we didn't agree about. We had to contact our solicitors for them to remove it asap. We had our own furniture and simply didn't have time, space and strength to move it somewhere else. We could advertise it on Gumtree but when you move in this is the last thing you think about. Not everyone moves in into a clean tidy place.

[Bluntness100]

One or two plants for sentimental reasons, does not spell tree to most people. Do this properly and say what is not included. Don't be a dick.

[Alsohuman]

@winsinbin, that isn’t cheeky fuckery, it’s pure evil.

[Bluntness100]

And what do you mean "and other stuff" what other stuff?

If you have not excluded it in thr fixtures and fittings form, then you have sold it and need to leave it behind. If you take it, then you are legally liable to put it back as was, which could cost you significantly.

[Mmmmbrekkie]

@Debruary

When I moved out, I lingered long and hard but... I DIDNT TAKE IT. I could have said it had got broken and replaced it, but I didn’t.

I regret that decision often.

Round of applause of not stealing something that you didn’t ever own

[SoupDragon]

Lightbulbs....but only because it was dark when we were moving, the new property had none and it was too late to go buy some from anywhere

But didn't that leave your old property in the dark with no lightbulbs and it being too late to buy any?

[AuntieOxident]

We are looking to put our house on the market very soon. There are several precious trees in the garden but we’re not dicks so my DH has been busy for the last six months or so (the move is a long-planned downsizing) taking cuttings or ‘layering’ several trees and shrubs then potting them on so we can take mini-versions with us without detriment to the trees themselves, or to the garden as a whole.
You shouldn't remove trees or shrubs unless you specify as such to the buyer in advance. Our NDNs virtually stripped their garden when they moved which I thought was really shitty of them.

[45andahalf]

If we moved, we’d definitely take one rosebush, as we scattered my mum’s ashes under it. But we’d exclude it from the sale specifically.

Our vendors left four us huge ikea Expedit/kallax shelving units (which they offered us for free) and a vase full of flowers. The took all the integral plugs for the upstairs sinks, and left cheap rubber ones though! That was a bit annoying.

[Bignosenobum]

I reckon if we start digging now we will have it out by next Tuesday. The removal guy came round to drop some boxes off, assessed the tree and said it was doable. He told me a couple took a tree and it was about 30ft...

[Debruary]

@Mmmmbrekkie

I thank you

[applesisapple5]

Worsen is when people leave 'useful' things for you, like the death trap broken wardrobe that fell when I tried to move it. Gee thanks!

[Dontsweatthelittlestuff]

I have taken bushes from my garden when I have moved but I have informed the buyers in advance which ones I wanted to take with me.

When I moved from my first flat I did leave them a little extra. As everything was agreed then at the last minute they started to demand I leave them my cooker and fridge. Both items were excluded from the sale and free standing but they were refusing to exchange unless I would leave them. They had me over a barrel as my financial loss if they pulled out would way exceed the cost of these items so I said they could have them but no where did I say what sort of state I would leave them in so I cooked some cheap sausages and fish in the oven and left it and filed the fridge with a couple of plates of pawns and switched it off. Then moved the rest of my stuff into my mums garage and stayed there for the 4 weeks until completion. Never heard a word from them either so I think they knew that they deserved a bit of retaliation.

[SDTGisAnEvilWolefGenius]

Some friends moved into their new house to find that their vendors had dug up and taken the pond from the back garden! Where there had been a pond, there was just a hole.

@Bignosenobum - I think you should be clear with your buyers that ‘one or two sentimental plants’ includes a tree - because I don’t think it will be at all obvious to them that you mean to take a tree, and they could make a lot of fuss about it.

[GrapesAndCheese]

@Debruary sigh my friend used to have a mirror like that. It was amazing. You'd look in it before a night out and leave feeling like a Victoria's Secrets model. Could deffo used it these days!

[bpirockin]

I don't think it's cheeky at all, not when the seller had mentioned taking a few plants. If I were moving now I'd be digging up a whole load. I've spent so much money I now don't have to spare, so I'd certainly be taking ones that I could not afford to replace. Others I'd be able to take a bit and leave some - only polite to give them space for their own incoming plants if you ask me :D

[Fiveredbricks]

@bignosenobum if you didn't stipulate it on the fixtures and fittings prior to exchange be prepared for legal fees or a nice bill for a new tree. Houses are sold as seen and the second you exchange it basically belongs to the sale of the house and not you, thus is theft from the buyer.

[45andahalf]

@RelaisBlu, that’s a lovely story! I hope your children’s children and their children climb it one day.

[Bignosenobum]

So to clarify. I bought the tree last year. It is young not huge mature tree. The people buying have got many others in the huge garden. on the property form I mentioned some plants and will plant replacements. We were sopoor we bought plants for the garden as pressies so taking a cordyline and azalea. X 2 trees and a jasmine plus a small hydranga. Leaving lightbulbs doors carpets and flooring. kitchen light fittings. I just want my stuff around me.

[Bignosenobum]

Hollow talk when we bought the house of them they stripped it bare including the garden.