Sellers Fixtures and Fittings List - Your thoughts?

[Notadream]

Hello

I'm currently going through the motions with a Sale/Purchase. Sellers have asked for me to pay for the following to be left in the house:

Cherry Tree planted 16FT and established in front Garden,5 years old - £250
Fitted Blinds in Lounge - £200
Fitted Blinds in Master Bedroom - £50
Full length black out curtains - £20
Garden Border plants £80

I'm interested to hear what your thoughts are? I'm not really fussed about blinds etc, just can't get my head around the tree.

That seems excessive! Plants should just be left or if they want them dig them out and take them

I think they're trying you on - I would say I'm not paying and I would expect the tree to be left behind at the very least - What on earth?!

Cherry tree I would argue is left as part of the sale and you’re not paying for it- as a mature tree, moving it is unlikely to be successful. Trees don’t like being moved. Rest I would keep if I wanted them but otherwise tell them to take them. However I’d also take it as an indication of them being a potential massive PITA and tight AF.

It’s not like they’re going to dig up/cut down the tree, is it? If you need any of the other items, negotiate.

I wouldn't be paying for any of that. Blinds and curtains are generally bespoke and not something you can easily move to another house.

I would say you don't want any of it, let them dig the tree up and shift it.

I would get the solicitor to note that not only are you not paying for the plants / tree to remain, but that any damage caused by the removal of those items must be made good prior to completion.

people do!
we refused to pay hundreds of pounds for the tatty curtains in a previous house we bought and the seller took them with her even though they wouldn’t have fitted
she also took every lightbulb

Just say no thanks. They may well just leave them anyway.

I would honestly just tell them to take them as in most cases, they don't want to take them but just trying to make extra money. We had this happen to use and the seller wanted extra money for carpets, curtains etc and I told them to take them, we moved in and everything they wanted money for had been left behind.

The fitted blinds will unlikely fit in their new property anyway so I would just say nope, not paying, if you want them, take them with you and hope for the best! 😂

Tell them you don’t want none of it and won’t be paying - chances are they’ll just leave it because the blinds probably won’t fit the windows in their new house and I mean they can’t just exactly uproot and move a 16ft tree…

They seem like money grabbers tbh!

Tell your estate agent also that if any of their belongings are left in the property upon completion then you’ll be seeking recovery of costs from the vendor for their removal and disposal….

Agree with @Soontobe60
I have an ornamental cherry tree that is of sentimental importance to me. I told our buyers that it was not included in the sale and that I would be taking it with me, their solicitor requested that I fill the ground afterwards. It was a lot of work to dig up/ transport safely/ replant elsewhere and refill the hole though- I imagine if your sellers are indifferent about the tree then they really wouldn't bother.

I am always surprised by how petty vendors get about F&F. We were given market level pricing for F&F which we politely declined. Vendor kept some stuff and took away others even though we made it clear we wanted vacant possession only as we were renovating immediately. We had actual giant holes in our garden where the vendors dug out random mature trees. And then the crap they left behind in the attic and storage room!

Their disdain when I went through official channels to secure removal after 1 week of polite messaging that they ignored was incredible! Cheapskates then spent a whole day doing the clear out with sad faces rather than engage a professional. At the end they had the gall to huff and tell me it was a lot of work. Grrrr!

Sympathies OP. But do make a note via solicitors that they make good of the areas where they remove permanent F&F. And they should fill in the holes in the garden should they dig out the mature tree.

You can’t move the cherry tree, the blinds probably won’t fit anywhere else and I suppose they could dig up the border plants and make good. Blackout curtains is more reasonable I suppose.

We left all Venetian, day and night and Roman blinds, but took a pair of curtains, but left the pole. I asked to take one rose bush, bought in memory of a friend and we dug it up and made good.

We agreed to sell other items ( downsizing) and the buyers paid for them. We’d have sold them separately if not. There isn’t the room in the new house.

We had people who wanted a ridiculous amount of money for their smelly, old fashioned carpets so we said no and they removed them to spite us, did us a favour tbh. We found out from the neighbours that his company was paying for all their moving expenses so it was tight of them but that’s what some people are like. I guess if they’re petty enough to ask for money for these things they might remove them …

I think they can take all those things with them if they want to. I don’t think it’s OK for them to try to get you to pay for them to leave them.

It’s normal to take blinds and curtains. Also normal to leave them. I know some people do negotiate a price to leave them, but it does seem a bit penny-pinching to me. I’d be tempted to make them take them unless you really like them.

It’s not normal to take trees and plants and I’d call their bluff on those. Do they really want to dig up a tree and take it with them? Good luck to them if they do. I did actually take a rose with me when I moved: it was a silver anniversary present from my late mother. But I actually talked to the buyers first and asked if they’d mind and they were fine about it.

"Happy for you to leave these but we won't be able to pay an extra. If you do remove please ensure relevant areas are 'made good' "
then be nice and specific about how the ground , walls etc etc. should be left.

If they are inoffensive i might pay flr the blackout curtains for £20

Thanks all, your responses are all pretty much as I expected. In respect of my F&F list I've said I will leave all curtains if they want them and to tell me otherwise. I do have a lot of pictures to take down which were put up with command strips so I will spend time making the walls good before I go. Nervous of making anything good too early in fear of tempting fate with another Buyer pull out, and having to pull everything back up again to make it look nice for pictures etc.

I would expect plants to be left unless they where in easily movable pots. They are LITERALLY rooted into the ground. Imagine if people took the grass, gravel, decking and/or paving slabs too.

Do you want the blinds? I wouldn't pay £200 so just say 'no, just take them'. I might be tempted by the blackout curtains for £20 as we use black out ones and it would likely cost that or more to replace but it really depends on the condition, quality, size, colour etc...

Taking the tree is mad to me... people are so odd.

Also trying to get an extra £20 for some old curtains ... just why.

Just say you don't want any of it. They can't make you pay for it.