Wear and tear after moving - inform buyers?

[Sfex]

Currently in the process of selling/moving to our dream home.

Our current home is a new build which we have lived in for 5 years since being brand new. We’ve done a lot to it even up until recently, and our buyers (first time buyers) have said numerous times that the thing they love about it is that it’s move in ready with nothing to do. However, it occurred to me that this isn’t really going to be the case. We have a lot of fixed furniture which will leave marks at best/holes and damage at worst when moved. Examples are -

TVs on the wall, with holes drilled out behind to feed the wires through so they aren’t trailing down.
Floating TV cabinet fixed to the wall.
Light fittings which will need to be removed.

The big one is then the wardrobes. One room is a dressing room, and Ikea PAX were installed to look like fitted wardrobes. This included removing the skirting board so they sit flush to the wall and having the carpet installed around. They have already said they don’t wish to keep them or buy them off us, but when they’re removed they will have half a carpet and missing skirting boards. Same in the nursery - the skirting board was cut out so the wardrobe sits flush in the corner.

Do we need to say something to our buyers about it? DH is of the opinion that they should realise that stuff will need doing once furniture, at least fitted furniture, is moved. I’m not so sure.

Any advice please!

I'd perhaps have clarified in writing that removing the wardrobes is fine, but stating that the carpet and skirting board are missing in that part of the room.

The other things like the TV and wall mounted TV cabinet are obviously going to leave behind some damage. I'm always staggered what "damage" pictures on the wall can do when you remove them, as well as sofas having slightly scuffed the walls etc. That's all normal wear and tear, so I wouldn't highlight these points specifically.

It could just be that your interpretation of "ready to move into" and theirs are very different. You might think that means they're expecting pristine walls, but they may just be thinking "thank god we don't have to replace the kitchen and bathrooms immediately".

I'd have described our house as ready to move into, but it desperately needed a re-paint to look nice. Perfectly liveable though.

In your situation I would’ve made sure the wardrobes were listed in the sales particulars and made it clear they would be staying. If you carpet up to them and don’t have skirting boards behind them they are fitted in my opinion.
Now you are in a grey area as it really isn’t normal to leave a room with a gap in the carpet and missing skirting. I would tell them, through the solicitor that when the wardrobes come out there will be gaps in carpet and skirting. If they ask you to make good I think you will have to, but they may prefer to pick their own carpet and skirting is a fairly quick diy job.
The other small holes and picture hooks are normal and to be expected when moving in.

I think you are being too considerate! ( and that’s something I didn’t think I would be saying on a house moving thread!).

Leaving aside the contentious wardrobes, as long as you are not causing unexpected damage by removing some fixtures as set out in the contract, I can’t see a problem. By unexpected damage, I mean eg wrenching the TV unit off the wall instead of unscrewing it, and leaving a huge chunk of plaster missing ( yes, found that in a house I bought) . Anyone who thinks that a house which has been lived in is not going to have the odd hole, scuff or knock is a bit 🙄.🧚🏼‍♀️

Tell your solicitor to inform them that the carpet does not extend under the wardrobe. That’s the total of your obligation IMHO.

It's very odd for a buyer to demand you remove fitted wardrobes before they move in. It's like asking you to clear out the kitchen cabinets. I think there may have been a misunderstanding.

If it says there is fitted carpets in the inventory then there needs to be fitted carpets.

I don't think leaving a room partially carpeted and two rooms without skirting boards is OK at all and it's not akin to not filling holes.

We have also turned a bedroom into a dressing room with PAX wardrobes, but we havent cut the carpet. I would maybe just tell them this as they probably wont realise / have thought about it!

I don't know what you mean here.

Why is demanding the removal of fitted wardrobes like asking to clear out the kitchen cupboards?

The first is something that you wouldn't normally do when you sell a house, remove fitted furniture and the second, clear out the kitchen cupboards is something that you would definitely do when you move house.

In this case the wardrobes are not fitted. They are free standing wardrobes that are attached to the wall with a small bracket to stop them tipping if a child climbs up them.

This is a strange one, I’ve only ever known fitted wardrobes to be included in the house sale, not something that the buyer has to pay extra for or they’ll be removed. I think I’d make it clear that the skirting board and carpet will be missing if you remove the wardrobes. They may not have thought of this.

When I purchased my house it was covered in marks, I expected it they had things everywhere. However I wasn’t arsed as it was getting stripped. They also left things like wardrobes and items in the bathroom such as cupboards. We accepted these when it was offered as we knew we could use them temp. It had fitted wardrobes so obviously these were left and we replaced the carpet when we ripped them out. I would email your solicitor/EA and say please can you highlight this so it’s not a surprise. I would definitely not go around filing holes and touching up paint. To me it’s obvious that you’re not getting a perfect home and there will still be work to do. But I would manage expectations ahead. If they want you to do it beforehand I would give them a cost

I’d just tell them about the wardrobes and carpet. Everything else wouldn’t bother me.

We had this exact situation. Moved into new house and owners wanted us to buy their old mahoghany wardrobes which weren’t even fitted. We declined and they took them. Didn’t tell us they had carpeted, removed skirting and painted around them. So our bedroom now has two gaping holes in carpet with little tacks sticking up that hurt your feet, two patches of wall with old wallpaper stuck to it, and missing skirting.

If we had known I’d absolutely have told them to leave the sodding things until we had the finances to recarpet, replaster and reskirt.

If you remove the wardrobes, the skirting that has been put at the front should be the same size as the missing skirting. So leave that piece. If they’re putting a double bed in that room, they could take a piece of carpet from under where their bed will go to fill in the missing piece.

If the wardrobes had been fitted you wouldn't have offered to sell them as they would have automatically been left. Then if the new owners removed them they wouldn't be surprised to find no carpet and skirting.

However, since they are not fitted, I think at least the skirting should be put back to how it was as a bedroom.

It's mean of you not to reinstate it.

There is no way I would be happy with chopped up bits of carpet in a bedroom. I don’t understand why so many people are suggesting this. It’s something my mother would do but she was born before the war and never recovered from the rationing age.
I can also see all the way under my bed so it would be very obvious.

It's not 'wear and tear' as suggested in your title.

It's standard to have skirting boards and carpets that cover the whole floor.

If they’re putting a double bed in that room, they could take a piece of carpet from under where their bed will go to fill in the missing piece.

This is surely madness.

Why? I could take a piece of carpet from under my bed thats far bigger that the area of my wardrobes and no one would ever know!!!

I was going to say this too. It's really their problem as they're fixed.

I don't live my life doing things that are fine because 'nobody will ever know'.

You can't sell a house to someone with a section of carpet missing and tell them that it's not a problem because they can cut a piece from under where their bed is going to be.

I think they are pretty cheeky to be asking you to remove the wardrobes. They are attached - they stay.

Don't lie, but you don't need to tell them the whole truth. Even easier if you've never met them.
Caveat Emptor.

Leave the wardrobes. If they want to remove them they deal with it.

Fitted furniture stays. We've just moved and left five sets of fitted wardrobes, and office full of fitted furniture, alcove cupboards....

It would never have occurred to me to take them or even asked them to be honest. I just filled in the list of contents included in sale.

It's a bit of a sickener leaving them as they probably cost the best part of 50k but I wasn't about to start ripping stuff out.

Holes in wall are Just a bit of filler and paint but that's for them to do.

This is what OP wrote:

• With regards to the wardrobes they are not classed as fitted wardrobes (EA and solicitors agreed) *

Why are so many posts stating they are fitted?

Wardrobes aren't fitted unless they are purpose built to fit a space. Otherwise they are just freestanding furniture that happens to have been bolted to the wall!
The buyers are well within their rights to ask that freestanding furniture is removed from the house.
You absolutely can't sell them a house with chunks missing out of the carpet (the way around this is to tell them the issue and offer to remove the carpet in that room before you go). And you definitely can't leave the skirting board off - making good means getting and fixing a new piece of skirting to repair the damage you have caused.
Skirting boards are a basic feature of a house - it's part of the building!

Now o wouldn't say you have to repaint all walls where you've removed pictures - it's reasonable for a new owner to expect to paint. But you should fill in any holes and touch up the paint there imo.

I agree with people above, worth just confirming with solicitor that you are happy to remove the wardrobes, but want to make sure the buyers understand there is no carpet or skirting under them.

But honestly @Sfex, I think you are totally in the right here - you have fully discussed the wardrobes, as I understand it you have offered them at a price, and just to leave them for free. You're not removing them out of spite, but at the buyers request. The missing carpet and skirting is just what happens when you do as requested.

Just word it carefully. Tell them that as the wardrobes are fitted there will be a gap in the carpet and no skirting if you remove it so you want to double check they want it removed.

They will be bolted onto the wall and the skirting and carpet situation make them fitted I believe.

If they say they want the carpet and skirting replaced then I'd point out that removing fitted units will always cause a problem and sellers don't generally involve themselves in removing fitted units.