If you show the house with them they are going to have to stay, at least in most areas.

I would consider taking the switchplates, most people don't seem to care much about things like that. If the door hardware was really expensive you may be able to find something that gives the same general "look" at a lower price point, but I would change this ahead of time.

As for the curtain rods, perhaps that is something that you could use as a negotiator. Knock the corresponding amount off the price if you are allowed to take them with you, or they pay separately if they want to keep them. You should offer to replace with a basic rod since I am assuming the actual drapery would stay.

I think you could take the high end pieces out if you replace them with something that works with your look. I'd show the house with the drapes and stipulate that you're taking them with you. When I was buying and selling real estate I always took my good stuff and substituted. Let's see what others have to say, this is a different kind of market. Hope you get top dollar and good luck!

Just so you know, a high appraisal doesn't necessarily mean you will sell quickly or for the appraisal price. Find a good full time RE agent that has been in business long enough to see both good markets and bad and get their opinion.

Couple of questions. Are you in a high end area? Are the people looking at your home the type that will actually notice and be able to place a value on an $8 electric plate? Some people are able to discern the value of such things, others are not. Personally, I notice things like expensive knobs and doorsets and definitely can appreciate their value. But then again, I'm a horrible house snob!! I wish my house had those high end items!!

Bottom line I think is, if you remove the items - will the overall appeal of your home go down? Are you removing the items that give it the most character and charm? or will swapping out really only make a difference to the most discerning buyers? I don't know what market and price range you are in, but that might make a difference.

Best of luck!

Take your drapery rods with you. Are you going to be able to use locksets and hinges oat new house you buy? Leave those in old house.
Find a good agent to sell. People are looking for bargains right now.

I disagree about taking the rods with you. What are the chances that your new home will need the exact length of rods and drapes that you own now? That seems unlikely to me. A matter of 1-2" either in length (drapes) or width (rod) can ruin a whole look, especially if they are to look $$$ and custom anyway.

Take the switch plates and door knobs only if you can still find others to match should you need more and/or a different configuration in your new house. Otherwise, you are out the $ you spent replacing them with cheaper versions (and a whole house full of even average doorknobs and locksets is not cheap!!)

The odds of needing the exact same number of these things in a new house is astronomical.

The house was appraised with these items and removing them would decrease the value. You wouldn't have a house appraised and then replace all the faucets and lighting fixtures with cheapies. Or replace the appliances with low end ones after appraising it with them in. Or replace the furnace.

Why futz around shopping for new ones and spending a day or two, replacing them with ugly ones?

The new owners would probably want to replace the cheapies and they would end up in a landfill.

When I moved it was important for me to take my light fixtures since I knew they would have tripled in price. I went to the local Habitat for Humanity, and bought very nice *new* fixtures. The buyer never knew the difference. I'll do the same if I ever sell this home.

H for H has all sorts of items you can use for replacement purposes. ;o)

Take the switch plates and door knobs only if you're sure you'll reuse them (what will you do if you spend the $ on cheap replacements and then the next house you buy has really nice door hardware, or different size hinges, or toggle vs rocker switches?). Our real estate agent told us the rods had to go with the house (I left the full-length drapes too, just took the tab-top valances that now I don't even think we'll use in the new house). PP was right - if custom drapes and rods, are you sure you'd use them again? Could they be cut down/altered to fit different sized windows in you new house? I'd leave them up, but say if your drapes matched your furniture and you planned on taking them with you, tell your agent to tell them that you planned on taking the curtains b/c they matched your decor, but that the rods (point out price) were negotiable if the buyers loved them. I don't think it's worth it at this point to buy new rods and/or new drapes just to show the house. On the other hand, we did have a Rohl towel ring and robe hook we'd never hung in our old house, before the house went on the market I took the paper holder off and replaced it with coordinating one (left the towel bar install on tile wall) so that I could use it and the NIB pieces in my new house.

You could always leave them in and make clear they're *negotiable*, that way if buyers want them badly enough, they'll give you a decent price for them. Otherwise, you get to take them with you.

Ok I don't mean to be a door knob snob...but I have "expensive" doorknobs and sets, and yet, even if they're expensive, the cost to remove them and replace with cheaper ones does not pan out. In addition, the likelyhood that your sets will fit the doors in a new house is slim (they're not one size fits all...which I learned when I threw out the old ones).

And then there's the switch plate issue...do you really think you're going to find a house that has the exact same configuration of plates? You're going to end up buying more, and not using some, and in the end, again, is it really worth it? Would you even use that same plate style in your decor?

The same can be said for the windows, although in most markets window coverings are optional items to throw in (our were thrown in and we threw them out LOL). Stating in your sales docs that window coverings are negotiable or included or excluded is normal so you can go either way on that, but again, are all of your windows going to be the same?

The house was appriased as is (you can read that in this disclaimer). If you're going to reduce the value (and astetics count) you need to lower your price accordingly or have it reappraised.

By the way, on the lighting, that's something many people change out if they have special or antique fixtures. I will face that issue some day myself since 75% of my lighting is antique and as such accumulates in value. The same can be said for crystal chandeliers of certain quality and of course if you have grandma's chandelier hanging :) But again, remove before you appraise or you will be affecting value.

Wow-what a great response. So many different opinions. Here is what i came up with...Any dissenters are welcome!

The house was appraised for my refinance, not a buyer so I can switch out what I want now and replace. I would have to adjust the asking price accordingly. My realtor feels that the house would sell for the appraisal price for sure if not more. It is one of the less expensive houses in a REALLY expensive part of town and was done with great materials.

The lighting fixtures definitely belong in this house and removing them would decrease the value so I am leaving them for sure. Although they were expensive, I will rebuy them for the next house. I am not sure about the individual fabric shades though so maybe I can put in an allowance to buy the color they actually want.

My two downstairs rooms actually just have these big beautiful rods without any drapery on them. I took down the faded ones after Thanksgiving and haven't figured out what to do for new ones. I was thinking a basic linen or cotton drape would be fine to show the house with an exclusion on the window treatments. I really don't think the average buyer would want these rods. Can you exclude window treatments altogether with the promise to patch and repaint?

All the drapes are going with me. My mom made them for me and I think the average buyer would not be able to fit toile into their existing decor. Plus she would be really MAD! I know I can reuse them since this is the third house I have moved them too. I can adjust the length if necessary but I have never had more than 8 foot ceilings so I am not too worried.

I think I will ask the appraisal guy if the bronze hardware added value to the home. He specifically complemented my interior doors so I guess he did notice them. I have 12 interior doors with $100 of door hardware and $100 in hinges on each one. I would reuse the hardware for sure because my new house will be another gut job since that is what I do. I would buy the same doors that I always do and buy the same locksets again.

I agree that switchplates are not important. I don't think it is worth my time.
Thanks for all opinions so far. I know the market is crazy but I am not selling my house in a fire sale. I just want to avoid having to redo stuff in 5 years if I want to sell then. I don't mind painting because I repaint the whole house annually but I am worried about the new kitchen looking dated. The painted cabinet/soapstone look is trendy now and will look dated in 5 years I think. And my kids want a big dog and I want to sell the house without scratched floors since they are brand new.

Cleo, you say, "I would hate to see my favorite things thrown out by the new owners but I also don't want to strip the house of what makes it desirable to potential buyers."

Why not leave everything & then when you're offered a contract, simply ask the new buyers IF they plan to remove your artichoke rods, etc. If they do plan to remove them, you can offer to replace them with substitutes, explaining that these items are of special importance to you. If the new buyers appreciate your special touches, & perhaps they even factored them in to the desirability quotient of your house, (some detail-oriented people could) then at least you can rest assured that your carefully chosen features will be in good & grateful hands.

Stinky, the only problem with that is if they get a buyer who's not so nice :oP Our PO wanted a very very ugly and cheap chandelier (she claimed to have carried it on her lap from greece...I could have carried the same thing from home despot in the trunk). They made it clear that they wanted this item, so we used it as a bargaining chip. They kept the chandelier, but had to give us the $3000 fridge.

I personally wouldn't accept the rods being removed and walls patched. People get too slap dash about stuff like that when they leave (I don't care if you have pride in place and wouldn't do that...too many will so it's just not acceptable). If you really want them, I'd replace them with cheaper ones now that you intend to leave on site.

"The painted cabinet/soapstone look is trendy now and will look dated in 5 years I think."

I choked a bit when I read this...make sure you don't post this on the kitchens forum :)

(I have glass tile backsplash and Ikea Hallarum cabs, so I'm already comfortably out of date, but as 75% of the kitchens on g'web are 'something's gotta give', you may have a lynch mob coming after you!)

I think that if you don't have drapes on some rods now, just take the rods down, patch and paint (see if buyers even notice the patches). Anywhere you do have drapes, leave them up (you have to have some in the house) but tell them your mom made them, you are taking the drapes but will leave the rods if they really want them. Unless you or your agent think the house will sell without drapes in those rooms as well. Just don't offer to patch and paint if you take the rods down b/c then they will be looking with a magnifying glass just b4 closing!

Just make it clear in your listing that whatever items you want to keep do not convey.
We bought our home from friends who had an extensive art collection that was actually worth more than the house. They were building another house nearby, and as a favor to them, we allowed them to keep the artwork in our house until the workmen were out of their new home. We (jokingly) said to them, as they were carrying the artwork out, "It was hanging in here when we moved in, so we thought it conveyed."

Leave everything as it is, and stipulate that the drapery and rods do not convey. Then tell your agent privately that if the buyers really want them, you will establish a price. But don't cheapen the look of your house by cheapening the details. It's a world of trouble for no good end, and to knock tens of thousands off the perceived value for something you can replace for less seems "penny wise and pound foolish." Beautiful details also telegraph the idea that your house has been meticulously maintained, which makes it the one everybody will want in your price range.
We just sold a house that I had spent 15 years perfecting, and I know whereof I speak! Check your heart, too, to make sure you aren't just having trouble letting go of the fruits of your labor. Our buyers wanted everything, including the wall lamps that weren't hardwired, and we made a deal for all the things they wanted to keep. I mourned a lot of those things for about a month, and then was done with it.

I only take what has personal value to me. At the moment I have been moving with 3 chandeliers, 2 of which came from my grandmother's attic, the last one my husband bought for me that was salvaged from a haunted house that was being demoed. (Gosh, I hope that sentence made sense!)

Faucets, switchplates, ect, things with no personal value stay with the house. It simplifies life and moving (plus gives me a clean slate for the next house).

Thanks all. I did become attached to this house (I love Dutch Colonials) and considered making it my permanent one but I really want to be closer to the schools and the bike path for my kids' sake. I can't wait to do another kitchen too. This one will have a range like igloo's.

flyleft
When I did my kitchen 2 years ago, I was one of the first in my area to do soapstone. Now it seems to be in every magazine to my dismay. I laugh when I tell my sister that my traditional looking kitchen is the trend of the month. She is planning to do soapstone now too. My mom's goes in tomorrow. It's everywhere :0

I guess I should get the kitchen in the FKB finally since the final door will be trimmed out!

For what it's worth, I'd notice the doorknobs and switchplates in a nanosecond. And while they wouldn't make me love a house with a floorplan that didn't work for me, I'd willingly pay more for a house with such nice details so long as I didn't actually have to tell my husband I agreed to pay $1,200 more to get the seller to leave the doorknobs. In other words, if your buyers are likely to notice the quality, leave the high-end doorknobs and hold firm on your price. If your prospective buyers try to drive a hard price-bargain, give them an extra $1,00 off if you get to keep your door hardware.

The drapes and rods are more personal taste, and while they sound lovely, artichokes and toile won't be to everyone's taste -- so excluding them would be perfectly acceptable and not at all unusual.

I've got no advice on your take-it-or-leave-it dilemma, but wanted to add that I've been carrying around a soapstone sample since we bought our first house (with mauve formica counters - eek!) 10 years ago. I loved it then and I still love it - just can't afford to replace perfectly good counters on a whim (we no longer live in the mauve formica house - our current house has granite but I'm still pining for the soapstone). Maybe once soapstone peaks, it will get cheap and ubiquitous. Then after years of longing, it can finally be mine!

Good luck selling your house!

When we put our last house on the market, we included everything... and then we discovered that they hated the chandelier and intended to take it down... so we asked if we could take it with us, and they said yes. A $400 chandelier!

They said they were going to put in a gas washer and dryer... so we asked if we could take the "old" ones with us... and they said yes, so we did.

Just my two cents.

Dutch Colonials are my favorite too, gawd those are gorgeous houses.

I agree with mclark ask them. Although, people want everything they can get, but I could be wrong. Wouldn't hurt to ask.

Normally I would recommend leaving these things but not in this market. I am in contract on my house right now. My house was already priced to sell and the buyers still put in an offer 80,000 below our asking price and did not come up much from that. We have lost a lot of money on this deal. We are taking all our curtains and hardware and selling it on craigslist or ebay. We are also taking our swingset which we had planned on leaving. If it doesn't fit in the yard at our new place we will sell that to. We figured we have to make some money somewhere! We live in a very desirable area as well and the market has softened abit but not like other places. This is a new breed of buyers out there. They feel they are entitled to get a great deal even if causes the seller to go broke! Sorry, I'm a bit bitter. Talk to your agent and see how it is going in your area.

In a market like this you need every extra advantage, so I would leave it looking as beautiful and top quality as you can, if you are serious about selling. You can make a note in the listing that certain things are negotiable, or that the drapes do not stay, etc.

I would find out if the appraiser really included the value of the locksets, switchplates and rods. In a real estate appraisal, as far as I know, those things would not matter. For example, in a refinance, they don't care what your switchplates look like- they are looking at the permanent things in the home, the condition of the property and buildings, etc.

If you think they will help sell the home, leave them. Not worth all the hassle and effort to replace them, and honestly $8 doesn't really seem like that much for a switchplate these days. I checked a website that sells them, and many were 2 or 3 times that price, the rest about at that price.

Permanent items are included les, which would include the fixtures (ie door hinges and knobs and switch plates). Curtain rods would not be included in an appraised value.

The same can be said of appliances. A slide in electric range and stand alone fridge are not included in the home value, but a sub zero (or built in) and a range like mine (permanent due to size) are included in the values.

I'm not saying that the appraisor went through and assigned fifty bucks per door set :) You would instead see the value remarked in something like Fixtures and Finishes A++

You never know what is going through buyers' minds. I sold my last house 4 years ago and I had spent $$$ on the gardens. The wife told me how beautiful the gardens were and I was glad the house was going to a woman who would appreciate all my love and hard work. Two months after the closing I drove past the house and noticed every shrub and plant was pile in the curb for the yard waste truck. If I had only known I would have had 5 garden friends with shovels there the weekend befor the closing.
The moral of the story is... if you love it take it with you even if it is to resell it to someone else who appreciates it as much as you. Most buyers are going to have a completely different vision for the home than you.