Seller wanting to leave items I don't want

[Perennis]

I'll speak to my solicitor about this, but she's pretty slow and I wondered if any of you had come across this.

On the enquires form our seller has said they are leaving items we don't want. Some small things like curtains, but the main issue is an old 4 oven gas aga. We will be renovating the kitchen, it's in the way and we wouldn't keep it.

Can they insist it's left as part of the sale or can we reject it?

Is it not worth anything. Sell it as a project for someone type of thing.

No, old agas are basically worthless. I know this as we had one removed from our current house and the situation with people not wanting them (gas prices) is worse not better. It's can be hard to find someone to take it away for free/scrap. Many people charge for removal.

As far as I know agas are not freestanding/ movable (they are classed as built in).
So yes you can ask them to take their curtains and other movable objects etc but am aga would be part of the house just like fireplaces, baths etc which youay wish to change but have bought as part of the house.
They need to be taken apart and in the case of a gas one it needs to be removed by someone qualified to work with gas.

I think they can insist things are left.

We were very reluctant to unhook/dispose of the cooker in our old house that we sold as we didn’t want to risk removing it before exchange and the time between exchange/completion would have been short to get an engineer out to do it. We just said it comes with the house and is then yours to do what you wish with.

No one can insist anything, it's part of the negotiation between you.
Basically they tick that to make sure it's clear what they are offering. You go back and say "no I don't want it" then they say "ok we will update it" or "you'll have to pay an extra £££ on the house" or "no sorry can't take it, or the deal is off"
Quickest solution would be via the estate agent or directly in person, then confirmed via solicitors but you can go back and forth via the solicitor if you want.

To be honest, the cost in solicitors fees dealing with the negotiation could easily cost you more than getting it removed post purchase. I just had a quick look on eBay and there are live auctions with bids around £500, so not totally worthless.

I have a aga that hasn’t been used much this year due to the cost of fuel. I’m hoping if I hang onto it til after the recession ever finishes either the cost of fuel will lower and I’ll use it again or the value of scrap metal rises.

However, if I were to sell the house in the meantime, I’m afraid it would be a flat “no” to any potential seller asking me to remove it. If the seller withdrew from the purchase after I’d had it removed then I’d be left with 1.5metre hole in my kitchen, so no I wouldn’t be taking that risk

Someone just sold one for £350 on my local FB page, and the buyer had to arrange removal (ie pay someone to removed it - big job). It went within minutes and several other people asked to be considered in case the original person pulled out.

You can’t insist they take the aga, it’s a built in appliance. You can ask them, but they can say no.

My father sold one that was in his house when he moved in and he was inundated with offers and requests. He went with a reasonable bid from someone who would arrange for it be disconnected and moved to location of their choice.

We just bought a property with an aga we didn't want. We paid 600 plus vat for a company to take it. Most companies werent interested even if we paid them. Only certain models have any resale value.

That being said, its a fixture - if I was selling I certainly wouldn't pay to have it removed, incase my buyer pulled out.

In most cases you'll end up having to pay someone to take it away. It's costing my dsis £750 to get hers taken away.

Id say you want it removed between exchange and completion.

I’m not an expert, but is it free standing or fitted, I know nothing about agas but I’m thinking if it’s the fitted cooker it might be considered as part of the house?

If you don’t want to sell just tell them to remove it

My friend paid a grand for a particular second hand one she wanted. It had already been taken out of the kitchen and she just collected in a van. I thought one of their good points was there was a healthy second hand market.

Can you say “NO” and suggest they remove & sell prior to completion?
Let them have the selling hassle?

IF they then leave it behind, you can charge them storage until it’s gone. I believe you might be able to charge for remoral & scrapping costs too?

Ask Mr Google for legal advice or ring your conveyancer well in advance.

Our vendor left a massive kitchen appliance behind that we’d previously told them, 3 months prior, we didn’t want. We had to put up with it for six weeks before they collected it. We threatened legal but legal wheels turn slowly. In the end we got hold of their business number & threatened storage charges and dumping costs. They soon came to collect it then.

Last resort, if they had not paid our costs we would have taken out a Small Claims. If they had not paid through the court ruling we would have had a CCJ taken against them. Credit record ruined!

The aga is a fixture, it would be like stipulating they remove a log burner or a radiator. Fittings like curtains, fair enough. You will need to negotiate in order to agree whether they remove it for you, but I'd say it would be unlikely.

I just sold one for £700 so definitely still being bought, It would probably be cheaper for you to get a removal van just to remove it all for you when you move in that use solictors to force a removal.

I think it depends on the type and condition as to whether they are worth anything. Worst case scenario surely is that you have to arrange for someone to take it away for free?

They are half way between being a fixture and a fitting imo. Mine is free standing but it's on a concrete platform which isn't!

when we moved in to current house we inherited an aga which sadly was turned off or whatever it is in aga speak and wouldn't start up again-would have been a huge repair bill. We sold it to someone who collects and refurbishes them. IIR we didn't get a lot of money but they collected which was all we really wanted.

The aga is a fixture, it would be like stipulating they remove a log burner or a radiator.

There's no reason a buyer couldn't stipulate something like this, although it would be unusual.

Until contracts have been exchanged everything is up for negotiation.

Thanks not David, as I said, you will need to negotiate in order to agree whether they remove it.

If you require a mortgage would that take away the working kitchen and make it a bit more complicated with your lender?

Scotland based so may be different in England but we include in missives what exactly is being left. You can insist on it being removed.

As in England, you can 'insist' but you may find that it is as a cost to you.

It's like 'insisting' they remove a bath you don't like.

OP I think we're all in violent agreement that you can say no thanks as part of the negotiations.

I think most people would assume the oven was a fixture/fitting?

I certainly wouldn’t expect to have to remove one when I left. But like saying we’re going to renovate the bathrooms, please remove the baths.

Wow, thanks for all the replies - had to go work.

It's 20 years old at least so I don't think it's desirable or has resale value.

I'll get my solicitor to say we don't want it, but I'll not jeopardise the purchase if they insist on leaving it. I just know from experience it will be a pain to get rid of.