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?

ours told us they were removing all lights and curtain rails as they had bought expensive ones in last 2 years - i liked them so i paid cost price as would rather not repair any damages.

I would withdraw my offer. It would be a big red flag. It tells me that they will be trying to screw me over on everything.

Plus the central heating system is never going to work properly with hastily bolted on replacement radiators.

You can play this a few ways OP…

threaten to pull out and hope they change their minds

agree to the light fittings but don’t agree to the radiators as you are concerned about the replacements paintwork etc

offer to purchase all the items at a set fee

do nothing and accept

I would go further than that, being a somewhat untrusting person. I would insist that any works of this kind would have to be done at the vendors expense but using a company from a list of my choosing - I've seen far too many "cowboy" jobs done to trust the cheapest quote the vendors are able to find.

If it helps OP we bought a Victorian house where the seller was thinking about removing and I’m assuming flogging the original fireplaces! Our solicitor sent a letter to their solicitor saying we only wanted that house because of the fireplaces, made them think twice and they were all there on completion.

I can’t get over people saying they think it’s normal to take radiators?! And light fixtures?! I agree with OP that id be annoyed if I found out that core parts of the decor were going to be taken.
I remember hearing that neighbours of ours had moved out and taken EVERY fixture and fitting including the white part that you screw bulbs into and the staircase from the stira. And they were odd so I’m assuming something similar here. 😆

Hmmm. Have you annoyed them in any way @perfectpotato ? Sounds like they are subtly getting their own back….what is your purchase price like compared to asking price? 5% / 25k under, or more? If they had struggled to sell and have felt they had to accept a cheeky offer, this could be how they are rebalancing it in their minds?

Oh and forgot to say, a pp suggested they may want to take them as they'd spent a lot getting the house looking good to sell.

Well yes, they aren't going to get good offers if the house has cheap basic fixtures but that's because the buyers are making an offer based on what they can see, including the expensive fixtures. It would be like someone buying a piece of diamond jewellery & finding all the gems had been replaced by cubic zircona or Swarovski.

It’s not normal to take the rads, and anyone on here saying it is normal is nuts. I would my withdraw offer on this basis. Absolutely crazy.

It's the same house. Buyers ought to be looking at the house, not the extras, but unfortunately we are swayed by the fancy bits. That's why sellers tidy up, redecorate, put out vases of flowers etc.

Radiators why? Buyers should be left with the radiators that were there when they viewed the house surely.

Nobody thinks vases of flowers are included though - pretty much everyone expects the rads

Disagree the radiators are an important fixture. Last thing a buyer wants is to have to fork out for new radiators because the sellers have replaced the ones during the viewing with cheap ones.

I'd be reducing my offer by the value of what they are taking so you can replace with new. That's what your offer was based on after all. Super stingy vendors. I'd never dream of taking something that was fixed to a wall.

I was going to say something like this. Plus, it isn’t as though they are going to be able to just slot them in at wherever they are moving to - so they’ll have to store a load of radiators. Really weird.

Totally agree with you.

Mirrors and light fittings are pretty normal. The radiators are a bit of an odd one. Can you make them an offer to keep them? Or put a bit of extra money aside to reinstate them?

I agree I’d be pulling out of the sale at this, radiators are fixtures.

I wouldn’t be happy to be buying a house with lovely radiators, for them to change them to plain white ones.

I had a wrought iron fire surround fitted in my old house, just over the wall, although I did have a slate hearth fitted too.

I told the house exchange people that I was taking it when I moved, and they said no unless i purchased a suitable one to replace it.

I found a black version of my black/ slightly silvered one, identical in pattern, and they were happy for me to put that one in its place.

It seems odd, but it was my anniversary present, I loved it, and wanted to keep it 🤣

There was no buyer at that time, and the next buyer, probably pulled it off and threw it out, but they may have done the same with my lovely fire surround too, to put a fire in.

And I wanted to keep it. I don’t think I’ve had another anniversary present.

They did get to keep my lovely hearth, and it was expensive. They probably threw that out too.

??? How can you possibly compare vases of flowers to radiators?! 😂

I would imagine it is against the contract to change radiators anyway.

It's not "the extras", it's part of the house and the difference would be measured in thousands or tens of thousands, and an offer made accordingly. Houses in good decorative order are worth more than those that aren't, all else being equal.

Don't be daft. A house needing £ks of work to bring it up to the standard it was when the buyers offered on it is not worth as much as the same house needing no work. That's not "swayed by the fancy bits", that's just cold hard economics.

The cost of removing them from one house, replacing, and reinstalling in new house @ £90 ph for a plumber probably won’t come out any different from buying new ones.

Radiators are classed as fixtures as they are part of the central heating system!!

I can understand them wanting to take things they have chosen and loved. If you think you feel the same about the items then I think I would make a decent offer so that they can replace the items in their new house without going to the bother and expense of removing and replacing them.