A common question about window blinds in Los Altos Hills, CA that we hear from both people who are considering selling a home and people who are considering buying a home is whether window blinds go with the seller or stay with the buyer.
The short answer is that window blinds, which are screwed into window frames, stay with a home when it’s sold or bought. In general, any item that is permanently fastened to a home with cement, pipes, screws, nails, or glue is considered to be part of the house and is included with the sale or purchase of the house.
However, the person selling the home can, in the seller property disclosure, included window blinds as items not included with the sale or purchase of the house. If the seller lists “window treatments” as items not included with the sale or purchased of the house, the seller needs to be sure to itemize very specifically all the window treatments, including window blinds, that are not include in the home sale.
Curtains are one window treatment that home sellers and buyers wonder about. From a technical standpoint, curtain rods are installed and, therefore, fastened to the house, so they are often considered to be fixtures that will stay when the home is sold or bought. However, the curtains themselves are usually considered to be personal property and are, therefore, excluded from the sale or purchase of the home.
If you’re buying a home, don’t assume that any curtains or curtain rods that are in the home are included in the sale of the home. Be sure to ask the seller and make a written note of their answers, so that there is transparent communication and conflicts can be avoided when you and your real estate agent are negotiating terms to purchase the home.
If you’re selling your home and you want to take your window treatments, including window blinds, with you when you sell your home, the best and most inexpensive route to go is to replace them with less expensive window treatments before you contact the real estate agent to put your home up for sale. If, for some reason, this is not possible, then make sure to list them as not included with the sale of the house in the seller property disclosure.
If you list your home for sale as is, and then decide during the sales negotiation that you want to take your window treatments with you, then discuss this as soon as possible with both your realtor and the prospective buyer. Some home buyers want to purchase their own window treatments after they move in, but some may want to keep those that are already installed.
If a prospective buyer wants the window treatments the home already has, then you may have to include or use a price adjustment in the contract to take them with you.
No matter what, you should never sell your home and just take all the window treatments with you when you leave and hope the buyer won’t notice they’re all gone. You should also never, after the prospective buyer has seen your home and you and they are negotiating terms of purchase, switch out cheaper window treatments for the existing ones.
If you’d like to learn more about window blinds in Los Altos Hills, CA, you can speak with our knowledgeable team at Windows & Beyond, Inc. You can visit our showroom at 4020 Fabian Way, Palo Alto, CA 94303, or you can contact us at (650) 938-8822 for a free in-home estimate.