I would expect a mirror in there. As a buyer I would be upset if there wasn't one.

Interesting. Our realtor asked when she first saw our house if the mirrors (we hung) were staying. I said I assumed they had to. She said if they are hung like a picture, they can be taken since they are not attatched to the wall. We said no...that wouldn't be nice. But, now I have been looking for the same mirrors for my new house (I got a great price) and I can't find them, so I must admit I am considering it. Whew..that seems not nice....but...

Funny, all my mirrors are hanging like a picture, not the flate type in a channel. I want to take them, but don't want to be rude. I'm trying to figure out the right thing.
When I bought this house (different one)the mirror hung like a picture was taken by the seller. I just bought another.

Unless you listed it as an exclusion and that it wouldn't transfer with the property, you'd be wise to leave it. It would have been best to have taken it down and put in a different mirror before the house was listed. I would be pretty miffed if I walked into the house after closing and a bathroom mirror was gone. I wouldn't want to find a cheap one in it's place either.

If people want to take items like that, they should really change them out before the house is viewed by potential buyers.

Gloria

I could understand your taking a mirror that was hanging in your dining room, but NOT over the vanity. You taking the shower head, too?

If you want the mirror, take it down before you start showing the house. That being said - what would you think if you were viewing a house and there was no mirror in the bathroom? You obviously are going to have to put something in the space.

You are not required to leave the mirror. If it was attached to the walls with screws and brackets or in some other permanent way then, yes, you would have to leave it. As it is hung as a picture, you are free to take it with you.
When we moved into this house, the old owners took the mirror over the vanity in the powder room. We expected them to - it was not a permanent fixture. We will be taking ours when we move. The house we move into has a picture-hung mirror. We exect they will take it with them.
Congratulations!

You reminded me that I need to go to the Depot to see if mine is still sold, if not I need to buy a replacement and change it out before listing. It's etched with magnolias.

How large is the one you want to take? Have you checked Lowes or Depot to see if they have something similar to replace it with? Since it was hung when the contract was signed, I think it would be safer to replace it before they come back for the walk-through because it could be a deal breaker. As a buyer, I expect some type of mirror over a vanity and wouldn't be happy if something wasn't there to fill the spot.

Dont laugh about the shower head, our seller took them!! They were nothing fancy, but they were not the energy saver ones, so lots of power,lol I asked our realtor should we write them in the contract, he said no! Sure enough on walk through they were gone, lol We casually mentioned it at closing, and the seller acted all suprised. Gave us $50 to go buy new ones,lol

Well, I see both sides of this issue. But, I do think that since it doesn't seem to have been discussed with the buyers, I think it would be rude to take it & just chalk it up as a lesson learned. I would be upset if I walked into my new home, headed for the "facilities" & oops...no mirror where one should have been. It would start things off with a nasty taste in my mouth for the sellers.

My reasoning was weighted heavily in this direction because for several decades bathroom mirrors were permantely attached & people have become accustomed to them not being removed. Recently, styles have returned to more picture-style hung mirrors. But, this is still in the minority of homes throughout the country. So, I believe most people are still of the mind-set that bathroom mirrors are permanent. Unless, of course, it's noted in the contract or even just a side conversation between buyer & seller.

Even if it's a several hundred dollar mirror, I wouldn't take it. But, I would be saying, "Darn...wish I'd thought to bring this up much sooner!"

Congratulations on your sale...

Tricia

"You are not required to leave the mirror. If it was attached to the walls with screws and brackets or in some other permanent way then, yes, you would have to leave it. As it is hung as a picture, you are free to take it with you."

The OP says it is "a framed wall mirror"... no mention of how it was hung.
Some people take a plain screwed or bracketed mirror and attach picture frame molding around it. We have NO idea HOW this mirror is hung.

BTW - - I think it should stay, no matter how it was hung. A mirror over a vanity is expected.

I too would expect a mirror to stay, but if it wasn't attached permanently to the wall as a buyer I'd actually write it into the contract. We've learned through the years of purchasing homes to put things like that in, to ward off surprises. My son just bought a home, the home was vacant, all mirrors were gone, but it was a foreclosure and I've heard that in foreclosures the previous owner takes everything they can. In this case they took the mirrors.

I'd expect anything that's attached to a wall, ceiling, whatever, to stay. If you really want it, then take it, but definitely replace it with a new mirror. I agree with others who say that you should have included that it was reserved in your listing.

When I first bought my previous house I replaced the standard wall mirror in my powder room with a fancy art-show mirror that was hung loose like a picture. My movers packed it up and I didn't notice until they were offloading the truck.

But the couple that bought our house actually first saw the house after we had moved out. I'm just realizing for the first time that they must have noticed that the powder room had no mirror! I bet that looked pretty strange. Now the mirror is sitting in a closet taking up space since I don't have a good spot for it in my new house. I probably should've just taken it back and given it to the buyers.

We had an artistic mirror in our powder room that we took before showing the house-doubt anyone else would have liked it! It has no mirror now, and no one has ever commented on it. We were going to put another one in, but no comments, so...

The person we bought our house from took all the mirrors. It wasn't excluded outright, but came up during the contract negotiations...she wanted the mirrors (which were hung like pictures), towel bars, and TP holders from all the bathrooms - she said they had sentimental value. (WTH?!) We said OK to the mirrors, but made her leave the TP holder and towel bars so we wouldn't have a ton of holes to fix.

So we ended up taking the mirror from the house we were selling to use in the new house - it was also hung like a picture and the realtor said we could take it without even mentioning it since it wasn't attached to the house. We've become good friends with our buyers and they've never mentioned anything about it so I guess they didn't miss it or didn't expect us to leave it.

Thanks for the feedback. The mirror is hung like a picture. I'll just leave it. It seems that there are enough people who would expect it to stay that my buyer is probably expecting it to stay.

It's sort of an interesting issue. From a strict legal standpoint, a hung mirror would not be a fixture that stays, but a screwed and glued, traditional bathroom mirror would. On the other hand, most people do expect to see a mirror in every bathroom after closing. I think it might make a difference if it was a powder room rather than a full bath.

If I walked into the BA after moving in and discovered the mirror had been taken, I would be very upset.

I knew this issue would be coming up so I bought another mirror and will be switching mine out this weekend, since my bathroom mirror is a gorgeous and somewhat expensive - for me anyway - antique I bought on eBay and had shipped cross-country. (I bit my nails for four days until it was delivered safely!) A pretty oval beveled mirror was only $40 at Lowes.

I'm switching out antique pressed-glass light-fixture shades that perfectly match my wallpaper for basic Home Depot shades too. What they can't see, they won't want, is what I figure. ;-)

I would expect any mirror that was in any bathroom to stay.
Unless, I was told beforehand it was going.

I wonder if the buyer knows that you are considering taking it? Hmmmm.

Thanks for the feedback. The mirror is hung like a picture. I'll just leave it. It seems that there are enough people who would expect it to stay that my buyer is probably expecting it to stay.

It's sort of an interesting issue. From a strict legal standpoint, a hung mirror would not be a fixture that stays, but a screwed and glued, traditional bathroom mirror would. On the other hand, most people do expect to see a mirror in every bathroom after closing. I think it might make a difference if it was a powder room rather than a full bath.

How large is the mirror? What's so different about it?

I still think that if you replaced it with another mirror they won't even know as long as there is something there to use.

Look at it this way, if they hate the one you want to take they may throw it out. Do you want that?

These posts can go either way. I don' think a mirror is that big of a deal, especially one hung like a picture. If it was a medicine cabinet and you left a hole, that would be a problem

It would also be a problem if it was attached to the wall and not painted behind. Think how odd that would look!!

On the contract we use there is a paragraph labled "Inclusions and Exclusions" and there is an extensive list of appurtances, fixtures, & equipment.

One line item is "Attached Mirrors and ALL Bathroom Mirrors"

Below the list are items to be either Included or items to be Excluded.

If it is not specifically written into the contract as excluded, it stays with the house.

The best scenario is for Seller to always take items down BEFORE the showings start. Even if you label something "Does not Stay with House, for some reason, things like this always become a point of contention between buyers & sellers.

katclaws,
Out of morbid curiousity, what does it say about light bulbs and toilet paper holders?

I think bottom line if its hung like a picture AND its a decorative mirror and not permanently affixed to the wall its the property of the seller . That being said, the seller should replace it with something tasteful and not leave a bare wall . That is just wrong . To the people that dont understand this . Sometimes items like a mirror can be family heirlooms that have been in a family for generations. The sentimental value of that is a no brainer or it can be like a piece of Art that cost several thousand dollars . Just because it was hung in a bathroom doesn’t mean its staying . I think sometimes buyers are a bit much . They have to be realistic and if they have a good realtor they should tell then this before .

I would not expect a decorative mirror, hung like a picture, to stay. You should leave the screw or any special hooks that are in the wall.

Gads, this is from 2007!

Yikes! Also did not notice this was a zombie thread!

I see this is a very old thread, but for any future readers I would say that if I knew I would want to take the mirror with me then I would have bought a different one and hung it in the bathroom before showing the house. While I can't say it would be legally necessary to leave the mirror in the situation described originally, but it would certainly be expected to be there by the buyers, I would think. I think it's the kinder thing to do, as in the Golden Rule.

In most places if it's not *permanently attached*, it does not automatically convey. This includes light bulbs, but not the fixtures; toilet paper, but not the paper holder.

I have known of one disgruntled seller who took every light bulb in the house.

The first house we bought the sellers took every light fixture and hardwired bulbs into the junction boxes. We didn't know better.

That mirror hung like a picture in the bathroom can be taken as well as a mirror hung in the living room opposed to a mirror wall. Dependent on where you live a frigerator is expected to be removed unless negotiated, as well as the free standing stove. Also those tv brackets attached to the wall can be left as they are attached.

@Jabali Person, if you took the kitchen appliances you mention in my area, the buyer's would be furious. In my area of S Florida, it is standard and customary to sell the kitchen appliances including the stove and refrigerator with the real property. The washer and dryer may or may not be included - it's negotiated and specified along with all the other terms & conditions of the contract. It comes down to what is conveyed in the contract and how the item is attached to the real property.

Real estate does have local norms for what is included or not as a starting point, but the final negotiated and signed contract is what guides your purchase and what you can take with you.

Lol our agent asked if we were leaving the MAILBOX! I would never in a million years take the mailbox but she said you’d be surprised...

If you don’t exclude it, they will except it.
That being said, I’d leave the mirror in the bathroom.

I posted in this thread before, but it is now something I actually have to think about. We will be selling and I have expensive framed mirrors hanging in 3 bathrooms. One used to hang in my parents powder room 20 years ago. They are coming with me and will be excluded upfront in the listing. I am also taking my large dining room chandelier. It wasn't that expensive, for its size, but is unique, no longer made and complements my furniture.

Paintedpeggies - I took my porch mailbox ;0) It was an expensive model from Rejuvenation, Portland and I replaced it with one same size and color from Home Depot BEFORE I listed the house. This home has a mail slot through the wall, but the mailbox hangs outside below it for those small to mid packages that will not go through the slot, giving the mail carrier someplace to put them other than the ground.

I would remove ANYTHING you want to keep - replace with something that looks nice but is not terribly expensive. Make certain photos DO NOT show what you are taking with you. Regardless of how things are 'attached', if they are NOT in the photos and NOT in the house once it is listed then there won't be any problems.

When I bought the house I'm in now, the sellers were told we wanted the code for the garage door pad when we did the final walk-through (they had previously told us that they'd lost the remote control for the garage door).

When I did the walk-through, not only had they removed the mirror from the powder room but they took the garage door pad, which involved unscrewing it from the exterior. I was furious but decided it wasn't worth delaying the closing or anything like that.

Then the sellers' agent contacted us and said the sellers wanted the dining room light fixture. It was truly butt-ugly and I knew it would be the first thing I replaced but I said I was not interested in letting them have it. (note: they had not lived in this house for four years. A relative had been renting it from them until a few months before they put it on the market. So they had plenty of time to remove it prior to listing.)

It gave me great pleasure to donate that fixture to Habitat for Humanity a month later.

I know this is an ancient thread, but there seems to be modern interest in it.

I had to define any fixtures (fixed, ie nailed/screwed in) things I'd be taking with me when putting up my listing. Everything else stays with the buyer. I can't even remove plantings after the posting. (I guess I could continue to weed???) Major kitchen appliances automatically convey in my area unless otherwise specified - and if you are taking any of those, you are not going to get a good bid.

If you want to take mirrors, light fixtures and so forth with you (and you want them up for house viewing/styling).... you NEED to put them in your contract.

Oh, btw, when I bought that house back in 1991, we closed that morning, and partially moved in that evening - to discover we couldn't shower the next morning because the sellers had taken the curtain rod!!! Yeah, they left us an extra roll of TP to make up for that?

artemis, was that curtain rod one of the sturdy old style screwed in type or the more flimsy tension ones? The tension ones aren't fixed to the house, so legally it would seem they could take it.

These days the tension ones seem to develop some rust after a few years, so I would probably want to buy a new one anyway once I moved in.

I put in one of the screwed in types, with a curve, when I remodeled my son's bathroom 2 years ago. They were harder to find and more expensive. Of course, that will stay with the house.

the seller is trying to take the mirror. They didn't tell us until all contingencies are removed. Do they have the right?