Angry at house seller?

[perfectpotato]

Had our offer accepted, in the middle of the legal process and we’ve had got the fixtures and fittings form from the vendors.

They are taking with them all the column radiators (will be replacing with basic ones), all light fixtures - they had these beautiful sconce marble light fixtures that they will be taking and they are have a fixed mirror in the bathroom, has Bluetooth and different lighting and they are taking that too.

My partner doesn’t seem bothered but I’m really upset, Aibu?

Yes we also had Jim Lawrence fittings but some (such as curtain rails) were made to fit the house so it would be pointless to take them. Lights I can understand, but replacing switches is time consuming.

That is abysmal. Good luck!

That's why you have the fixtures list. Ask the vendors where they got the things you liked from

YABU. You bought their house not their belongings. Stylish radiators can be super expensive and hard to find. I’d definitely be taking them and replacing with basic when I moved.

Lol, I can't believe that someone is taking the radiators. That is not normal. I can't believe so many people think it is!

And of course the new ones didn’t fit in the same places so of course we have holes in the wall, and no time to make good and decorate before we fitted the new ones as we urgently needed hot water and had a houseful of boxes! At least it was summer!

Not sure about years ago, but the current policy (at least in councils i know about) is that anything like carpets etc is stripped out before new tenants move in in case of disease, fleas, contamination etc.

However I do find it annoying that they tend to even strip hard flooring like laminate or vinyl, and remove fitted shelves etc as a matter of course - the people I deal with are vulnerable young adults and they need to fit out the entire house. They do get an allowance to help with that, but by the time you've bought a cooker, fridge, other kitchen essentials, a bed and a sofa there isn't much left for flooring. We had one young mother very distressed as she got to the house to find her baby was expected to be crawling on bare splintery floorboards (we sorted out an emergency payment so she could at least have rugs)!

Get your solicitors opinion on this. Its not as straightforward as they can strip the house of everything. There's a difference between fixtures and chattels and it relates to the degree of annexation (how integrated and 'fixed' to the house they are). House sales usually assume that fixtures are included and chattels (personal belongings not fixed to the property) are not. Get solicitor advice and maybe seek a discount for the asking price of the amount these things are worth.

I sold a house many years ago and the buyer rang me to ask where the rotary dryer (washing line) had gone. I said I had taken it with me and she said “but the sale details stated “gardens as stocked””. When I explained that meant the plants, bushes, trees she said I should have left the washing line too. Must have assumed I planted a washing line seed and grew it !

You should ask about things like that. We moved into a house owned by a woman who had had a bitter divorce, She took all the light bulbs!

It's unusual to be taking radiators, I'd question that.

I think showing your house with one type of radiator and then swopping them, is highly unusual. I’ve bought and sold a lot of houses and have never ever seen anyone take radiators.
light fittings are quiet common to be taken, but a mirror that’s hard wired into an electric supply is also unusual to remove.

Not allowed. It should be absolutely clear what is staying and what's going. Radiators being taken. No. Not so sure about light fittings.

Speak to lawyer about this asap.
it doesn’t bode brilliantly tbh

That,

if you want something, you need to say it and also offer a price for it. The sale includes the house, not the fittings…

Absolutely they can. As long as it is replaced. Op is upset coz they take the nice ones…

That is not allowed normally (in UK). There should be light bulbs for when you arrive…

Never known anything as "low" as this!! My seller took away the installed water softener!!

Just make them an offer to leave them.

Unless it is in the EA blurb everything in the pictures should be included in the offer price. No ifs ands and buts. To me everything apart from loose stuff (i.e. towels, clothes, curtains) is included. If it is screwed to any part of the house/structure, i.e. flooring, curtain rails, light fittings, fireplace, aga, kitchen fittings, radiators, extractors, plants, garden arches etc, i.e. anything not easily picked up and carried without a screwdriver, is included in the sale offer price. Anything portable that needs a screwdriver or any implement to remove, is not included. Full stop. Our very good Solicitor makes this part of the Contract, which is always a bespoke one. He charges a little bit more but it always pays off and has phoned us on a Saturday morning to point things out which we have missed in our survey. Worth more than his fees to be honest.

No I disagree, the offer you made rationally included the fixtures- if the vendor wants to take them then I would say your offer should be reduced.
We were buying an old house with some lovely features twenty years ago and when we received the particulars they stated that the vendors were taking (the lovely vintage glass) doorknobs. Also the carpets (up until then part of the sale). We refused to proceed on these terms- it was quickly resolved in our favour.

How many times have people aaying it's fine seen people take radiators?
Would you be happy with kitchen unit swap from what you saw to basic different looking ones? How about swapping front doors from nice to basic ones?
It's generally expected that certain things stay. Especially things hard to eplace exactly.

If something that major, as radiators, door, built in furniture goes, it should be made clear in viewings. Offer usually reflects the overal state of house and basic house equipment such as boiler, rads, build in furnitire, plumbing and so on.

🤣

I genuinely can’t imagine taking radiators with me when we move house. I’d be flabbergasted if that came back. Same with wall fitted sconces. The cabinet I can kind of understand but I understand why it’s ripped you over the edge re the rads and lights.

To me, you view the home and take as seen. So, if they then want to change anything last moment I’d be pulling out of the sale deal as it’s not what I viewed or agreed to.