Call McGuire - 
You are all packed up and ready to leave your home. Your St Louis moving company will arrive to load everything up and move you to your new home. What should you leave behind?
What do you have to leave behind? Typically anything that is a “fixture” stays behind when selling your home. A fixture is defined as anything that is affixed or fastened to your property. A fixture becomes part of the property and therefore part of the sale. Each state has its own guidelines for defining fixtures so check with your real estate agent for specifics involving your home in your state.
Some examples of fixtures:
- Mounted light fixtures and their shades
- Ceiling fans
- Mirrors that are fastened rather than hung on walls
- Curtain rods
- Shades/blinds
- Built-in bookshelves
- All cabinet and door hardware
- Built-in appliances such as dishwasher and oven/range
- Anything planted and rooted in the landscaping-shrubs, perennials, etc.
If you are really attached to a particular fixture in your home and do not want to leave it behind, remove it and replace it before a buyer ever sees it. For instance, if you hand-crafted a crystal chandelier and you do not want to part with it, take it down before you show your home and replace it with another light fixture.
Other items to leave behind:
- All keys to doors, windows, gates, mailbox etc.
- All remotes for garage doors, ceiling fans, security systems, etc.
- Appliance manuals, warranties and necessary receipts should be neatly left in one place
- Touch-up paint to match the current wall color
- Pertinent flooring material or roof tiles can be neatly left and stacked in the garage if new owner wants it
Some items may be expected to sell with the house but aren’t required to be. To avoid any complications on closing day or after, have anything expected to sell with the house to be included in the purchase agreement between you and the buyer. Examples could be curtains/drapes, appliances that are not built in like refrigerators, washers and dryers. Be clear ahead of time about what you are offering to leave behind so it can be included in your purchase agreement. Make sure your St Louis moving company is aware of what stays or goes according to the agreement.
Once your St Louis moving company loads the van with your belongings, your home and property should be empty of all debris, trash and personal belongings. Check back next week when McGuire Moving & Storage, your local St Louis Moving Company will discuss cleaning your house before sale and other final sale day details.
