Let’s take a little quiz to see if you think – when a home sells – that items should stay or go.

• Little satellite dish on top of the house?
• Big satellite dish in side yard?
• Perennial flower?
• Fireplace cover?
• Swing Set?
• Curtains?

All of the above items can GO with the seller rather than remain with the buyer. Of course it’s not really black or white.  There are some gray areas which allow them to remain behind.

• Little satellite dish on top of the house?  Remains if it is CLAMPED on rather than screwed in.
• Big satellite dish in side yard?  If the dish itself slides in the tube holding it in place, then the tube which is concreted in remains, but the dish can go.
• Perennial flower?  Okay, these should always stay.  But annual flowers can GO with the seller.
• Fireplace cover?  If the cover is just inserted and remains in place because of spring, it can go with the seller.  If it it screwed and/or bolted in, then it needs to stay with the home.
• Swing Set?  Again it depends on how it was installed.  If the legs are cemented in, the swing set stays. If they are just sitting on top of dirt, then it can go with the seller.
• Curtains?  We are beginning to see some variance in these rules.  Usually curtains could go, but the hardware had to stay in place.  Now we’re seeing state contracts that specify that curtains remain.  If you want to take the curtains with you, be very detailed in the purchase and sales agreement.

To know what should stay and what can go, it depends on whether an item is considered REAL property (or belonging to the real estate) or PERSONAL property.  I’ve told buyers and sellers that if you turn a house upside down and shake, whatever sticks should remain and what would fall away can go.  Still not a bad rule of thumb…