Selling up - what to take/leave.

[Helloisitmeoryou]

So we are moving house. Have the fixtures and fittings list to send back to the solicitor. What to people generally take or leave?
I really want to take our curtain poles, they are all matching, were £30 a pop and we have 10. So £300 worth of curtain poles. My husband thinks I'm being unreasonable and that it's not something people generally take when they move.
If we do take them then do we need to make good the holes above the windows?

£30 each. Not expensive ones then. (Mine were hundreds £££ and I would still leave them). I agree with your DH. It is a bit mean to take them and you will have to fill the holes. It just is not worth it although some people try and take everything! Are you taking wall lights, shades and all carpets too?

New house - start again! Move on with your design and get blinds?

To an extent it depends on what is being left in the house you are buying. Things like curtain poles and curtains can work out very expensive on top of everything else. You could always replace the current ones with cheaper from IKEA or Dunelm and take the others with you.

No one is obliged to leave things - it isn't mean; selling a house is a business transaction when all is said and done. Mean is removing lightbulbs and leaving bare wires, etc.

Unless these curtain poles are going to work in your next home, I would leave them. Do you have ten windows in the next house with exactly the same window widths?

I must admit it left a nasty taste in my mouth when we moved into our house and the people had even taken the light bulbs. They had pulled at the light fittings, so they were hanging out of the ceiling.

Will they fit the new house?

You must leave working light fittings ,all else is negotiable.

Personally I don’t take them and after five houses never had anyone who has taken them, and to be blunt, they are just cheap poles. Will they fit your new windows?

If you do take them, then the min is fill in the holes. Ideally fit a curtain track, but defo fill the holes as a minimum. You can’t just take the poles and leave holes in the walls.

However folks even take their fitted carpets, so am sure you’ll have some agreeing to take em.

I have a stack of curtains I've taken out of old houses and then never used because funnily enough my new Windows aren't the same size as the old. The curtains were a lot more than the average curtain pole. I wouldn't bother removing curtains again and certainly wouldn't be doing with the faff of taking down and making good curtain poles.

I’d leave poles unless your new house has the same size windows. I would however definitely be taking my celiling light shades as they were expensive and will fit anywhere. I would never move into a new house and expect to like the majority of these kind of fittings. Ones left behind are usually either cheap or old and need replacing anyway.

The house is almost identical. Just an extra bedroom so all curtain poles would work. Plus they're adjustable so they can be used on windows that are between 1-3 metres. Don't want to look mean by taking them if it's frowned upon though.
We are leaving other stuff, towel rails, loo roll holders, fitted blinds, bathroom cabinets etc.
But £300 is £300!

You taking curtain rails wouldn't make me pull out of the sale bit I would think you're a bit tight and itd create bad feeling if there were other bigger decisions to discuss

Good of you to leave the loo roll holders! I think there are expenses to moving house. It’s just the way it is. Don’t you want to start again where you are going? The same poles in every room is a bit odd!

I have just sold a standard house and I am leaving curtains, poles, all bathroom fittings, light fittings, pull out washing line, carpets etc. By the time you have moved all of the poles you will be exhausted. I can see why your DH wants to leave them. Get them left in your new house or start again if it is new. Be adventurous!

We are leaving other stuff, towel rails, loo roll holders, fitted blinds, bathroom cabinets etc.

So nice of you to leave things that are bolted into your bathroom ;-)

Personally I think it is really annoying when people take curtain rods with them. Pain in the bum putting up new curtain rods (my house has walls like diamond!).

I would take them 😂 You paid for them
So why not? The new people might get new ones to their taste anyway!

I've always left curtain poles and usually the curtains at the front of the house so even if the buyers don't like them they'll have some privacy on moving in night. I bought a repossession once and every light bulb and door handle had been removed.

I'd leave curtain poles. It would be the kind thing to do. It's such a pain to put up new ones and there might be holes etc left to repair if you take yours down.

Leave them.
If you take them down you have to repair the walls, so if you damage wallpaper are you going to re wallpaper to make it right?
Some on another thread was saying that they had been told things that are fixed need to stay, so turn your house upside down and shake, anything loose you take, anything attached should stay including built in appliances. Removing things from tile walls is tricky as without replacing a tile or two you will leave unsightly holes.

Ok. Think we will leave them then!
Hopefully the people we are buying off will leave ours. Kind of wanted poles up on the day we moved in in the kids rooms for their black out curtains but looks like we will have to add Argos visit to our list of things to do on moving day.

Previous owner ripped out all curtain poles leaving huge holes in the plaster.

As if that wasn't upsetting enough they removed the ceiling lights by cutting the cables leaving bare wires.

Because of that and other stuff I ended canceling the removal van and staying in rental for a couple of weeks longer whilst sorting everthing out.

So from my own bitter experience, listen to your husband OP and leave the curtain poles alone.

I'm a conveyancing solicitor. Most people leave curtain poles but you can take them if you want to, as long as you make the walls good again.

Not as bad as one of my files a few months ago where the seller took the front door

Just found fixtures and fittings list for our new house came in the post today and they are leaving their curtain poles so problem solved I suppose!

You will be ok then. Just fit your curtains and you are in!

But they are taking their rotary washing line... this moving house stuff is a minefield! So do we take our washing line with us now or do we just buy new?!

The sellers of our house took the top of a safe that was concreted into the floor (leaving a large hole). We got it back in the end!