What goes with the home during a sale and what doesn’t

Many times, personal property is included in the transfer of real property. That’s a fancy way of saying sometimes sellers are willing to leave some of their furniture in the house for the buyers, for some monetary compensation.

Whether sellers are downsizing, going bigger, or moving in with a family member, they often no longer want or need the furniture and accessories in the home they’re selling.

Let’s not confuse personal property with what’s included in the sale of any home in California. That typically includes anything affixed to the home, like light fixtures, ceiling fans, bathroom mirrors and the fireplace screen that keeps flames from setting the floor on fire.

Personal property includes things like couches, beds, refrigerators, bookcases, dining tables, and patio furniture.

Not to worry. The refrigerator, washer and dryer can be handled in the purchase contract, as well at the TVs and their mounts.

When there is an agreement between sellers and buyers to transfer the ownership of the couch and the patio furniture, it is everyone’s best interest to do this outside of escrow via a cashier’s check. And be specific. Taking pictures and creating a spreadsheet will serve both parties well.

That way you know exactly which couch and which pieces of patio furniture the seller is willing to part with for a fraction of what they originally paid for them.

And it helps the seller remember not to have the movers pack those specific items on the moving van – especially when the sellers are moving cross-country. It would be inconvenient and expensive to send the couch back to California from Florida.

Here’s a tip for buyers. While you’re patting yourselves on the back for scoring a smoking deal on the couch and patio furniture, which the seller has no way of knowing that you were planning to buy online for full price, make sure you have your photos and spreadsheet with you when you arrive for your final walkthrough. This will allow you to verify the condition of the home and to verify that everything you agreed to purchase is still in the home.

The last thing you want to do is to hand over your $300 cash payment for the deck furniture on your four-story, ocean-view condo while on the first floor, only march up three flights of stairs and discover the dining table that was on the deck is no longer there.

By Leslie Sargent Eskildsen is an agent with Realty One Group West. She can be reached at 949-678-3373 or leslie@leslieeskildsen.com.