As the title says, my mate is moving house shortly and has just found out that the seller intends to take the plug sockets, light switches and light fittings with him! Seems rather extreme, but he claims it's within his rights as they aren't on the 'fixtures and fittings' list.

Not sure whether he intends to replace them with 'white' versions, or just leave the wires dangling? Surely there are some legal safety implications here, not least considering that (AFIAK) electrical work (assuming this counts as electrical work) may now only be legally done be a qualified electrician?

Is this normal? Any suggestions?

I've suggested he asks for signed documents to prove that the removal work was done by a qualified person ...

 

From memory you would not be allowed to leave wires.

TBH, if somebody did that to me, I'd pull the plug on the move, regardless of how much I wanted the house.

 

Having just moved, in the Sellers pack, you have to state if you are taking things such as lamp shades, sockets etc. If you are, it also states that you must replace them with a standard pendant fitting as a minimum. Things must be "made good" and left safe. In theory, if you take a picture AND the hook, you should fill the hole as well.

 

When I bought my house the previous occupant had taken the letterbox, the battery out of the smoke alarm, some light bulbs, plants out of the garden, and the shed, leaving a live electrical cable exposed where the shed used to be. I couldn't believe it and my solicitor wanted to take action because the shed was on the list of things to stay (as was the letterbox!). Needless to say I didn't bother, if she wanted to take her pox-ridden pants and lightbulbs she was welcome to them, stupid cow.

 

changing sockets isn't covered by the new electrical regs.

Surely something can be done on the grounds that the house will not be in fit state for habitation when he leaves?

Sockets aren't counted as fixtures and fittings so they wouldn't be listed. A case for his solicitor methinks - no sockets = no sale may make him think twice.

 

Bloke i know bought a cottage in France and the seller took the bathroom !!!!

 

Mmm.... The reason they aren't on the F&F list is because they are regarded as an integral part of the property. It's a bit like saying they'll take all the door handles and locks - acceptable if agreed beforehand, provided they are replaced with suitable functioning alternatives.

If they are planning to do this, and provided your mate agrees to the replacements that they are providing, I'd suggest incorporating this agreement as an express term in the contract for sale. That way, there can be no doubt as to what was agreed - otherwise Sod's Law dictates that the parties will end up falling out over this.....

 

Why do you think Scoobynet will give you a better answer than the paid solictor ?

D

 

Cos some of us are qualified to.....

 

if she wanted to take her pox-ridden pants and lightbulbs she was welcome to them, stupid cow.[/QUOTE]
Bloody hell, who in their right mind would want her "pox-ridden pants", still it take's all sort's.

 

So you're acting for Andrew's mate & have the fixtures & fitting list the vendor signed ?

D

 

Thanks for all your input. Apparently the guy has now agreed to replace all the removed fittings with new white plastic ones - my mate's solicitor pointed out that this was in the small print of the fixtures and fittings form! (As you said, OllyK.)

Bit of a result really as the existing fittings were a rather nasty olde worlde brass type anyway ...

Thanks for all the constructive replies!

 

Obviously not - but I know what the procedure is.... Stick to constructive posts in the future, eh?

 

So he rang the solictor he was employing - genius.
(I gave him the answer in my earlier post - I can't get anymore constructive than that.)

D

 

Was going to say that the stuff they wanted to take was probably brass/stainless or something different to the normal white stuff.

he should make sure the replacements are MK or one of the better quality brands - not some 99p rubbish

 

Why on earth would anyone buy from someone like that in the current market. If it was me I'd pull out and leave them to find another buyer. Well worth the legal fees just to p1ss them off.

I'd advise him to look very carefully at all aspects of what's going on with these type of scumbags.

 

How fecking petty can some people be!!!

 

It sounds like a communication issue to me. If they do have good quality brass light switches and sockets that could be a lot of money, say £4 / £5 each, 4 or 5 per room and you're over £100 in no time. OK no big deal in the scheme of things, but then not many people think "sod it, I'll leave the washing machin it's only worth a couple of hundred quid".

I wouldn't have had issue in similar circumstances, it would just have been nice if they had clarified it up front, i.e. "We want to take our brass sockets and switches but we will ensure that standard white plastic ones are put in place before you take posession" That would have saved a whole load of confusion.

 

Previous owner of my place not only took the curtain rails, but also the wooden battens they were fixed to. They also left behind a leaking radiator and a blown immersion heater.


M

 

people never cease to amaze do they?

 

Difficult to believe anyone can be that petty!

Les

 

when my mate got his house the last owner took the garage door and all the light fittings

 

Oi you ! Get to Chaverefe

 

When i was a kid & we moved house, the prevous owners took all the FLOWERS out the garden??? WHAT!!!!!!!!!

i moved into my flat, with my wife to find that all the LIGHT BULBS had been taken,

But light switches & plug sockets, DO ME A FAVOUR

 

Pah! Small fry.

When I moved in, the b!tch took the combi boiler. Taking the water heater itself is standard here, but the combi boiler is the main part of the central heating FFS! (Perhaps a blessing in disguise - the new one cost a packet, but I know it's new and under guarantee. Thanks Mog here for advising me on it!)

Leaving wires dangling from the ceiling is also standard. I think it is in Belgium, too.

She also said about the grate in the fireplace "Oh and my father made that specially, so if you don't mind, and if you don't want it...." Well we effing DO want it!


But the best bit - the 15ft palm tree in the front garden, with over 2ft diameter trunk! "Oh, and if you don't want it, if you're going to cut it down, tell me and I'll take it with me, as I do love it..." We looked at her aghast. "Oh it's quite normal, you come along with a digger and just lift it out...."


The best bit was, we found later, she was fibbing about moving into a nice house, and was actually renting a small flat! WTF would she do with a palm tree in a flat?

Frankly I reckon she was just annoyed at having to sell for considerably less than asking price, and was trying to scavenge anything she could.

 

We were left with just standard pendants hanging from the ceiling. Didn't really bother us, because we bought some nice chandeliers to go on instead. But we did look at one house where they told us they'd be taking the carpet from the bedroom. WTF? It's pretty unlikely their new house has exactly the same size room, and how much is a bit of bedroom carpet worth anyway (it wasn't even nice)?

 

no contract see brief before signin

 

When i moved into my first house, the cooker had been exchanged from a nice 6 month old unit, to a brown, scum incrusted piece of ****. Needless to say the I was not impressed. Got the solictor to write a few sh1tty letters, and soon found out new cooker had been "given" to her sister. A few letters later and nice new shiney cooker arrives, plus agreement to get a sparky in to connect it up
One false invoice later and I had new cooker plus £75 up. Just stick to your guns and get the solictor to deal. Thats what you pay them for!

 

It's not unheard of to remove light fittings or switches - some of them (at £30 a light switch) are worth taking.

Of course, they have to be replaced, which they will be no doubt. You can even remove the plants from your garden!