To think fitted wardrobes come with the house...

[NeverMovingAgain]

We've taken bloody months and months to get to this stage and we're finally on the home stretch towards completion and exchange so it's entirely possible I've lost sight of what is and is reasonable but am I wrong to think fitted wardrobes should come with the house?

We've finally received a fixtures and fittings form today along with the paperwork we need to sign before we can complete and exchange and it says the fitted wardrobes are excluded from the sale.

Am I losing the plot to think they would surely be coming with the property? We're leaving them in our property, it never occurred to us not to because they are fitted to the space, so surley the whole point is they're designed for that room and you don't take them with you?

I've emailed to get clarification but was it presumptious of me to think they would be staying in the house?

I read somewhere that (metaphorically speaking) if you were to turn your house upside down, anything that stayed there is a fixture, anything that fell out is a fitting. Assuming that the wardrobes are bolted in then they are a fixture and should stay.

However, word of warning. When we bought our first place we were told the curtains were included and the cheeky sods took them. The solicitor said the only way to get them back was through the small claims court! It was a fair whack of money but not enough to justify small claims annoyingly. Basically, the fixtures and fittings list is barely worth the paper it’s written on IMO.

When we were doing our fixtures and fittings list, the solicitor said "Imagine that you pick the house up, take the roof off, turn it upside down and shake it. Anything that stays in is fixtures and fittings and is included. Anything that falls out is negotiable"

so kitchens, bathrooms and fitted wardrobes would definitely stay in!

I’m overly invested in OP’s fitted wardrobes (which are morally theirs) and want to know the outcome

Me too!

Just popping in to say there is sadly no update yet. I know how annoying it is to get invested and I do promise you I won't forget to update when I have some answers. Thank you for checking in though I do appreciate it.

I'm currently at the banging my head against a brick wall stage and no one seems to be able to get in touch with the buyers solicitors including the buyer to clarify the whole thing.

I'm honestly never moving ever ever ever ever ever again after this is all over!

I'm honestly never moving ever ever ever ever ever again after this is all over!

Anyone who has ever moved is nodding in agreement.😂

I hope you hear back soon, and look forward to your future updates from the new house.

When my mum bought her first home (many decades ago now), the previous owner took the laminated flooring and all the lightbulbs from the property.

Time has moved on, however, and most people are a lot more reasonable now (especially if it would mean extra work for themselves!). When we bought our house a few years back, I specifically asked about the fitted wardrobes - the previous owner laughed and said, of course, they were staying, as it would be silly to remove them, especially as they were built specifically for the bedroom. In return they asked us if we were okay with them leaving their second freezer in the garage, as they had nowhere to put it in their new home, and it was really old, and would save them the hassle of getting rid of it. We said no problem, as at that point the garage was only intended to being used as a storage dump - it actually came in useful for us for a few months (especially over the Christmas period), until it packed up. I certainly would have told them to take it with them, if they had tried to charge us for it though!

OP - I would insist that if they remove them, then the full cost of removing them, and leaving the room/wall in an acceptable state is on them - I wonder if they're trying it on, for a few extra pounds, om the hope of 'selling' you the wardrobes, as you commented how nice they were when you viewed the place? Call their bluff - place the cost, and inconvenience, on them.

Hopefully as the buyers seem bemused too it will just be a matter of sorting out the paperwork. Frustrating but not as bad as having to argue about what should stay.

We once moved in to find that all lightbulbs, most light fittings, curtain rails, toilet roll holders and fitted carpets had been removed along with the house name that had been screwed to the front wall and some plants. We had bought the house from friends and the only things that had been mentioned were the house name plaque and a couple of plants. People can have very different ideas about what should stay and what should be taken. They did leave the fitted wardrobe though!

I'm honestly never moving ever ever ever ever ever again after this is all over!

Yep. I know that feeling well. I am still traumatised from our move 25 years ago!

That's some friend @meercat23 !

Did you ask her what the heck she was playing at afterwards?

Can't stand sellers like that, so miserly and petty. Removing fitted carpet, ridiculous. But for a 'friend' to do it!

Call their bluff but if they insist they're excluded and will be removing them make sure the solicitors deal with making good the damage caused by removal. Make a reduction in the price to accounr for this change from the original spec and to recarpet the room as there'll be gaps!

The couple that sold our house took the fitted wardrobes (I find it a little weird tbh but I wasn’t keen on theirs anyway)

You promised an update @NeverMovingAgain 😁

I had this with my last house but about the kitchen cabinets! My solicitor told his that the kitchen had to come with the house otherwise we were withdrawing. And then surprise, surprise it was a mistake (I don't think it was). I wish I had withdrawn after I moved in though.

If they do not leave the fitted wardrobes they have to remove them and make good the walls. It may be a mistake or a way to get more money out of you. What I've learnt buying my last house is that some people have no pride.