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?

It’s totally normal. I sadly had to sell a house with so many fittings to seal the deal. They were so pushy. All curtains blinds kitchen table and chairs and all the lights bar two chandeliers I refused on. It was in 2010 in the recession very tough time to sell. You will just have to source similar.

She's already made them an offer based on what she thought it was worth in the way that it was presented, she should absolutely not offer more.

What she needs to do is reduce the offer based on the value of the radiators and labour to bring the house back to the standard it was when placing the offer.

My cousin did this. Took all the fixtures from the house including the door handles! I thought she was a cheeky cow and told her I thought that was a pretty poor thing to do to the new owners. She said well we paid for them and they weren't cheap so we want them in the new house. She was genuinely upset she couldn't take her custom made marble fireplace with her (the house didn't originally have a fireplace, she got it put in for show). Madness.

She hasn't bought anything yet. She's had an offer accepted.

Now she's found out she won't be getting what she thought when she made the offer, so she needs to rethink what the house if worth to her.

Obviously if she pays what she originally offered but gets less for it she'd be overpaying. So she needs to recalculate what the house is worth to her in the state the seller intends to leave it and offer that amount instead.

I really don't understand the people who seem to think a buyer is obliged to pay whatever they originally offered regardless of what new information they may get. A buyer obviously isn't going to be happy to spend the same amount on a lesser purchase - it's weird anyone would think that is reasonable.

Hopefully what you will take from this thread is that if you do plan to remove your rads when you sell, you either do it before viewings or are 100% upfront during viewings about your plans and what the buyer will actually be getting vs what they may see at the viewing. Otherwise you are likely to fnd yourself in the same boat.

I’ll bet the radiator ps are listed in the property details and should definitely stay. Tell them if they want to take these things you will reduce your offer or withdraw. You would be totally reasonable.

Reduce your offer price by the cost of reinstating to that level including fitting. If they were going to take them they should have made that clear before you made an offer.

I'd be seriously reconsidering the whole purchase though as these sorts of sellers strike me as potentially being massively PITAS.

I think I'd pull out

This should have been mentioned at time of viewing, I’d be upset to and revising my offer.

As others have said I would expect that to be specifically stated before offer stage as radiators are fixtures. Lights are not and easily changeable. I’d offer extra to keep the radiators but I do think it’s off they’re going to all the faff of removing them. It’s only then you realise that not everyone thinks the way you do. The posters saying you think it’s weird that you’d be expecting to keep the radiators, what planet are you on?! No house I’ve ever purchased has ever taken radiators, even antique ones because they are fixtures. It’s unfair once an offer has been put in and fees are being paid legally, to then say you’re taking them. Makes me feel like it’s a move for them to get more money from you, but I could be wrong.

Why don’t you offer to buy them?

It should be stated on the agent's particulars that these items are not included and should be made obvious to interested parties. All fixtures and fittings are part of the offer price and should be stated clearly or removed before advertising: What you see is What You Get. You would not go into a shop and buy goods not packaged clearly, i.e. the bag/wrapping is extra. That is utterly stupid and against the Sale of Goods Act! Why are house sales any different?

I absolutely agree with you, things you change to improve your house such as lights fancy plug sockets blinds, kitchen handles etc should stay it is valued on its presentation.
Even appliances if they're integrated I would leave. Why would they take the bathroom mirror, if it's screwed into tiles and has a wire to it i would be demanding it was left as you have no option to replace to cover the damage.
They are behaving like they're moving out of a rental!

So buy another and wire it in!

outrageous and greedy to be taking radiatiators and possibly illegal.Talk to agent and solicitor.
Good luck

Id be pissed off with the radiators going, and the light fittings. If they showed u the house with the Bluetooth mirror etc how were u to know they would be removed? That really needs to be stated when actually viewing the house. I'd speak to ur estate agent, and drop ur price by a grand!

As long as you know beforehand that's how it goes. If you've spent a lot of money on items and want to take them with you then the buyer can add their own. Tbh though I haven't come across this but I can imagine it's quite common. Xxx

As a previous seller, I wouldn't dream of taking them with me, I may ask for extra optional for something very expensive, it seems mean spirited but I suppose depends on how much you got off the asking price, ie if you have got a very good deal, then I get why they are doing it I suppose

I don't think it's common to take the radiators. When you viewed the house, you expected the radiators to be included and now there will be a cost to reinstating them or you are buying a house with inferior radiator fittings. Either you reduce the price that you're willing to pay or you make sure that you see the radiators in place before you exchange to ensure that you're happy with the house as it is.

When I was buying a house, the sellers wanted to take the handles from the fitted wardrobes with them - that's when we pulled out. It was just ridiculous.

when i bough my house the took ALL and i mean all! even the light bulbs .... she said if you want i can leave all the furniture etc for £10.000 extra .... i said no thanks :) radiators ... i bet they bough expensive ones and fiar enough they want to take them ... that can backfire on them ... but you could ask if they could leave them and in the meawhile check the price for same new ones and see what they say

Fixtures are included in the sale UNLESS the seller has specifically identified any fixtures he/she intends to remove. If you agreed a price without the seller having identified fixtures to be removed then you should be seeking a price reduction to reflect what you are "losing". Obviously it's a matter for negotiation but the seller cannot randomly select fittings to remove if the sale price has been agreed.

Imo these things may have recently been added to the persons’s selling of the house to make it look nicer?? They probs not had the radiators long n thought nope them bad boys are coming along with is.
doesn't sit right though, as for the mirror ask where that is from, all my sconce lights are just screwed on, no electric needed as i just bought rechargeable bulbs, could they be the same ones??

Depends if fixtures and fittings were included in the sale.

No, they are not leaving THE rads, they are leaving some random rads.

I would go back and say you’ll pull out if they take the radiators. I bet they’ll change their mind. Madness. Just trying it on

I would be surprised about radiators too. I suspect removing and fitting alternatives could leave walls in a mess. I put in new radiators recently and there’s a lot of redecorating needed.