Should You Sell Your House With Appliances, or Take Them With You?

When going through the process of preparing your home for sale, there are a lot of decisions to be made. One such decision centers around whether you plan to leave your appliances behind—or take them with you.

Which Appliances Are Generally Sold With a House?
Appliances such as the furnace, HVAC system, stove and dishwasher are typically included in the sale of a home. They’re integrated into a house and would therefore be difficult to remove, transport and install in another location. In addition, these appliances were purchased to fit spaces of specific sizes. If they’re removed, the buyer might struggle to find new appliances to fit into those spaces. Before making a final decision, you’ll also want to be sure that any appliances you plan to bring with you fit into your new home.

Where the Seller Has Discretion
With other appliances, such as the refrigerator, washer and dryer, the homeowner often has the freedom to decide whether to leave them or take them, but other factors can come into play. For example, if an appliance was bought because it fit perfectly in a room and matched the color and style of the home, prospective buyers would likely expect it to be included in the transaction. They may even be disappointed when they come to find out that the seller is planning on taking the appliance with them.

How to Decide Whether to Take or Leave Your Appliances
If you’re moving to a new home nearby, transporting appliances might not be that hard. For a move to another state, however, it could be a major inconvenience. In addition to transportation costs, a long-distance trip would increase the possibility of an accident that could damage the appliances before they arrive at their final destination. If you’ll be moving far away, you can save money and avoid a lot of hassle by purchasing new appliances and having them delivered directly to your new home. Better yet, if the home you’re purchasing is already equipped with appliances, you won’t have to worry about purchasing your own.

If you have an expensive appliance—or one that you bought for a specific purpose, but the average homeowner would be unlikely to use or appreciate it as much as you do—you may want to take it with you. You might also decide to keep appliances because they were handed down from family members, are unique in some way, or have sentimental value.

Talk to Your Agent
Before you put your house on the market, you’ll need to decide which appliances you want to sell with the house, and which you want to take with you—all of which should be included in the listing. If a seller asks you to leave some appliances behind, the issue can be negotiated and reflected in the contract and sales price. If you’re not sure what to do with your appliances, talk to your real estate agent to come up with the best solution for your particular situation.