My First Property

Buying Furnishings From The Seller

Occasionally the vendor will either agree to leave things in the house with you directly, or you will ask for certain things to be left and negotiate on price.

Perhaps if you like the curtains you will agree for them to be thrown in, perhaps at a certain price, and that sofa that you really like and was pretty much brand new... that's going to stay too. Is it OK to agree on fixtures and fittings in this way?

Well, it is and it is common place, BUT to avoid yourself getting burnt or having any nasty surprises, you MUST make sure that you tell your solicitor about all these things so that they are included in the contract. If it is not there then there is nothing you can do about it afterwards if you exchange contracts and find the sofa has gone!

Also be clear on price and whether you are paying for those things, and if so how much. It is amazing when buying something as expensive as a house often worth hundreds-of-thousands how het-up some people get on the difference of a few pounds here and there on the fixtures and fittings, so make sure that everything is clearly agreed in the contract.

In addition to fixtures and furnishings, there may be even more important things that you've agreed with the seller - again make absolutely sure that these are all in the contract, particularly when they are a condition of sale for you. For instance if there were issues that were picked up by the survey and you agreed with the vendor that all the changes to address those issues would be implemented prior to purchase, then make absolutely certain again that you told the solicitor of this and got everything put into the contract - it is essential that you are happy with the survey, the findings and the resolutions to any issues and that all of this is reflected accordingly in the contract.

The general rule is this: anything that you are concerned about or have discussed directly with the seller, ensure that you keep the solicitor up-to-date and that the contract is updated to reflect these things accordingly. Word of mouth is not good enough, and even though in the majority of cases may not lead to issues, you don't want to be the minority that is affected, so for your own peace of mind and security ensure that the paperwork is all there.

More first-time house buying articles:

  1. How To Research Property Prices in an Area
  2. What Is Freehold Property?
  3. Tips On Buying A Flat
  4. The Downside of Renting versus Buying
  5. What is a Mortgage?

 © Clarity Media    |    Copyright and disclaimer    |    My First Property     |     Insurance Details