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When most people tour a house, it is filled with furniture and belongings that, for the most part, belong to the family that lives there at the time. But there are bits and pieces of the home that stay behind once the sellers move out. Do you know everything that stays and everything that goes? Here is a helpful guide to walk you through the process of what you can expect to be there in the home when you move in and what you are going to have to provide yourself.
Although there are no concretes when it comes to what gets left behind during a move out, you can expect to have certain things available to you when you move in. All light fixtures should still be in place and you should expect them to be in perfect working order. Light bulbs, on the other hand, are a question mark. Some people leave them, some people take them, there really is not a definite answer on that one.
There are personal property items that you can, in most cases, expect to be left behind when you move in. In the bathroom, the last owners probably bought the shower rod, and towel racks in the bathroom. Those are usually left behind, but there is no guarantee that they will be. Drapery rods throughout the house are also usually left behind but not in every case. Built in items around the home like bookcases or shelving are left simply because they are made for that particular space and would not´t really fit in another house. All carpeting should still be there when you move in. Again, this was a "personal item" that the previous owners likely paid for and installed, but it would be a huge hassle to tear it up and install it in their new place, so you are right to expect it to be left behind. Large items like the furnace should still be there as well, even if it was just replaced at a high expense to the previous owners. A home without a furnace, especially if the home is located in a cold-weather area, is not much of a home at all.
Of course there is a huge caveat to all of these things. If the language is spelled out clearly in the sale contract that these items are the property of the seller and will be taken with them when they move out, then the buyer doesn´t really have anything to complain about. You would have had prior notice of the move and you shouldn´t be surprised when you move in that these items are gone. Any and all parts of the home can be put into the contract to claim ownership of.
Just like the seller can add in clauses that dictate what they get to keep, the buyer can actually request things like appliances to stay in the home when the seller moves. This works especially well with large ticket items that the seller makes known that they don´t want to keep. Things like a snow blower if the family is moving to Florida, or a piano if the family is moving to a small home that won´t have room for it. Sometimes these items can be had for a great price and then you don´t need to worry about moving them out if you´re the seller or replacing them if you´re the buyer.
Knowing what to expect on moving day is a big deal. It is one of the single most stressful days of anyone´s life and the icing on the cake for some is getting to your beautiful new home, unpacking and then wanting nothing more than a hot shower to relax, only to find out the seller took the shower rod with them. Being prepared for your move is absolutely vital and having things spelled out clearly in the sales contract is a good step in the right direction. You don´t want your first night in your new, beautiful Sarasota home to be bitter because basic amenities you thought were going to be there weren´t. Buying Sarasota FL real estate should be a wonderful experience but make sure you get everything in writing before moving day. GBrey | 