Kitchen Appliances as part of house sale?

Kerry25x

We're selling our house at the moment and just wondering what the usual etiquette is with kitchen appliances? Dishwasher, fridge, washing machine, dryer etc.

We haven't specified in the listing whether we're taking them or not and the estate agent kind of said it's up to us but I don't want to be lousy to the people buying our house if they're normally left behind.

That said, I'm not sure what appliances our sellers will be leaving in the house we're buying yet either and a lot of our current appliances are newer than the ones there anyway.

listermint

Decide if you want to keep them or take them. Arguably most folks leave them behind. But also maybe ask the purchaser if they want that many people rip them out immediately and they're binned for new.

MrsBean

Yeah I reckon they are included in most sale but it's up to you to decide. We just bought a house and the cooker, fridge/freezer and washing machine were included which was a huge relief as there are plenty of other things on the list that need purchasing, couch, beds, furniture, curtains etc as we are FTBs.

SteM

I wouldn't expect anything to be left behind unless it was integrated to be honest. When we moved into ours only oven & stove top were left, I was delighted not to be left with an old fridge, dishwasher and washing machine etc.

Leg End Reject

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121163546#Comment_121163546

Yep, generally only integrated appliances are left.

If you look at ads many will state the utility is plumbed and the picture will show appliances, it implies the appliances will be removed but your own can slot in easily.

Kerry25x

Thanks all. Good to get some opinions. There were no kitchen appliances in the house when we bought it other than a really gross old fridge that we immediately replaced, but it was a cheap bank sale and the place was very run down then anyway, so it feels a bit different now that we're selling it in "ready to move in" condition.

Will definitely be leaving behind the cooker anyway because it's gas and we won't have gas mains in the new place. But our American fridge freezer is less than a year old and we paid €1450 for it, washing machine and dishwasher are both under 3 years old too and working great so I'd like to hold on to them but don't want to be an asshole either.

herbalplants

When we sold our own house, all white goods were left behind to the new buyers.

Also previously years back I was involved in buying a house with my parents, the previous owner left everything in the kitchen including kitchen table and chairs and few other bits and it was great help.

Addmagnet

The last time I bought/sold a property it was stipulated in the contracts what was staying, and the decision about what stays or goes was entirely down to the seller (and was negotiable, as all things are ofc) - now, this was a long time ago in a galaxy far, far away, but I would have thought it holds true for modern day Irish transactions, and I'm mildly surprised no-one has suggested talking to your solicitor/conveyancer.

Leg End Reject

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121165920#Comment_121165920

The estate agent is the one to talk to about inclusions first, you can take curtains, carpets and light fittings if you want (as long as you leave a cable and attachment for a bulb. Some people even take their own bloody bulbs!)

Kerry25x

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121165961#Comment_121165961

The estate agent has just said it's up to us although when we queried it I got the impression he expected that we'd be leaving them. I was more wondering what the general public expectation was.

We're still at the viewing/bidding stage currently so there is no buyer yet, might come down to whatever requests they make when the time comes.

Leg End Reject

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121166147#Comment_121166147

I'd take the appliances if I was you.

SteM

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121166147#Comment_121166147

He expected you'd be leaving an almost new American fridge freezer? Bit cheeky if he did to be honest, he's not the one that has to replace it.

You decide what you want at this stage and make it clear to him. White goods not included in sale should not put anyone off putting in an offer for a house if they want it.

Calahonda52

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/2058315702/kitchen-appliances-as-part-of-house-sale

Don't mind the EA, you decide and have it explicit during viewing and in the contract for sale. end of

Pistachio19

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121165773#Comment_121165773

There's no way I'd leave them given they are so new. Just tell EA you will be taking them. You're not being an asshole at all.

Angelica24

The estate agent just wants an easy life and to tell the purchasers all appliances are included. You should suit yourself and take whatever you want if they are not integrated. It would not be typical to leave behind a free standing fridge.

pooley124

Yep definitely take all free standing appliances.You can negotiate separately for the curtains, furniture and appliances if you want but chances are the buyers will try to get them for next to nothing.

I have heard of people taking lightbulbs but that's just mean.

jellies

We are just closing on a house and the washing machine, dryer, heating stove were all listed on the sale brochure. But the vendor has taken them all when clearing out the house. We needed them because we left ours when we sold our place and might be a year before we do up the new place. Our solicitors are dealing with it and we assume they will have to put them back or else we will get a discount for new ones.

Moral of the story. If there are things you wish to take (like your fridge) just be clear about it so the new owners can make plans accordingly. We’d have had absolutely no problem if the vendor told us up front and they weren’t listed in the sales brochure.

Kerry25x

We will be clear, I must say it to estate agent again.

They actually took the heating stove out of the fireplace? That seems very mean! We have a stove here and it wouldn't even cross my mind to remove it.

pleh

We requested to keep the appliances and curtains but not furniture.

The washing machine was easy to get rid of when i bought a new one the old one was taken away by the retailer. I put the fridge in the garage as a beer fridge and got a new one.

I wanted to keep the curtains (though old) as we knew we wouldnt move in immediately, so it needed to look like someone was home with light timers and visiting to open and close curtains.

I didnt want the furniture as in general bulky items such as beds are hard to get rid of. Specifically i didnt want the hassle of bargaining a price for individual items in the house, so easier to say none thanks.

Even though the house was supposed to be cleared there was still a few things left behind. I was glad of the side lamp so i could check which plugs were working. Some kitchen items. Some tools in the garage. Also there was wooden counter top, i didnt notice it when viewing, they either didnt rem it was there or didnt see it either.

embracingLife

Kitchen appliances & furniture belong to the vendor/seller and no whining by the buyer can change that irrespective of what you think the EA told you.

You can ask to include them in the sale but it's completely up to the seller to say no or yes and they can also ask for a separate amount of money for the buyer to buy them.

There's nothing that the buyer can do about it including as someone here said they're getting their solicitor to persuade the seller to return them. Unless the buyer requested at the start of the buying process that the appliances were to be included in the sale, it's a stretch at the end of the process that they want the appliances returned. I don't know what sort of advice the buyer got from their solicitor during the sale process but they got bad legal advice.

Claw Hammer

It can be a breach of contract to leave appliance/furniture behind. You have to give vacant possession and a buyer can refuse to close if there is anything left in the house which is not a fixture such as a door and frame which is pat of the structure. Likewise bathroom appliances.

Kitchen appliances can be left by agreement but estate agents generally don't want the hassle. They end up in rows about appliances not working etc. The appliances can't be mentioned in the contract because the bank will subtract the value of them before calculating the LTV ratio.

People have no right to expect appliances without asking and EAs don't want to complicate matters discussing them. You simply tell the EA that if someone asks you are willing to leave items.

RichardAnd

All installed appliances in my house were left in place as part of the agreement of sale. The microwave, dishwasher (which I never use) and fridge all remained when I moved in. Beyond that, anything that wasn't nailed down was gone. I found a few tools in the shed that I kept, and there was an old safe (empty) in the hot press, but that's all.