What Comes with a House You Buy

If you’re in the market to buy a home, you’re most likely viewing plenty of television shows that center around buyers in search of the perfect property. Isn’t it amazing how the homes are always perfectly show ready and seem to come with all the right things? We agree that it would be incredible if all homes came fully decorated and furnished with all the elements that suit your style, but that doesn’t happen often. However, there are times when you may see things inside a home that make you ask, “Does this come with the house that I’m buying?” Let’s find out exactly what comes with a house you buy.

Take a look at the real estate listing for the property that catches your eye. When a real estate agent set up a listing for a home, they add details about things like how many bedrooms are included and the type of flooring throughout the home. They may also include information on what is included with the property. For example, look for a list of appliances that come with the home.

An open house or private showing is the perfect place to ask your real estate agent what comes with the home. During your tour of the property, you may see something that catches your interest that isn’t listed in the marketing details by the seller’s agent. Don’t ask the seller or their agent directly. Instead, quietly bring this to the attention of your real estate agent and let them handle the inquiry. This is important because a strong sign of your interest in something may be used as a bargaining chip that gives the seller a bit more power.

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It’s not unusual for the appliances within the kitchen to come with the property. In fact, it’s pretty common for this to happen. Appliances that come with the home may include the stove, oven, refrigerator, dishwasher, and build-in microwave. It’s less common for the washing machine and clothes dryer to come with the property, but if they match the color scheme, and you are interested, let your real estate agent know.

Many homes go through a staging process that gets them ready to be shown for open houses and private tours. Don’t be surprised if the décor and furniture in the home are not actually the property of the current owners and available with the home.

It’s not unusual for the curtains, drapes, shades, and other window treatments to come with the sale. This can be important if the windows are custom made or an odd shape and size. If this isn’t clear in the listing, be sure to ask your real estate agent. You may find it’s costly to replace window treatments that must be custom made.

In most cases, the fixtures, fittings, light fixtures, and ceiling fans will come with the property. You might just be surprised at what comes with some homes. If a seller is incredibly motivated to sell the property, you might find yourself the new owner of art pieces, hot tubs, and other larger items.

Let’s say you are walking through the kitchen and notice that the eating area has the perfectly placed kitchen table with seating that you adore. You lose nothing by letting the real estate agent know you would love to have these items come with the home. If the seller is willing to part with the items in the sale, you may end up having those added as a special inclusion. There may be an additional cost added with the inclusion, so you’ll want to be clear on these details before you have the inclusions added to the contract. If you feel strongly that you must have those items, it may be worth it to increase your offer on the home. Always check with your real estate agent first and play it cool.

As we touched on previously, it’s important to be extremely clear about what comes with the house you buy and what the seller takes with them. Finding out that the appliances you thought were coming with the home are missing on move-in day would be disappointing and frustrating. Get everything in writing and be sure to go over the contract with your real estate agent.

Your real estate agent is a valuable member of your home buying team. They represent your interest, are available to answer your questions, and act as a buffer between you and the seller when it comes to negotiations. When it comes to knowing what comes with the house you buy, you’ll want a real estate agent close at hand.

The best source of information about local communities and real estate topics is your real estate agent. Give Joshua Norber of the Norber Real Estate Group a call today at 248-785-3737 to learn more about the area, discuss selling your house, or tour available homes for sale.