When you buy a house, what items convey in your neck of the woods?

[Longhorn]

Here in Texas, only built-in appliances go with the house. Refrigerators, washers, and dryers generally do not. Drapery hardware, blinds, light fixtures, etc. convey -- draperies and curtains do not. Of course, there are items that can be negotiated into the contract but we were always told that if we had something that is attached to the house that we did not expect to include in the sale, then we should remove it before the house was shown so the buyer would not expect it to be part of the deal.

I've been watching a lot of TV shows on flipping houses or getting them ready to sell and they almost always show a brand new refrigerator as one of the upgraded appliances. Today, one of the sellers put in a set of high-end stacking washer and dryer. On one recent show, they even commented on how the house was missing the refrigerator. These shows are filmed all over the country.

Is this something new since we bought our house in 1996? Is it regional? Thanks! :hi:

[Wash. state Desk Jet]

1. Built in appliances

such as a drop in stove,dishwasher . If they want to buy your refrigerator and you want to sell it ,that's a separate deal. As a contractor, I have prepared many neglected homes for market.

You can call any Realtor in your locality and simply ask ,when you sell a house,what goes with the house ,such as stoves refers, and such. The answer will come back to you nothing ,just the house,exception to built in appliances such as a drop in stove and dishwasher. You know the exhaust fan over the stove, that sort of thing. The water tank ,the furnace ,.

People install new front doors, spot paint,fix fences ,areas of neglect.
Sometimes I go in and spray paint everything white and replace moldings to make the house presentable. Sometimes the outside too.
Maybe the main bathroom is shabby, so you remodel it to sell.
You do what is necessary to make the house and property presentable ,nothing more. The house and property itself.

Most people buy than remodel to suit themselves. Painting is nothing more than getting the house ready for show.

It is better for selling if there is just enough furnishings in the place to reflect a living scenario. Bear bones.

[Stinky The Clown]

2. Having lived in more than few places over the years, I can say ...... its regional

Here in the Mid-Atlantic and Northeast appliances convey. Stove, refrigerator, dishwasher, microwave (built-in, only), washer, dryer, icemaker, etc., etc., would all convey. So do window dressings. That said, there's no rules. Just customs. I've seen houses where only some of these conveyed and some where none conveyed (although that is very unusual).

What *is* done - virtually always - is to specify in the listing what does or does not convey.

[Warpy]

4. Back in eastern Mass, the refrigerator never conveyed

unless it was some sort of fancy built in job. Whether or not the washer/dryer conveyed was written into the contract.

Only the stove plus built ins conveyed.

[NMDemDist2]

3. in Phoenix, window coverings convey due to the heat

if the house has blinds or curtains, they stay with the house.

appliances like dishwashers and stoves stay, refers are negotiable as are washer/dryers

[Jersey Devil]

5. I believe it is regional - my experience in NJ as a lawyer

is that the refrigerator, washer/dryer are not part of the deal and the dishwasher and stove are always included. Of course that can change depending on what the seller puts in the real estate listing/contract, but the general rule is that if it is a plug-in appliance it it not included and if is a fixture that you have to do anything other than unplug (like use a wrench or any other tools to disconnect it) it is included.

I did have a closing once where the seller removed all the light bulbs and when the buyer came for the final inspection they had to use a flash light. At the closing table the buyer called the seller a "cheap Scotchman" and refused to close until the bulbs were put back in (which was done).

[Wash. state Desk Jet]

6. As a contractor Jersey Devil

who over the years has done work threw reality commissions your description seems to me to be right on the money. Water tank hard wired items that sort of thing. Although I have seen angry sellers that were experiencing discomfort over the closing price do the light bulb thing!And I do know the laws very from state to state.

[Jersey Devil]

9. Two things contractors almost always seem to leave out on new houses

Light bulbs and door stops. I don't know why since they don't cost all that much, but I've seen this on even multi-million dollar homes. It is a royal pain in the rear to have to go out and buy a whole house full of light bulbs after coming from a closing table where someone has just paid a great deal of money for a new house, then after screwing them all in, taking a shower only to find there is no towel hook and the bathroom doorknob has just made a dent in the sheetrock because there are no doorstops.

[TygrBright]

7. I don't know... I was gobsmacked Friday when a colleague reported taking possession....

...of her new house, to find that the sellers had removed towel bars, curtain rods, toilet-paper roll holder, wall-mounted shelving in the pantry and utility room, and several light fixtures (which were replaced with cheap single-bulb receptacles.) Some of the lever door handles had been replaced with cheap knobs, as had the kitchen cabinet hardware.

None of that was specified as not conveying in the sale agreement. She and her realtor are looking into remedies.

The human capacity for tacky behavior continually amazes me.

bewilderedly,
Bright

[Jersey Devil]

8. Look at the contract

Contracts almost always have a paragraph dealing with what is included and what is not. Here is one used by many lawyers in NJ:

10. Personal Property and Fixtures. Many items of property become so attached to a building or other real property that they become a part of it. These items are called fixtures. They include such items as fireplaces, patios and built-in shelving. All fixtures are INCLUDED in this sale unless they are listed below as being EXCLUDED.
(a) The following items are INCLUDED in this sale: gas and electric fixtures, chandeliers, wall to wall carpeting, linoleum, mats and matting in halls, screens, shades, awnings, trash cans, storm windows and doors, TV antenna, water pump, sump pump, water softeners.



(h) The following items are EXCLUDED from this sale:

Realtors' contracts are similar and in many cases more detailed with check boxes for various types of things to be included or excluded.

Finally, you should look at the real estate listing itself because when the brokers take a listing from a seller they usually require information as to what is included/excluded so they can feature those things in advertising and when speaking to buyers.

[Wash. state Desk Jet]

10. If you are buying a house

from a builder it comes down to every penny,right down to the cost of every nail! The builder will give you nothing more than is required by law. and less than that if allowed to get away with it.

In building a house for profit it will always reach the point where every expense cuts into the profit margin. And bank loans come due.

Getting around cost over ride begins at excavation even before the foundation is poured on the builders end!
By the time the framing is done time and money are running opposite profit. By the time the electricians get there the builder orders 14 gage wire every where except the kitchen or 220 circuits. Because of the difference in cost between 12 gage and fourteen gage wire.

By the time it comes time for fixtures ,the builder is out of time which is money and money itself!

Door stoppers are out of the question! And the bank tells the builder it's time to sell!

The building industry has it's own lawyers and builders hire lawyers that are way up on the laws in the builders locality.

Indeed now there is a very big difference when you buy a newly constructed home and as a buyer you should know exactly what to expect.

As a matter of for instance , if it is your money and your house plan,than the builder builds it the way you order it done, time is money. A unfinished basement will cost the homeowner far less than a finished basement. Many new home buyers know this and choose to save money . Later they finish off the basement themselves and increase the value of the home at the same time. Children come along ,thus necessity predicts the outcome!

If the builder is funding the project,the builder wants to sell you the house and nothing but the house . You buy your own fixtures ,door stops,stoves ,whatever you want it to be. The builder wants to sell you the house,the whole house and nothing but the house! The builder is not the least bit interested in creating your in house dream scene! You do that!

Truth is most builders lose out on their time which is money.

And lawyers that specialize in building construction laws ,sales of new construction homes ,reality law and on and so on are completely aware of the builders struggle to stay above water .

This is not to say there are no bad builders!Or that there are no bad builders,bad lawyers, bad doctors. Essentially there is good and bad everywhere!

And if it's your legal position you are seeking to cover, you need a specialist in your field of interest. Or you can look it up yourself.

And if you are seeking consul from a lawyer in a general law practice, you will save yourself a ton of money by doing so!

The laws very from state to state,I,am telling it from the builders end, you will get what is required by law. No more and no less. Unless of course there is something crooked going on!

[Jersey Devil]

11. Yes, of course, no argument there

I was not ripping builders, just thinking about my own rather amusing story of having a new house built and having to spend every weekend for a month afterwards at Home Depot buying stuff like light bulbs, door stops, towel racks and hooks, garden hoses and the finishing touches builders don't have the time (or money) to do before closing. I was very happy with my builder and realize building a house is no walk in the park. People tend to think new houses are a bargain, but what they are not considering is that new houses are not completely finished to the personal satisfaction of most people who will live in them. Only a few years of occupancy can accomplish that.

As for what you get, I wouldn't allow anyone to sign a contract to buy a new home that was to be constructed without the complete specifications attached to the contract with details for electric, plumbing, insulation, siding, roofing, floors, windows, etc. Of course every house must be up to code, but if you want things like 16 guage wire everywhere even though 14 guage is code then you have to put it in the contract (and pay for it as an extra). As for fixtures, most builders around here give the buyer and allowance for fixtures that is fair and if they want anything better the buyers have to pay the difference.

[Wash. state Desk Jet]

12. On the buyer end in new construction

Sure one would think ,I mean really is a towel rack too much extra. I myself have mentioned that in new construction. The answer coming back, if you do that where will it end? In all the different product lines who are you attempting to satisfy, you or someone you don't know anything about? Suppose they hate it, than what do you do since it was there? What if the buyer hates the location you choose? What than? Do you come back time and time again to satisfy the buyer? And where does that begin and where will it end? I mean I'm tell'en ya ,construction philosophy is no easy course to make the grade!

Simply I wanted to show the builders side to the issue.

In custom built homes the buyer is involved in all phases of construction . There is right where fine craft work applies . The builder working in the builders element without the bank breathing down the builders neck.

Everything as it should be.
On wiring ten and 12 gage is the way to go. Your point taken on the contract end.

Some building contractors will do anything to win the bid. Or the cheapest way about it. There can be no substitute for quality.Commercial grade code acceptable does not necessarily mean it is acceptable in the world of the builder.It is as though something is torn out of you when you run into low grade materials in remodel and the home owner really has no idea. They believe they bought quality.

Sub flooring as example and of course I can go on and on. But you don't tell the home owner their house isn't what they think it is. Nobody is going to fall threw the floor.

None the less sub standard materials do nothing more than piss me off.

On the electrical end wiring thins out over the years . If you start out thin ,well you figure. Although 14 gage is rated lights switch's and plugs. It's not good for big draw items such as the 15 amp. draw.

[The Backlash Cometh]

13. Florida

In Florida every window has to have some kind of cover. i.e. draperies, panels etc. Every light structure needs to have an acceptable lighting fixture, so if you don't want to lose a fancy candelabra, you take it down. Refrigerators and washers and dryers, I'm not sure, but most people leave them.

There is also a rule about something if it's custom built. It stays in the house, if I remember correctly.