NBR: homeowners - is this typical?

mary5198 · July 2009

We're scheduled to close on our first house tomorrow. We bought a house that was completely remodeled from the ground up - new siding, windows, heating & A/C, appliances, roof, carpet, tile, etc. We did our final walkthrough, and realized that there are quite a few things missing - rods & shelves in closets, doorstops in all rooms, shower rod, medicine cabinet, things like that. Are these items that the builder is supposed to put in, or is it typical for this stuff to not be installed? I know it probably sounds minor, but we're putting every dime we have into the house, and don't have a ton of money left over for stuff. Thanks!

*sallymad* · July 2009

There were a few things missing from our home once we did the final walk through, we chose not to do anything about it. But you can ask the sellers/builders to include it

MrsJuneHawk · July 2009

Was all taht stuff there when you were first shown the house?

Mjmksb04 · July 2009

Some of that stuff is normal, our house was a new built and didn't have shower curtain rods, towel bars, window treatments, appliances (!). But we did have shelves in the closet. It really just depends on the seller.

What'sNext? · July 2009

Read your agreement carefully. From my understanding those things are supposed to be in the house (ours included curtains). When my sister bought her home (new construction) those items were also included.

TimingisEverything · July 2009

I would say for the most part it is normal. We had rods and shelves in our closet, shower doors and medicine cabinets but they are minor and since it was just remodeled could have not been installed. Seems plausible.

tiniestjohnson · July 2009

Look in your contract. All light fixtures, bathroom fixtures, window coverings, etc. SHOULD be included and left for the purchaser. Some people are very attached to stuff and make sure it is in the contract that they get to include it. If it is not in there, you can ask for it, or ask for a reasonable sum to replace it.

abrtpk1 · July 2009

I would definitely try to get that included before you close. Either have the builder complete the job or have money built into the offer so you're able to complete it.

smiling76 · July 2009

Really depends on what was agreed to---is anything in the contract? Were the items there when you first made the plans??

We had a new-build and had no window treatments, shower rod, etc--but did have stuff for the closets. Luckily, none of that is super expensive, but I see your point since money will be an issue.

susianddan · July 2009

If it's built in, it should be there.?

mary5198 · July 2009

MrsJuneHawk:
Was all taht stuff there when you were first shown the house?

It was just completed last week.

MrsRenee · July 2009

It just depends- if that stuff was there when you were looking at the house, then they should be included. We bought a new construction and there's a lot of things that aren't included- window treatments, shower rods, towel bars, etc. That's fairly common in this area though.

emiliemadison · July 2009

Does it say in your contract those finishes would be included? If not, then no, they're not included and the builder/remodeled has no obligation to add them. That's what contracts are for, especially if you put in an offer and signed purchase agreements before the house was even finished being remodeled. Did you not have anything in writing about what you could expect the finished product to include?

Jen0414 · July 2009

Those items were in our new construction home and were always in my parents houses they bought. I would ask about them. They might "throw them in". You never know unless you ask them.

luckymrs. · July 2009

What does your Purchase & Sale agreement say? Read the fine print. Also ask the realtor/attorney who is representing you. If it were me, (as long as the P&S didn't say something different), I'd get a credit figured into the closing amount so you can buy this stuff yourself, or get a written guarantee from the seller that they'll have all of it installed at their cost within 5 days (or whatever timeframe you need).

GL!

Lucky_Dragonfly · July 2009

window fixtures are not neccesites nor are curtain rods inthe bathrooms. sometimes with a new build they leave out something for the new owners to pck out and then they install.

Monkeybuttwhat · July 2009

It really depends on the contract.

We paid a little extra for our house because of the expensive upgrades in it. The contract stated anything attached to the walls, curtains, rods, etc.

We did inspection and noticed the owners were taking down the expensive knobs, cabinets, etc. and replacing them with cheap stuff. They were such jerks when we held them to the contract and made them put it back up.

meggiekins · July 2009

We bought new construction, and most of that was not included. We had to put in curtain rods, towel bars, shower curtain rods, etc. There was a shelf in each closet, and door stoppers. But that was about it.

Justinlove · July 2009

For new construction, those items are often not part of the deal but an "add on" package. Since you are buying a remodel, chances are what you see is what you get. When I bought my new home, it was specified that certain items were not going to be included in sale (including a chandelier, curtains, and a shower head). When we go to sale, we will probably also have a few stipulations that are no gos. It really is up to the seller and what is in the contract.

ErnSms · July 2009

we're putting every dime we have into the house, and don't have a ton of money left over for stuff. Thanks!

If you are a first time home buyer you should look into the first time home buyers tax credit. Once you close you can get up to $8000 and not have to pay it back! We bought a house in March and got the full $8K. It helped us so much! Oh and we were also able to do an ammendment on our 2008 taxes to get the money sooner. You can always wait until 2009 tax time, but if you are anything like us, we needed our money right away!

You can probably check with your CPA or if you do your own taxes you can talk with a place like H&R Block.

GL and congrats on getting a house!

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