A young, Naples, Fla., couple thought they`d covered all the angles in the purchase of their first home. They`d wangled the most favorable mortgage rate and had a professional building inspection.
Their sales contract stipulated what items they expected to come with the house, including the washer and dryer. What they didn`t anticipate was a last- minute switch that left them with a washer and dryer that was older and smaller than the ones they saw when they made their offer.
So the thrill of taking possession was diminished by the knowledge that to some degree, they`d been taken.
It`s no comfort that the last-minute switcheroo is common, particularly when the words of the contract are general, rather than specific. For example, the contract may say that the house comes with draperies, but unless it spells out the lined white-on-white drapes custom-made for the windows, the buyer could end up with a cheesy imitation, plucked from a discount store clearance table.
After the house is sold, some sellers get terribly attached to the shelf in the garage or the chandelier they got as a gift. Some may not be able to leave the hibiscus bush they nurtured from a seedling. They think the buyers won`t miss such things, but they are mistaken. While the seller is thinking,
”They`ll never miss this mud room storage shelf,” the buyer is thinking,
”Oh great, it even has a mud room storage shelf.”
Real estate pros suggest that the seller go on an emotional tour of the house before it goes on the market. If the chandelier is too dear, replace it before the first potential buyer walks through the door or make sure that what`s excluded is understood and itemized in the contract.
Realty agent Marie Easley says that everything attached, affixed or built in normally goes with the home, but because there are some gray areas, it`s wise to have everything, no matter how small, written down.
The best protection for buyers is an inventory listing the name brands of the appliances-even the serial numbers would be a good idea. To guard against mature greenery regressing into twigs, photograph the exterior and the interior. A detailed inventory is particularly key if the premises are furnished. If the sales contract lists ”12 paintings,” the buyer may be surprised to find a different dozen than those that hung on the walls in past visits.
A final walk-through also should be stipulated in the contract. About three to five days before closing is a good time. That gives the seller enough time to make changes, if needed.
If the sellers do the right thing, everything ordinarily will be as it should. If not, the new homeowners will have learned that trust can be an expensive luxury.
