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?

This. No-one takes the radiators FFS. 🙄

Another argument for a register of people who are unreasonable when it comes to selling and buying houses, so they can never pull such stunts again.

It's not the fixtures themselves that would worry me it's the attitude. What else might they do?
I think if someone was planning to replace things like radiators that should have been made clear by the EA

Well yeah I obviously know they're not the same but PP said "if they're in the pictures they should be included" which is ridiculous as my ridiculous example shows. Perhaps people shouldn't comment "from a legal perspective" unless they're in property law.

Actually I wonder if this is a way of getting more money out of you or putting you off.

Agree with the posters above about pulling out unless you really really are committed - they are either very tight or angry about what you have paid and want more money. They have shown you what kind of people they are, do you really want to make a massive investment with them as your supplier? God knows what else they might do/ expect you to pay for. While radiators are expensive, it cant be a massive saving after you have had to pay to pull them out, empty them, buy replacements, make good, and transport the old ones to the new place.

Wow..we used to have a small property business and i have never experienced this as a buyer or seller. Were any of the items used as part of the advertising. They wont find it cheap to remove those fittingsand have them replaced by qualifiedplumbers and electricians. I would not be happy at all.

Light fittings and mirror makes sense, but I think it's bit weird to take the radiators.

I would be annoyed too , it should have been mentioned at viewing or on the listing , perhaps the estate agent didn’t know .

The are leaving the rads, just not the ones you want

could be they are moving somewhere they can’t afford to rebut so want to take everything, and why not.

you can either offer them something to leave it, so they can buy again, or accept and but and replace yourself

If thry paid a ton for them and are replacing them then I think it should be a point of negotiation if you made an offer based on the fittings like radiators and lights.

This is one of the flaws in the UK house buying system. You agree a price for the house, before you actually know what is being included.

OP the only two options you have are:

• Tell the vendor your offer was based on everything being included, and threaten to pull out if that’s not going to be the case
• Offer them more cash to leave them

“When I submitted my offer I had taken into account the current radiators. Content to proceed with the terms now proposed but with a discount of £x.” Provided the discount is a reasonable estimate of the value of the radiators that will be fair. Taking the expensive light fittings seems fair to me, if they had a 100k chandelier it wouldn’t be assumed that would remain but the radiators sit rather differently.

Having bought and sold seven houses, the estate agents always told me that if it was screwed/fixed to a surface at the time the viewing, then it was included in the sale. So I Think the OP should talk to her solicitor.

Try reading my full post and applying what I've said to your bed . . . 🙄

Light fittings, yes (I was once asked to take them since new owners didn't like them - I didn't want them so said I would not, they could change them - real hassle taking them out!). Radiators are not really fixtures and fittings but part of the heating system - I'd expect them to stay. Mind, I have known people take loo roll holders, light fittings, curtain rails etc and I NEVER see the point of taking fitted carpes as they won't fit wherever you are going!

I think the radiators are unreasonable to remove. Lights and mirrors are reasonable - we took most of ours when we moved as they were very valuable and antique. Every house I’ve bought or rented has basic bare bulbs and mirrors.

Radiators - YANBU
lights - YABu
mirror - I'm on the fence

Ok I had a bookshelf which was screwed to the wall to stop it falling forward, should that have been included?

Fwiw I think it's really odd to take the radiators but I also think you shouldn't give legal advice and then just make stuff up

Suppose it depends how much they paid for all those fixtures. If they are designer and worth a bomb then I cam see why they are going to hassle of removing them.

Did you offer a lower price than they were selling?

I think the light fittings are reasonable to take - I would take my chandelier and a pair of doors which are not integral to the house, but I would say so to every viewer and put in the description that these were not staying. Cookers, if not fitted, are also up for removal and I would remove mine and not replace it but take the cost of my cooker off the price of the house (and again I would say it was not staying - and this is not unusual either). I wouldn't waltz off with the radiators, though, and the expense of removal, replacement, and re-fitting them in another house with a different boiler is probably too much to be worth the effort!

The radiators would be a deal breaker for me. Your offer was based on those radiators. I can't believe PPs think it's acceptable to change radiators!

Our vendor wanted extra for the solar panels. DH said they could remove them and we would require an inspection report. I'd do the same for replacement radiators.

We have a Bluetooth mirror. It would never cross my mind to remove it. I'd not have another one, I'd rather have a heated mirror.

Personally I hate column radiators but that’s not the point, you’d be entitled to drop your offer as you have no idea what they will replace them with, no control, and they’re not likely use anything but the cheapest. So discuss with solicitor. It will cost them a lot of money to take out and replace and if they also lose on the asking price they may reconsider.

This happened to me, I specifically mentioned the light fixtures and were the included (because they were really high end and expensive) and was told yes but they were gone when we moved in replaced with the cheapest light and bare lightbulb. I was livid but as it wasn’t official and nothing was in the paperwork (they were just saying anything to get bids) our solicitor didn’t see much point in kicking up a fuss.

They had the nerve to then ask us to accept some large order of goods they had sent to our address instead of their new one so they didn’t have to re-pay delivery. You can guess what the answer was on that.

Radiators seems especially bonkers though.

I agree about the radiators. The light fittings not so much. I wouldn't assume I was buying e.g. lamps and lampshades or, indeed, curtains unless they were listed in the spec.