Clarify inclusions with the selling agent:
It is recommended that people clarify the status of a feature or item by asking the agent whether it is included in the sale of a property.
Unfortunately, sometimes a buyer moves into their new home and finds the features that ‘sold’ the home are gone.
When they query the missing items with the real estate agent, the proud new homeowner finds that the feature was a ‘fitting’ and not actually listed on the contract as part of the sale.
Fixtures are defined as “anything on the property that is ‘screwed in’, ‘glued in’, ‘nailed in’, and ‘bolted in’ or ‘plumbed in’ to the structures on the property.
Freestanding movable items are called chattels – they can be included with the sale of the property but must be noted on the contract.
Typical fixtures include stoves, hot water systems, fixed carpets, clothes lines, satellite dishes, TV antennae, in-ground plants, ceiling fans, mail boxes, security doors, built-in bookshelves, and built-in air conditioning systems.
Pool and spa equipment, potted plants, washing machines, ride-on mowers and large garden tools are good examples of chattels.
Items such as barbecue hotplates, sprinkler systems, curtain rods, gas bottles, dishwashers, and light fittings often cause debate and are grouped in a ‘grey zone’ that should be clarified with the selling agent.
