Active discussions

Meet the Other Phone. Child-safe in minutes.

Meet the Other Phone.
Child-safe in minutes.

Buy now

Please or to access all these features

Talk
Property/DIY

Join our Property forum for renovation, DIY, and house selling advice.

Original poster

They're taking the curtain poles and fitted units. Is this normal?

220 replies

ThePurpleCarrot · 19/06/2013 09:08

We're buying our first house and I've just received the property information form. I'm shocked that it says the sellers are taking their curtains rails/poles/pelmets.

It says they are also taking their fitted units from bedrooms, hallway, living room, dining room.

Are we dealing with difficult people or is this normal behaviour in London area?

OP posts:
OnTheNingNangNong · 19/06/2013 16:09

The priblem comes with them having to then make good from where the fitted items have been. That would include carpet, plaster, paint at least.
Theu cannot rip them out and leave the mess for the buyers

georgedawes · 19/06/2013 16:11

Am I the only one shocked that you would buy a house for half a million pounds that you've not even looked at yourself?

Crikey!

Original poster
ThePurpleCarrot · 19/06/2013 16:15

George - we live at the other end of the world just now and we are concerned about cash we have in the UK banks. We know the houses (although not that particular one).

It's not that unusual to do this in our circumstances. Several of our friends have done it if they are thinking of returning to the UK at some point in the future. Lots of them have spent much, much more than we are.

OP posts:
MrsBucketxx · 19/06/2013 16:15

curtains, poles, washing line would all be going with me,

fitted furniture, carpets should be in the sale imo.

have you askedvwhy they are taking them?

georgedawes · 19/06/2013 16:17

Personally I wouldn't dream of buying something a quarter of that price without seeing it in person, but it's your money it's up to you.

I don't think that because lots of your friends have done it makes it a good idea either, but it's your money.

Original poster
ThePurpleCarrot · 19/06/2013 16:17

Mrs bucket why would you take curtain poles?? Please let me understand why anyone would do this.

OP posts:
georgedawes · 19/06/2013 16:19

Taking curtain poles isn't that unusual, if they'll fit your new house then why not.

You sound pretty naive for someone spending so much money.

nemno · 19/06/2013 16:21

It doesn't really matter whether something is normal. As long as it is agreed beforehand anything is reasonable. This isn't personal, you can and clearly want to say no. So do.

Floggingmolly · 19/06/2013 16:23

Naive, georgedawes? Not at all. None of the houses I've bought have ever had the curtain poles removed.

EagleRiderDirk · 19/06/2013 16:23

I get why people would take curtain poles. We just had out windows done and discovered we were lucky the left behind curtain poles were lucky to be staying up. Discovery was that for our not too uncommon bay windows its hard and bloody expensive to get poles for. So if you've spent a fortune, they'll fit the new house and you make good the repair then take them.

Owllady · 19/06/2013 16:23

curtain poles you can usually adjust. If they are are ornate, well as ornate as curtain poles get, then they may want to take them. I have taken iron ones that I know will fit other houses etc

they are being idiots though if it's a 500k cash sake fhs

do they know you are abroad and think they can pull a fast one or something?

georgedawes · 19/06/2013 16:34

Very naive, Molly!

Would you buy a house for half a million pounds without seeing it?

Then be so gobsmacked that someone would take the curtain poles that you would pull out without negotiating?

I wouldn't take them myself but have had far worse done to me.

Daisytunes · 19/06/2013 16:39

Don't pull out for this. They may very well leave it all behind as my sellers did. Inc the 20yr old fridge! They are probably just keeping their options open until they decide what they really want to keep. Saying they are taking it all even if not planning to means that if any of it gets damaged before completion they don't need to replace it.

I think you and others are overreacting. If you don't actually want the house then don't buy it but you should have thought about it more carefully before getting to this point.

tobiasfunke · 19/06/2013 16:41

When we bought our last house (in Scotland) everything included in the details were included unless otherwise specified. If fitted units were removed the wall behind and floor had to be made good. Lawyer basically said if it was screwed down they couldn't take it.
So that meant they couldn't take the curtain poles, fitted units, light fittings or plants (unless they were in moveable pots) etc. I think he said curtains they could as long as left something but blinds they couldn't as they wer screwed in. We had some trouble with the vendor who decided to increase the list of things she wanted to take after the fact and proceeded to take a couple of curtain poles anyway. Solicitor told us we could go after her but it would cost more money and time than it was worth.
When we sold in England eons ago I remember we had to fill in a form listing the fittings and what we were taking and leaving and it was agreed by the buyers.

fedupwithdeployment · 19/06/2013 16:41

We bought our current house a few years ago for an eye watering sum without DH having seen it. The vendor couldn't believe we were serious! But he was living abroad (Navy) and life does go on!!! And he trusts me with his money Wink

The vendors were great. I see her now and again - always friendly. They left most things (all curtain poles, blinds, some curtains), and asked if we wanted to pay for others (light fittings, fire grate, wine fridge (that'll go down well on MN!!)), ikea cupboard....some we did and some we didn't. Where they removed things (eg cupboard) they made good and filled in the holes. I'd buy from then again but they've just sold for almost £2m so that's a bit unlikely Grin

tobiasfunke · 19/06/2013 16:45

I forgot to say I wouldn't buy a house I hadn't seen. We bought our last house without me seeing it. My DH and sister did. I knew where it was and had seen the outside, had seen multiple photos and looked fab on paper. I hated it as soon as I walked in and I lived there for 10 years and I still hated it the day I moved out. I don't know why.

MrsBucketxx · 19/06/2013 16:48

cause mine where bloody expensive along with fancy finials and its not a cost I could add to the price of the propery, without looking grabby, there adjustable so will fit anywhere.

SixPackWellies · 19/06/2013 16:56

I have never bought a house where curtain poles were included. I would never expect it.

Are you used to renting furnished places, OP? I ask because you work abroad, which we did for 15 years or so before buying in the UK, and that was a surprise to me too. Such things would usually be included, IME. But buying, no.

Someone up thread talked about the clothes hanger curtain pulley thing. Yep, I would also expect that to go. hate them though. DH and I are in a permanent war on those, because he loves them (and hangs them in our fucking kitchen) and they just drop wet clothes on me too. Grrrr.

Toomuchtea · 19/06/2013 17:51

This reply has been deleted

Message withdrawn at poster's request.

Goal · 19/06/2013 18:03

I am a bit confused, you say that you are buying in the London area and then started talking about Hove! If you are buying in London it's highly doubtful your sellers need you more than you need them. For all they know you might have been planning on gutting the place in which case none of this would make any difference to ou!

Aethelfleda · 19/06/2013 18:57

If you care about things like curtain poles and don't want to leave/include them, then replace them BEFORE you market the house!!! If the antique beehive handle poster had replaced them before selling then they won't covet what they can't see.....

Our vendors took curtains/poles/cupboards/light fittings, However despite a lot of form filling as to what they intended to take, they left multiple holes in the plaster from rawlplugs, left manky garden furniture, a washing machine we'd asked them to take, and there were many little surprises the first week as to what wasn't in working order (several non functioning lights/sockets for starters!) We left multiple blinds and curtain poles and carpets cos it worked for us. Frankly you have to be prepared for a certain amount of stuff to be left dumped at the property, it's v common, and it's rarely worth suing if they take stuff they are not meant to.

Making the place yours is what makes the moving process worthwhile!

MrsBucketxx · 19/06/2013 19:37

I dont agree your selling the house not the curtain poles or soft funishings.

MrsGrowbag · 19/06/2013 20:07

I would say that anything which leaves damage/needs repair when removed is a "fixture or fitting" and should therefore be left. Curtain poles leave holes in the wall when removed, so i wouldn't'; dream of taking them with me,and would be horrified is the person we bought from did. Fitted carpets are exactly that - a fitting. Again, would expect them to be included in a sale price. We did once move into a small terraced house where the vendors took the carpets with them (they had made clear they would do this) which was bizzare because they were moving to a bigger house with bigger rooms.... I think taking carpets with you is a hangover from the days when carpets weren't fitted, they were essentially large rugs that went over wooden floorboards. But it doesn't make sense in this day and age.

flow4 · 19/06/2013 20:20

Purple, I've just seen that you've said "To be frank, we haven't even seen inside this house - which is perhaps why we are quite detached from the process"... And I now wonder if they're not being arses, but if they think you won't value and care for the things they leave behind. The chances are, they lovingly chose, bought and fitted their units, curtains and whatnot, to make a home, and now you come along and buy it without even looking. If they love(d) their home, they'll probably be a bit upset that it seems you don't love it... They may feel they want to take the things they loved, rather than leave them with someone who won't appreciate them...

SixPackWellies · 19/06/2013 20:35

well, I am the antique beehive door handle poster and as i said, we made it pretty clear that they would not be left with the property. When houses are on the market for a while 9 months you tend to market as is, and if someone is interested then you say the things you need to say then.

Swipe left for the next trending thread