What's the most petty thing a home owner has taken with them?

[MarvellousTimeRuiningEverything]

We completed on our house yesterday. Sellers have been a nightmare, very difficult and tried to increase price by £12k the day before exchange. So we knew they'd probably screw us over and we haven't been disappointed. Lightbulbs, toilet roll holders, some handles from cupboards etc... but the most petty thing has to be the clock. They had one of those god awful clocks where you stick the numbers to the wall then screw in/add the arms. They've left the numbers, but removed the arms and taken them with them!

I had a friend where the seller took the kitchen

Parents bought a house where the sellers took the kitchen.

Lightbulbs. There wasn’t a single one left. They did leave the horrible carpet complete with big holes from where they’d put cigarettes out, wouldn’t have minded if they’d taken that!

I wonder what they’re going to do with the clock arms without numbers?? At least toilet roll holders can be used in their next house.

Not me but when I was a kid, my parents moved into a house where they not only vacated late (after 5:00pm) but had removed the ceiling roses in every room and just left bare wires dangling. We’d brought light bulbs over but it was in the days before big late night opening DIY sheds and the local hardware store only had two ceiling roses in stock.
Our removals people did most of the move in by table lamps and torches.

The shower pump! None of the showers worked without it and it was a massive pain in the arse as we moved just before Christmas and struggled with the hassle and expense of it just before Christmas. They moved to a new build where there would definitely have been a shower pump
I still see them around now and she is the most awful woman.

Not what they took but what they left. Moved in with practically nothing, not even a bed, slept in the floor and was bitten to death by fleas! Thanks a lot.

I really don't think it is petty to take things that belong to you.
If it is on the included fixture and fittings list then you are including them in the sale.
I certainly won't be throwing in my chosen light fittings and curtain poles when I move.

Every lightbulb & door handles, you couldn’t make it up

Granite worktops and replaced them with cheap plastic I'll fitting ones.

Exactly this happened to us too. Not a lightbulb or doorknob in the whole house. They took the curtain poles too.

We had just bought our very first house and after picking up the keys, popped round after work just to look at it, we were not moving in immediately as we had nothing to put in it! However, we were excited and were just in the process of “christening” the house when the former owner walked in with a key and proceeded to remove every light bulb! We were very young and rather embarrassed at being undressed lying on the lounge carpet so just let him get on with it and managed to scramble into our clothes before he came into the lounge. He did not say a word!

Oh I forgot,they also removed the TV Ariel.

The absolutely bog standard hooks on the backs of the bathroom and bedroom doors. Which I wasn’t bothered about, except now every white door had a red rawl plug or two showing smack in the middle of it, so I had to go and buy another packet of bog standard hooks and replace them all to cover the plugs.

If I’d known they were that desperate for fixtures for their new house I’d have given them a fiver to buy a new packet and saved a lot of messing around.

The carpet. From a not-very-large bedroom, that had been cut to fit around odd shaped fitted furniture and a bay window. It surely wouldn’t fit another property, and would have the wear mark around the bed, but there it was gone.

I think it’s fine to take expensive light fittings but I would always replace with a basic light fitting and light bulb. Not just leave the wiring.

Also experience shows that it’s always worth haggling for a curtain “ pay it forward”- you leave yours. They leave theirs. Even if not to your taste, not having any that fit when you move in is a PITA.

My first house he cut the doorbell wire off that ran from the push button to the bell. He also removed the net curtain wire, leaving the net dumped on the floor.

Nothing weird taken. But when we bought this house the owner left behind a cheap plastic mat in the conservatory. She actually sent her elderly father round to collect it a few weeks later. Alas, we’d chucked it.

I will say that the house was spotless when we moved in though. Show home standard. Neighbours subsequently said that she was up at 7am cleaning the metal garden gate (!) on moving day. We laughed but we really appreciated her efforts. It made moving house with a baby and a dog far less stressful.

Ours took the batteries out of the smoke detectors. I thought that was pretty shitty.

Actually another “left behind” thing. An ancient cockerel. Alive. They refused to collect and this is pre- internet so not easy to rehome. In the end my retired farmer GF came over and dispatched it.

The washing machine waste pipe. Due to the position of the machine, replacing it involved removing kitchen cabinets!

Every, single, light fitting, and bulb, just wires hanging from ceiling. Oh and several plug socket and light switches.

Yes we had the same. Just bare wires left. But I believe it's the done thing here in Spain and in Italy you take the kitchen with you when you move. Crazy!

The built in wardrobes from all the bedrooms.

And the curtain poles.

Light bulbs and loft insulation