Taking shelves when moving house

[legfaced]

We are due to move in a few months. We have long and quite expensive scaffold board shelving in our kitchen - AIBU to take it with us when we move?

People need to familiarise themselves with the conveyancing process. No wonder I spend half my day sorting out these sorts of issues.

The fittings and contents form is specifically designed for exactly this. When a sale is agreed it is on the basis that a contract check still needs to completed, (FYI-receipt/issue of a contract is when the conveyancing process starts not when you make your offer at the estate agents!) part of this process is the fittings and contents form.

You can take or leave whatever you want, subject to it being clearly detailed in this form, agreed by your buyer and safe. Ie. You could remove every single light fitting in the house as long as your left a flex and bulb.

You can take your cooker as long as it is correctly taken out etc

With regards to shelving you can absolutely take these. You would need to ensure this is very clear in the fittings and contents form. You also wouldn’t necessarily need to make good (although I would through politeness) unless the buyers solicitors specifically requested this.

When you view a property you are not viewing the contents other than the bones of the building and any specific items that are noted in the sales particulars (not photographs) the fittings and contents form confirms what is left and what isn’t. If, as a buyer, you disagree and want something left that is being taken, you negotiate this with the agent.

When you buy a house, you buy fixture and fittings.

This means anything secured to the building. IE shelving, bookcases (obvs if screwed to the wall), TV mount (no one expects you to leave the TV)

Fittings refers mainly to units, the bathroom etc, wardrobes (if fitted) these types of.items.

If someone has already signed or an agreement to purchase has been made, then you need to contact the buyer and ask them.

It should have been noted before time, but that's life.

If.you have the buyers contact info, or their solicitor, speak to them. You should then, HUMBLY ASK.... do you mind if we take with us the 2 shelves in the kitchen. We didn't realise that OFFICIALLY they're a fixture n fitting, but would love to take them with us. Well replace with 2 other shelves.

Then hope they hadn't noticed they were anything special, and say, don't worry.

To just remove, is not only wrong, but could be illegal.

Oh, and don't be the b'stard that removes all the lightbulbs either! ... Just saying!

Can I also ask? I have some nice expensive ceiling lights that I have no intentions of leaving to the buyer. I thought that before we move, I can just replace them with some cheaper ones? But the photos of my house on a selling website still have my nice lightings. Will I get in trouble for replacing them with the cheaper lights?

No.

*When you buy a house, you buy fixture and fittings.

This means anything secured to the building. IE shelving, bookcases (obvs if screwed to the wall), TV mount (no one expects you to leave the TV)

Fittings refers mainly to units, the bathroom etc, wardrobes (if fitted) these types of.items.

If someone has already signed or an agreement to purchase has been made, then you need to contact the buyer and ask them.

It should have been noted before time, but that's life.

If.you have the buyers contact info, or their solicitor, speak to them. You should then, HUMBLY ASK.... do you mind if we take with us the 2 shelves in the kitchen. We didn't realise that OFFICIALLY they're a fixture n fitting, but would love to take them with us. Well replace with 2 other shelves.

Then hope they hadn't noticed they were anything special, and say, don't worry.

To just remove, is not only wrong, but could be illegal.*

This is not right. You don't have to leave anything but if you list it in the details that implies you are leaving it and if you get to the fixtures and fittings list and don't put it on the list the buyer may be miffed and may pull out.

If it's not built in, I'd take them. People take their curtain rails as well, they're not part of the house.

I'd take them down and replace with planks from B&Q.

TV mount (no one expects you to leave the TV)

No one expects you to leave the mount either! 😂
Who on earth would leave a TV mount, that in all likelihood wouldn't fit a buyers TV even assuming they wanted a TV on the wall in the same position. Insanity.
The sensible option is to remove the bracket and make good the wall.

Happy to be proven wrong but I'm almost certain nobody views a house, sees a TV on a wall and expects the mount left.

Our porch had a lovely fitted cupboard when we came to look around - when we finally moved in it was nowhere to be seen

7vio - when you complete the fittings and contents form you note on each room that the light fittings will be removed and replaced with flex and bulb.

It doesn’t matter what’s on the pictures, the fittings and contents form forms part of the contract and this is provided to your buyers prior to exchange.

@legfaced - could you leave the brackets, take the shelves, and replace them with cheaper planks?

YANBU We are looking to sell soon and have recently purchased some expensive, custom made shelves in the kitchen, they are absolutely coming with us to the new house. I would however state what is staying and what isn't. For example we have a chandelier in the bedroom which was a wedding gift, no way am I parting with it. The rest of the house has had upgraded, energy saving lighting throughout at point of build and are staying. Also, we will be leaving conservatory blinds as well as curtain poles. I think it's about clarity from the get go, when selling. As a buyer, I would presume the house I'm buying is stripped bare, unless stated otherwise! You're buying a house, the structure, not shelves!

[quote SDTGisAnEvilWolefGenius]@legfaced - could you leave the brackets, take the shelves, and replace them with cheaper planks?[/quote]
It would be hard to find anything cheaper.

As a buyer I wouldn’t assume shelves were staying and if there were some that I particularly liked them I’d ask if they were included.

I recently looked at my childhood home on Zoopla and the shelves my dad built in 1983 were still there! I was pretty surprised.

If they are shelves of course you can take them. Just make a note that you will be in the fixtures and fitting list.

MacBlank your completely wrong. The sale of a house definitely does not include the fixtures and fittings. That's what the form is for to notify buyers what you are taking / leaving then you can negotiate.

YANBU, there not whole, half or even a quarter of the kitchen, it's 2 measley shelves... that's it.

Just clarify in the documents and to the estate agent that they will be going with you.

If you're that worried, leave them where they are and buy some more.

It works the other way aswell. In a house we recently bought the seller listed the huge shed that took up most of the garden in the fixtures and fittings list. We asked them to remove it and they were legally obliged to do so.

I would expect shelves to be taken from everywhere in the house except the kitchen so I think yabu

I would have to see a picture to make a.judgement. Normally you leave the fittings unless specified. However, this might not actually be a fitting as such. When I moved house as a child, my parents took the carpets with them.

all depends what you have put on the fixtures and fittings form. If you've said they're staying you'd be unreasonable to remove them. If you've said you're taking them then fine

My only take on this is why did you bother asking when anyone disagreeing with you is wrong in your opinion?

OP - AIBU
MN - Yes
OP - Uh no I'm not
MN - You are really
OP - No I'm not, you don't get what I'm saying
MN - We do we just think you're being unreasonable
OP - Well you're wrong

Me - Why ask then?!

Such a dick move.

I couldn't be so attached to a couple of shelves as to piss of your buyers.

Tangentially related, but another to say that leaving the house without working lightbulbs is a dick move even if it's legal. You're selling something for a 6 figure sum in most cases, lightbulbs cost a few quid each. By all means replace expensive bulbs with cheap ones, but don't leave empty sockets.