Negotiating items included in house purchase

[inatwizzle]

FTB here. We’ve made an offer on a house. The seller now wants to negotiate on what’s included in the sale such as built in bedroom furniture etc. Do we have to pay cash for anything we want to buy along with the house or does it get added to our mortgage?

There is a form they complete ahead of the sale stating what is and isn't included, check that first.

Then anything else is up for negotiation between you, the seller and the estate agent. It can be added to the price or separate, it all depends.

cash

barter hard

they don’t want to take it with them

so pain in the arse to get rid unless you buy

Tbh if it is built in ie kitchen/wardrobes would think it would count as included in a house sale. Never had a negotiation on things like this. It is usually things like moveable furniture, lighting or white goods, we have paid cash for the odd thing we wanted.

What is Included When Buying a House? - AWH Solicitors

I would expect built in furniture to be included in the price you agreed and would be saying this to the EA & asking them to relay to the seller.

Other items you would normally pay cash for.

Call their bluff on built in furniture. It's not like they can take it with them!! That's just greed as far as I'm concerned.

Our seller tried to ask for £3k for the fitted blinds and shutters. I said no. Lo and behold she left them behind.

Imagine the house turned upside down. Anything that doesn't fall comes with the house. Of course it's not added to the mortgage as it is money going to the vendor.

Unless you really want the items, I would say no thanks. Chances are it will get left behind anyway if it’s a nuisance to remove.
Agree that anything fitted should be considered part of the house already. You wouldn’t pay extra for the kitchen units or bathroom suite, fitted wardrobes are exactly the same. Make it clear to the EA that anything removed means the walls need to be made good by the seller. They won’t take them.

Our last move the cf seller tried to sell the damn ugly front gates to us separately. We declined, we were going to remove them anyway, although did think they really should be included. According to our neighbour, watching the bloke of the family removing them gave no end of laughs.

@inatwizzle You have had good advice already in the previous posts - if there is anything you want, just renegotiate to say the offer includes x,y and z furniture.

If its 'built in' then it comes with the house as its part of its structure now.

Same way you don't take the bath, kitchen units, boiler, wallpaper, carpets, woodburner etc...

I wouldn't pay extra for built ins but would make it painfully clear if they plan to remove that stuff they are required to replace it like for like or suitably make good the area or reduce the price as the house is no longer in the condition it was offered on.

Do they charge extra for the roof tiles as well?

I was told that if you imagine turning the house upside down and shaking it, anything that doesn’t move stays.

I.e. kitchen units, fixed built in furniture, carpets, log burner, boiler etc.

I’d call their bluff and say you’re not paying extra for something that is fixed, but expect them (as a PP has said) to make good the area where they are removed from.

Agree on built in stuff- make it v clear that you expect that stuff to be included and listed as such on the F&F form. Call their bluff on the rest- say you don’t really want it but you’re happy if they really want to leave it. You’ll probably get it all for free. Also if they’re taking light fittings get it in writing that they undertake to make good and not just leave a wire dangling out of the ceiling.

The CFs are trying it on.

The solicitor who did the conveyancing on this house told us that one year she had sellers remove a staircase. It was promptly returned. But goodness knows how they did it and what they thought they'd be doing with it.

This is what l was going to say

Don't pay a mortgage on a fridge was something my dad told me when I bought my first house 30 years ago. I'd still be paying for it today if I hadn't listened to him.

I know my friend had an offer accepted on a newish home, the vendor then tried to charge her several thousand for the carpets! She pulled out of that purchase ! As the others have said it would nornally be expected that fitted furniture should remain for no extra cost, otherwise it’s going to leave a real mess when removed

Ask for the form stating what stays and goes. Decide if you wish to continue. Things like built in wardrobes should stay, have your solicitor express this. On things like non integrated kitchen appliances, it’s between you both. Same as for blinds and curtains.

Also don’t call their bluff. They might just remove things to spite you.

Some really good advice here already. If its all built in then that is part of the house sale, surely. What does the estate agent and solicitor say? If its other furniture that you want to buy from them, it can't be added to your mortgage (unless you are taking it out of your money you are putting down as a deposit, but still making sure you are meeting the criteria of your mortgage lender), but if both parties want to be protected, then you can do it through your conveyancers, so they control the monies that are paid out. We did this when we sold our house and the new owners bought some furniture.

They’re chancers. I’d be telling them either the built-in wardrobes are included at no extra charge or we’re not buying them and expect them to be removed, disposed of and any damage made good at the sellers’ expense.

Realistically, buyers have limited recourse for sellers who either leave things they shouldn’t or take things they shouldn’t. Yes they’re in breach of contract, but your remedy is taking them to court ie you will have to do it either via a solicitor (£££) or personally by taking them to small claims. Unless the sums involved are large, it’s rarely worth the effort.

Watch them because they’re likely to ask for other unreasonable stuff/be a-holes as you progress through the transaction. Double check the particulars against your title plan and title deeds. Make sure everything is included in garages, parking spaces, access rights, boundaries. Is there anything else you would assume is included that they might want extra money for? Have you had surveys back yet? Any issues you don’t want to pay for that the seller could reasonably be expected to contribute to?

Look on the form that says what will be left behind.

90% of the time people ask for more money but it is a bluff because the stuff either won't fit in their new house or they will want new stuff anyway, and the stuff will be hassle to move.

OTOH probably these days to get a carpenter in to put up built in stuff probably costs ££££. So if you think they are likely to take it you might want to consider offering a token amount, depending on how hideous the stuff is.

Everyone seems to have different ideas about what should/shouldn't be left. For example I don;t think sellers should be obliged to leave built in appliances (a lot of people seem to think they should), but I do think built in wardrobes are part of the fixtures and fittings, and removing the lightbulbs I find a bit petty. A staircase as described earlier is taking the piss.

Lightbulbs have to be left by law.

Thanks for all the helpful comments!