In some places appliances are never included with the sale of a home. The sellers in those places haul them out of the house even if they’re not worth the gas to lug them away. In the years I’ve worked with buyers relocating to Edmonton, some have been surprised to find the appliances are included. Many builders in the Edmonton area have even begun including appliances in many of their starter properties. You’ll also notice flippers carefully selecting appliances to attract certain buyers. Here’s a couple of tips about appliances that might not be practical elsewhere but are specific to the Edmonton area.
Tips for Buyers:
- Get it in writing - Just because they are offered on a hilite sheet or advertised as included it does not mean they are included. "But Sheldon the listing sheet says they will stay." The laws in Alberta (specifically the statute of Frauds) that govern real estate contracts say if it pertains to real estate it has to be writing.
- Check the out - The Standard Contract we use includes a warranty that the appliances are supposed to be in “Normal Working Order.” Define "normal" to me. So, if it’s important that they are in working order, then you need to have them inspected when the home is inspected because enforcing the contract can be very expensive.
- Identify them – Follow step 2 but be specific with what appliances are being included. This will help determine if any funny business has occurred once you take possession
- Make sure they are paid for - This is mainly a problem with private sales. The standard REALTOR® contract contains a warranty that any included chattels are free and clear of all financial encumberances. With so many people buying their appliances with no money down and no interest for 1 year the last thing you want is the Brick showing up at your home to take the appliances away because the previous owner forgot to pay or worse yet never intended on paying.
Tips for Sellers:
If you’re selling, there are also some important considerations when it comes to appliances and adding value to your property or increasing your salability:
- Match the target buyer to the appliances - You can actually turn buyers off when you put in the least expensive appliances. If you put a $400.00 dishwasher in a $750,000.00 home, it leads the buyer to wonder where else you took shortcuts in quality when they finish laughing of course. Like wise, don’t put a $5000.00 stove in a $150,000 home because you won't see any return on that money.
- Be consistent -Don’t mix and match colors, especially, in the kitchen. This is extremely distracting to the buyers viewing your home. Most of the time, they’ll just stand there and try to figure out what on earth you were thinking. It makes it more difficult to see what quality and care you may have poured into your kitchen.
- Clean up! If they can’t be new, they should be spotless. Let me repeat this most difficult point… If they can’t be new they should be spotless. Most importantly you have to understand who your buyers are and what they’re mostly likely going to want and need.
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Bring a camera along when viewing properties. I bring my Flip Video with me. Helps to keep them straight in my mind and it’s good evidence.
Is there not a law against taking pictures of private property like that though without direct consent? Is there applied consent in viewings?
You would need the home owner’s permission (as well as the tenants’ if there are tenants) to take photos while viewing properties. It is more common to take photos during the inspection, once there is an accepted offer but you still need permission to do so because of privacy requirements.