What has to stay when selling?

My husband and I have gone back and forth with selling and if we do it won’t be for about another year. My question is what has to stay? We recently bought a few things with gift cards from Christmas, such as outdoor solar lights to attach to the house, the arlo cameras and the nest. If we were to sell, would these things have to stay? Or would we just remove them before listing? I don’t want to invest in these things if they would have to stay I’d rather return them and buy them in the future if we sell.

Re: What has to stay when selling?

You can exclude them from the sale.

Re: What has to stay when selling?

You can exclude things, you can remove things before listing, personally. I would not install what you said if you plan on moving in a year because you will leave holes and it will look bad taking it off. I would wait on furniture to have things fit a new home.

What has to stay when selling?

DH just installed the nest and was asking me the same thing because he wants to take them with us when we sell. I think he's kind of splitting hairs but I said he has to take them out and replace them before we show the house.

What has to stay when selling?

I would just hold onto the old theromstat and whatever else you buy and replace with the original stuff before you start the process.

Re: What has to stay when selling?

Typically, all fixtures stay and obviously all of your personal property goes with you. Fixtures are things that are attached to the house (overhead light fixtures and ceiling fans, wall air conditioning units, smoke detectors/Co detectors). Typically large appliances are considered fixtures - kitchen appliances, washer/dryer. Custom window treatments usually stay as well.

So outdoor solar lights that are affixed to the house, and thermostats/alarm systems would typically be expected to stay. As others have said, you can exclude fixtures from the sale, but then you would either provide a replacement for the item that would typically come with the house, or a credit.

So for example, if you have personal attachment to a dining room chandelier -- maybe it's a family heirloom - you can take it, but you can't just leave wires dangling out of the ceiling and no light there. You would have to get another light fixture (something basic, builder grade) to put in that spot.

With most things, like the example above, it's usually better to make that swap PRIOR to putting the house on the market. It's just easier and a cleaner negotiation, no misunderstandings.

I've had clients want to take their washer/dryer, because it's brand new or high end, and in that case, if they didn't want to replace with a cheaper version before listing, they could always exclude the washer/dryer from the listing and offer the buyers a washer/dryer credit. Unless it's a knock down house or a new construction, most people expect a washer/dryer to come with the home.

If you are sure you are going to sell your house, I'd probably wait on upgrading to the Nest system and do it in your new house. Same with the solar lights. If you are on the fence about selling and really want those things, you can go ahead, and then deal with it when the time comes. Your realtor can advise the best course of action then, depending on the type of house, the price point for the house, the area, etc. What would be a good solution in certain areas wouldn't work in others.

But the best rule of thumb when dealing with property exclusions (or really anything, when selling a house) is to be proactive and deal with it upfront. You don't want to muddy negotiations when you are in the heat of them with small issues. In my experience, as long as parties are upfront about everything, deals usually go smoothly. It's when someone feels like they had the rug pulled out from under them, or some sort of bait and switch went on, that sales can go south. Honesty and clear communications are the best way to go, always!

Hope this helps!

What has to stay when selling?

I wouldn't "exclude" from the sale, I'd take out before you list. We did that on 2 chandlers that matched that we really liked. Nothing super special but we wanted to keep them.

Personally, I wouldn't be putting anything expensive in for the next year if yo're going to sell then. The nest isn't hard to swap, but keep the existing thermostat and don't put more holes in the walls. The cameras I think you should leave if you install them as they're going to leave mounting holes everywhere you put one. Solar lights I guess just pick up out of the garden..

What has to stay when selling?

We swapped everything out before we listed. You don't want any confusion or hurt feelings.

My in laws didn't swap stuff out with their first house and asked their attorney to exclude it in the contract. They didn't double check the contract, and the attorney hadn't excluded the items. They swapped out the mailbox before they moved, and the buyers complained and demanded the mailbox back. My MIL is still upset about losing her mailbox 15+ years later.

Edited to add, you don't want to show them a house with a Nest and then put in a generic basic thermostat. Even if you're upfront about it, I think it would feel like a bait and switch to your buyer.

Message edited 1/22/2018 12:36:56 PM.

Re: What has to stay when selling?

When we bought our house the sellers told us upfront that they were taking the fridge because the house they were buying the people were also taking their fridge so they needed it.

So I knew going in that we'd need to purchase a fridge.

I think you can be upfront about what you want to take with you know? It's yours. If you want to take it, take it- but you have to make that known from the start

Re: What has to stay when selling?

Re: What has to stay when selling?

Re: What has to stay when selling?

You would have to specify in the contract what you are taking. I know the old owners of our house specified that they were taking one of the lighting fixtures and a mini-fridge. For the lighting fixure they just had to make sure they replaced it with another one.