Vendors charging me for smoke alarms!

[Lalotai47]

I am in the process of buying a house. The buyers accepted an offer that was about 5k lower than they wanted. I have just received their list of included fixtures and fittings. They want £100 for an integrated dishwasher that was there when they bought the place 5 years ago. They want £20 for 4 smoke alarms and £100 for 2 blinds in the dining room. Oh and £15 each for the bathroom cabinet and mirror. These are just some examples.

There is no way I am paying for the dishwasher that was mentioned in the listing! Is it normal to try and charge for these things? I feel really pissed off. I sold a house and left anything integrated and would not have dreamed of taking smoke alarms. These people are going in to a new build. Surely it will come with most of this stuff?

Would you tell them to take the stuff or pay up? I want the house but this has soured matters for me.

You could be equally petty and ask to have a clause added into your contract that anything left on the property which isn't listed on fixtures and fittings form will be treated as rubbish and they'll be responsible for the bill of removal, might be a spiting your own face sort of thing. They also might ask to revise the F&F?

Thanks again all. I am definitely going to call their bluff!

Simply tell them you are not interested in these fittings and they can remove them. You can install a fire alarm and replace everything else yourself...

The only problems could be that they might cause damage by 'ripping out' some of the stuff.

Honestly, I'd ask them to remove everything! Don't make the same mistake like I did by paying an extra £1000 cash for some old rubbish. I only did that to commit the vendor so as to secure the sale of the house. Or put it another way, I consider this an extra £1000 in addition to the cost of the whole property. Trouble is, I spent the next few years dumping the rubbish that I paid for - bit by bit.

The dishwasher is a no, speak to the estate agent, integrated is included, the rest are at their discretion, bathroom cabinet etc aren't always left.