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?

Good luck OP. Hope you can barter hard and the rest of the move goes smoothly.

Absolutely this.

As for built-in wardrobes, I would say there is an expectation that they are included.

At least this is the rule/social norm in the UK. But such rules vary across the world. For example, in France and Italy, the norm is that almost everything moves with the vendor - including fitted kitchen cabinets. This even applies to new renters having to supply their own cabinets. In the USA, almost everything stays with the purchaser - including all major appliances such as fridge, freezer, washing m/c, dryer, (Curtains and carpets are rare.)

As regards paying for them, if you do agree to pay extra, as long as they are separately itemized on the sales contract, there will be no stamp duty. If they are not separate and form part of the main transaction, stamp duty will be payable (at rate depending on the overall price - hence 0% to 12%).

Built in wardrobes are just that.

Built in.

Therefore part of the building.

Same as the kitchen units and the bath…

Of course fitted wardrobes should be included in the sale. They're absolutely trying it on. This sort of thing would make me want to pull out altogether as they are obviously unreasonable people.

That is a little OTT. No need to withdraw from a sale over fitted wardrobes! The vendor is pushing their luck, the buyer can say no they are not paying - the vendor then has 2 choices, remove them (the buyers solicitor should make it clear any damage is made good) or, as I would expect to happen they would leave the wardrobes anyway.

@inatwizzle Just a little advice, if you do agree to pay anything for curtains/blinds, make sure you clarify it is the ones in situ - it has been known for vendors to replace them with cheaper alternatives!