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Original poster

Seller wants a grand for curtains

34 replies

sighbynight · 08/09/2014 13:38

Or she is taking them. To Australia. Plus the blinds, the poles and the light fittings. Now, the blinds would be good, in order to avoid nakedness in front of my new neighbours. The poles would be handy too. But she can fuck off with her vulgar curtains. Any suggestions on how to phrase and price that more diplomatically? FWIW, I included of if ours in our sale. They are made to measure for the windows after all.

OP posts:
jeee · 08/09/2014 13:45

Just say, 'no thanks'. Not difficult, or rude. If you would like them at a lower price you can always open negotiations. Though it sounds like (a) you hate the curtains, and (b) you'd never get into the same price bracket anyway.

And it's irrelevant whether you included curtains in your house sale.

Original poster
sighbynight · 08/09/2014 13:49

Oh I know it's irrelevant. I just didn't think people did that anymore. I'm mostly annoyed because she's sprung this on us the day before we exchange. And it is a lot if money to pay for second hand curtains that are someone else's choice.

OP posts:
SweetFelicityArkwright · 08/09/2014 13:50

Make sure she knows that she needs to make good any damage from taking down the curtain poles etc and will need to fit a bulb holder thing after removing the light fittings - she can't just rip them out.

I would say no to buying them and hope that she will just leave them as it will ultimately be too much trouble for her to take them.

bakingtins · 08/09/2014 13:53

If you don't like them just say no. Is she going to pay to ship them to Australia, where it's unlikely they'll fit her new house? Just trying it on, more like. Make whatever you think is a reasonable offer for the blinds you want, in the knowledge they are probably no use to her anyway.
FWIW our seller left us bogging bedroom curtains and then I've been stuck with them for 5 years as if you have something to hide your nakedness from the neighbours it moves down the priority list.

CMOTDibbler · 08/09/2014 13:55

'No thank you, just make the walls good after removal, and fit a basic light fitting as is standard'

The people behind us wanted £2000 for 10 year old carpets! They left them in the end unsuprisingly

Original poster
sighbynight · 08/09/2014 14:02

Indeed, bakingtins. One liked to be acquainted with ones neighbours before the nakedness commences.

OP posts:
Original poster
sighbynight · 08/09/2014 14:04

My carpets are shocking. My 10yo daughter has got splashes of nail varnish all over hers. Our buyers will be less than impressed. BUT I'm not trying to get more money for them.

OP posts:
sleepyhead · 08/09/2014 14:07

Just say "no thanks". I'd say there's a 75% chance they'll leave them anyway once they realise what a hassle it'll be to remove them.

Ours tried to sell us a bunch of stuff they didn't want, and then once we said no tried to just leave it "as a favour". Nope, nope, nope!

VirtualPointyHat · 08/09/2014 14:08

Our purchase of this house went really smoothly

But we were amazed to find out when we moved in they had taken the ikea curtain poles with them.

Not the end of the world, but why??

OP I would also just say no thanks, frankly 1k will go a long way to buying some to your taste. As others have said she may just leave them anyway.

Terrierterror · 08/09/2014 14:14

What a ridiculous woman.

I wouldn't expect curtain poles or blinds to be left. I would expect the basic white ceiling fitting to be left for lights.

bonborez · 08/09/2014 14:28

Our buyer asked for curtains etc to be left and we said £1,000 for one set as we would be able to use them in the new house, albeit altered as they are massive and we are moving from high to low ceilings. They're silk, fully lined, floor to ceiling length and beautiful. Hopefully the buyers don't think we're horrible!

We won't take the specially made pole though as we can't use it in new house. Think it depends what can and can't be used again and how much they cost in the first place. We said we'd leave anything we couldn't use or adapt for the new house which is actually only one velux and one kitchen blind.

If our vendor had offered to sell us the curtains I would have said no as they are not to my taste at all. Great as a stop gap if the vendor happens to leave them anyway but don't want to pay for them.

stealthsquiggle · 08/09/2014 14:37

I said no thanks to loads of stuff the sellers wanted extra for, and they left most of it anyway, and some other things they hadn't even mentioned, much of which we didn't want. Some was a pita and had to be taken to the tip with DH cursing all the way that we should have charged them for disposal other stuff was just about tolerable until we could replace it (including frilly curtains), and some things (massive chest freezer in lean to) are great and are still going strong 8 years later. I think after I said no thanks to £600 for a light fitting I didn't (and don't - it's still there Blush) like, and she realised that it would cost nearly that to have it taken down and replaced (it's in an awkward place - would need scaffolding) she gave up.

OP - just say thanks but no thanks and see what happens.

TheRealMaudOHara · 08/09/2014 14:47

Our vendor wanted £1500+ for her curtains, including £500 for a nice but not mind-blowing pair of cotton curtains in the living room. I know made to measure cost a lot but that's a bit steep for second hand curtains in someone else's style! I picked up a few cheap pairs of unlined ones in t k maxx and they have made do until I have time to make nice ones. Definitely just say no!

SolomanDaisy · 08/09/2014 14:50

How come this is just coming up the day before exchange? Shouldn't she have declared what she was leaving on the fixtures and fittings list, ages ago? If she said on there she was leaving them, I'd be pretty pissed off if she suddenly asked for £1000.

Original poster
sighbynight · 08/09/2014 14:52

Thanks everyone. Thanks but no thanks it is. I feel better for venting anyway. Smile

OP posts:
WhatWouldCaitlinDo · 08/09/2014 14:54

What does your contract say? The fixtures and fittings list should have sorted this out weeks ago - I would get on to your solicitor straight away.

I personally wouldn't pay a penny (and refused to) for someone else's curtains that I didn't like.

noddyholder · 08/09/2014 14:56

I would say no thanks as we plan a complete refurb when we move in

Original poster
sighbynight · 08/09/2014 14:56

She didn't supply the fixtures and fittings list until Friday. I had to chase it up. But it's ok. It's fine. It's thanks but no thanks.

OP posts:
helzapoppin2 · 08/09/2014 14:59

It's petty. I've just sold a house and left all the blinds because they were made to measure, no use elsewhere, curtains and pole, light fittings. Wouldn't have occurred to me to take them. I was just really grateful that someone was buying the house!

starfishmummy · 08/09/2014 15:23

Our vendors wanted something riduculous for the curtains too. THey werent our taste and were old. We just said no thanks. When they completed the fixtures and fittings thingy they said they were taking the poles,and replaced them with tracks.
They even took their wooden loo seat and put a cheap plastic one on. Given the state of the place I was quite pleased about that!!

Original poster
sighbynight · 08/09/2014 15:38

Well, I went back and said thanks but no thanks. And they said, well, we'll leave them anyway. Just trying it on obviously. What a storm in a teacup.

OP posts:
helzapoppin2 · 08/09/2014 16:28

Result!

TeaandHobnobs · 08/09/2014 16:28

Our vendors also put reasonably steep prices on all the blinds and curtains - made to measure by the wife's mother (and very nicely too). We however didn't have that money to spend on curtains and blinds! In the end they left quite a few of them, as they wouldn't fit in their new house. The only two rooms left with nothing were the kitchen/patio doors (not a big deal) and the master bedroom - but there for some unknown reason, they took the poles and the fixings as well. And it turned out to be an utter bastard of a job to put new ones up. Deeply irritating.

specialsubject · 08/09/2014 17:01

I rented in between sell and buy, so didn't know what the new house would need. But it wasn't a hard decision to leave all the curtains, poles, light fittings - we took one separate shelf unit from the kitchen (with agreement) and that was it. Our buyer was surprised (and happy!) that we were leaving the curtains but it would never have occurred to me to take them.

the new house is of course completely different and nothing would have fitted. It had all its curtains, but I'm gradually replacing the little old lady florals with happy charity shop/ebay finds, although some of the curtains are finding a new lease of life in different rooms. It also has poles which I am replacing with proper tracks - the poles hold the curtains away from the windows, in comes the light and out goes the heat.

in short - let her spend a fortune shipping them to Australia. Her loss. You can redo the whole place for much less than £1k.

wfielder · 08/09/2014 17:08

Our vendor removed curtain tracks, carpet, and even door handles.

She did leave 2 1950's tiled fireplaces in the loft though, we cannot work out how anybody got them up there.