Should It Stay or Should it Go?

You’ve gone through the staging and prepping-to-sell process, had buyers walk through your home and come back through again and now, you’re under Contract and ready to start the moving process. Finally!

The excitement has been building for months as you prepare, plan, strategize and negotiate. The appraisal, inspection and repairs are all complete so, now it’s time to roll up your sleeves and begin the packing process.

What stays and what can you take with you? Oftentimes a few weeks, if not months have passed by as you prepare for the movers to arrive. Chances are you may have forgotten an item or two that you and your buyers may have negotiated in the sale of your home. So, you’ll want to pull out your Contract and check the personal property section to see what you agreed to leave behind, making sure that those items are marked to ‘stay’ for your movers.

Many sellers ask questions about window treatments and what stays and what goes. The best rule of thumb is that anything that is affixed to the property by permanent measure stays. Is it glued, permanently mounted with screws or bolts?

Here is a list of items that you must leave behind unless you have previously agreed with your buyer that you are to take it with you…

Range/stove/oven
Any built-in appliances
Built-in audio/video equipment
Light fixtures
Ceiling fans
Attached floor coverings
Blinds
Shades
Drapery rods and curtain rods
All related drapery and curtain hardware
Window and door screens
Spa equipment
Pool equipment
Solar energy systems
Attached fireplace screens
Gas logs
Fireplace inserts
Electric garage door openers AND controls
Outdoor plants and trees (not in containers)
Basketball goals which are permanently installed
Storage sheds
Mailboxes
Attached wall mirrors
Attached door mirrors
Fuel tank(s)
Landscape or foundation lighting
Invisible fencing
Lawn irrigation systems
Water softener/conditioner and filter equipment

As per the North Carolina Offer to Purchase (Your Contract), removal of any of these items without previous agreement by both parties (buyers and sellers), is a breach of Contract and can cost a seller the loss of the Contract with full refund of Escrow Money Deposit to the buyer. After all that you’ve been through to get to the moving stage in the transaction, removing a permanent fixture is simply not worth the loss of the sale for any seller.

If you have any questions pertaining to fixtures which remain with the sale of your property, give us a call. Need a list of reputable movers? Give us a call at (704) 491-3310 or email us at SavvyBroker@me.com–we have a list of movers that satisfied clients have used that we’re happy to share with you.

Happy moving…