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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:
SixPackWellies · 19/06/2013 20:40

and besides, you never know what the buyer might 'covet'.

You market the house, specify what is important to you and go from there.

as it was, we said we wanted to take the handles, as they meant something to us, and the wife half of the buyer said that was fine, as she liked ceramic handles that had painted flowers on them. She would have come in, and thrown our lovely precious handles. For what we would consider bog standard B&Q ones.

[shrug]

horses for courses.

which is why you even HAVE a checklist. And why you start talking in the minutae.

Eve · 19/06/2013 20:45

We moved recently & took curtain poles, mainly as ours were very expensive, we had taken an offer on the house and they fitted new house.

But we said as part of the pre- sale pack they would be taken & what we were leaving, eg blinds.

Erlack · 19/06/2013 20:46

flow4 Or maybe they are just weirdos who can't let go of stuff from a property that they have sold. Who knows? I don't think you can read all that about the OP not loving the property from their actions. And if they DID think that way, I would think they were in fact very strange- as in being far too emotional about what is effectively a business transaction. Presumably they knew at the time that the OP offered that she wasn't going to be able to see the house and if their criteria was that they had to sell to someone who would love it as they had (and that love evidenced by coming from a far distance to view it) well, that would have been clear from the get go, no?

Aethelfleda · 19/06/2013 20:59

No offence intended there, sixpack, I was given the "if it's precious change before selling" advice on mumsnet! : and as it happened we had a pair of v posh fitted blackout curtains in DS's room that we replaced with plain Wilkinson's ones before we marketed to avoid having to negociate around them. I can see how if you're on the market for months you might not want to remove things for that long. I think the thread all agrees that fixtures and fittings vary a lot and the important thing is that the vendors are clear what's in and what's out.

flow4 · 19/06/2013 21:09

Yes of course that's also a possibility, Erlack. I did say I 'wondered'; I'm just offering another perspective. :)

Erlack · 19/06/2013 21:22

You are right, perspective is good, flow4. :). I think what others have said-namely, why not just discuss it with the vendors or their agent-is the way forward if the OP wants to buy the house. And I am now rootling out my copy of our sale agreement to see what I agreed to leave and wondering if the sellers if the house we are buying is actually leaving certain stuff. Eek.

olgaga · 19/06/2013 22:11

The people we bought our current house from suddenly wanted £600 for B&Q/Homebase light fittings/ curtain poles, 2 days before exchange.

We said we'd pay £150, no more, and pointed out it would cost them a damn sight more than that to make good the damage and fit bog standard light fittings and we would curse them for ever more.

They compromised in the end. They were desperate to sell and we had a buyer, it would have messed up the whole chain. It was a nothing but a gesture on our part, worth way less than even 1% of the sale price we had agreed. Annoying but worth it when you have children and want them to actually be able to sleep in the house the first night you move in.

I still can't believe people can be so pathetically grabby about this kind of thing - for such a small amount in comparison to the actual purchase.

If you have "precious" fittings by all means tell the prospective buyer that you want to take them with you or leave them for a price.

However, if you leave it until you're just about to exchange you appear cheap, nasty and pathetic.

Sausagedog27 · 19/06/2013 22:29

The vendor of our house took the toilet seat! Solicitor had also heard of lawns being taken.....the mind boggles! She also took the curtains and curtain poles- wasn't too much of an issue until we realised that there was no frosted glass in the bathroom windows- dh had a quick trip to the shops to sort it out on moving day.

SixPackWellies · 20/06/2013 05:31

No problem Aethel!

Yes, i think the thread makes clear that if you are up front and straight in the property details, then that ought to be understood. To change though- and to do what olgaga's vendors did is being greedy.

Lawns??!! Sausage?! The mind really does boggle at that!

Barbeasty · 20/06/2013 08:14

I'd be really careful. I expect they're about to.charge you a fortune for fixtures and fittings that they intend to leave.

That could go very close to the point where stamp duty rises from 3% to 4%, which wouldn't look good to the tax man. Especially if you're paying for things like fitted cupboards which you would reasonably expect to be included in the sale.

Didn't this used to be a popular way of avoiding stamp duty, which they cracked down on?

formicadinosaur · 20/06/2013 09:39

The door bell and fitted units - very odd. I would ask for a reduction in price to reflect it.

Curtains blinds removal is normal I'd say.

MadeOfStarDust · 20/06/2013 12:59

We would take our doorbell... it is a wireless one - so no damage to make good - and has 3 plug in units to sound in various parts of the house... not standard, and not leaving it..

EagleRiderDirk · 20/06/2013 13:12

I would take our doorbell as its wireless but I'd replace it with a cheaply one so wouldn't leave the new owners doorbell-less

Viviennemary · 20/06/2013 13:13

I always thought it was fairly clear what usually was fixtures. Like a fitted kitchen and fitted wardrobes to be left but free-standing could be taken. And also no need to leave carpets or curtains. But I would be shocked if anybody removed curtain poles unless they specified particularly that they would be. I thought lamp shades and light fittings could be taken but not switches. And a doorbell. That's really odd.

nancerama · 20/06/2013 13:18

Our vendors took pretty much everything. I thought it was odd at the time, but they've stayed in the area and have a DD with ASD - I think they were trying make their new house as much like home as possible.

It's actually made the house much more "ours" more quickly. It's amazing what new lighting can do.

Foundapound · 20/06/2013 14:26

Curtain poles, light fittings and shades, I would often take (if I wanted to keep them), also curtains and some blinds (can adjust usually or may give to parents, etc). Most buyers take out what you leave anyway. These items cost a lot and aren't to everyone's taste. Our last house had rubbishy ikea poles that would not take the weight of normal curtains, had to change them quickly.

Fitted units, etc, I would expect to be left, and I would expect this to have been made clear on details/viewing.

One house we bought had a "laundry room" which was the old pantry, with the boiler in, and a huge hanging/drying rack fitted cupboard thing. They removed this. Meaning nothing about the room was "laundry". Was rather annoyed about this, but did nothing. They also left bare wires where they'd remove a light fitting - weren't annoyed at fitting going, but at them not making good with a plain rose (luckily dh is an electrical type so had one to fit on the day).

Showtime · 20/06/2013 21:40

We had doorbell and wall-lights (no central light!) taken from one house, leaving holes in walls and need to redecorate. Last house I bought, I refused to pay £200 for a (maybe £50) cooker, so they took the main switch too, and other fittings they removed added to the time they took to move out, as well as the hall and stairs carpets which I pointed out were supposed to be left as per the official list. My removal men (and van) were waiting around while these people stripped the house, until I did some negotiating.
I know exactly what you mean about red flags, and I will no longer deal with people who are untrustworthy.

EMUZ · 21/06/2013 01:06

I would take everything that wasn't there when I moved in but then I moved in a new build - so there were no curtain rails, no towel rails, no toilet roll holders and bare bulbs. If I do move I will be taking all the light fittings and towel rails etc as I bought them
Wouldn't dream of taking fitted kitchen or bathroom!

Jaynebxl · 21/06/2013 08:13

I can understand taking a free standing wireless doorbell (presuming it is that and not a wired in one!) but the rest of it just looks tight. We are leaving all our curtains and stuff and even plan to leave a loo roll in each toilet just to make life a bit easier for the new people.

I remember a friend moving into a place and all the light bulbs were taken. Stuff like that is just mean.

echt · 21/06/2013 08:40

I think back to the vendors of our UK house: they left it fully-furnished, bar washing machine and fridge. (they'd let it for a couple of years, but offered to remove any/all the things we had no use for)

They left a bottle of wine and a welcome note, too.

What splendid people. I still think of them when it comes to generous attitudes.

Original poster
ThePurpleCarrot · 21/06/2013 08:53

Echt - it's nice that there are decent people around isn't it.

EMUZ - life is too short to sweat the small stuff. I wouldn't want to be doing business with you for sure.

OP posts:
IDontDoIroning · 21/06/2013 08:57

They don't have to leave them but they need to tell you. - hence the info you've now got.

It's made that you have buyers have to go to the expense of surveys searches etc before they find out what the vendor is taking. In most people's experiences I guess it wouldn't be a deal breaker and they would still go ahead with the purchase but as you aren't in a chain it's different for you.

Also if they take fittings like this then they must make good (fill sand and paint ) all holes etc.

It's probably because they want you to offer a price for these items.

However it you tell estate agent / your solicitor that you expect them to make good all they may reconsider especially as you think they don't need it for their new house.

IDontDoIroning · 21/06/2013 08:58

Made - mad

EMUZ · 21/06/2013 16:51

ThePurpleCarrot - depends what you class as small stuff I guess. I wouldn't leave the light fittings because they cost me a small fortune! But I'm talking chandeliers, rows of spotlights. Bathroom mirrored cupboards were a gift and my toilet seat is a Union Jack!
I'd take stuff down before I moved and replace. Wouldn't leave holes in walls etc it would all be made good

Aethelfleda · 21/06/2013 17:08

We had no doorbell/mailbox and multiple holes in walls I am still buying polyfilla months in but it's worth it to have the house all ours... As for trustworthiness, in all honesty you're buying houses (the huge majority of the time) from total strangers and the estate agent says they are all trustworthy (who would jeapordise their commission by implying not!), some people have different ideas of "making good" than others, you just have to accept that (though taking the lawn is hysterical!)..
I felt v guilty about leaving a small patch of unpainted wall low down in one room (had been pg so unable to get behind one bit of tightly fitted heavy furniture)...left the matching paint for buyers to do it! Oh what fun is moving house I am never going to do it again