When moving out of a house, do you take the light bulbs?

[Excelsior]

Originally posted by: flot
You're being a bit of a cheapskate, but more importantly a real PITA for the next resident. Go to a dollar store or wal mart or something, and buy the cheapest bulbs you can find, put those in in place of the fluorescents.

 

Originally posted by: VTboy

Originally posted by: SampSon
Lightbulbs are considered fixtures of the house.
Unless there is an addendum to the sales contract saying you can take the light fixtures, it is breaking the contract.

It is not breaking the contract because he is talking about light bulbs he paid for him self. As long as he replaces the fixtures with the same bulbs that were in them when he moved in then it should be fine.

As long as he replaces the lightbulbs then it isn't in violation of the contract.
Removing a lightbulb and not replaceing it with a working bulb is. It really doesn't matter if you paid for it or not.

 

[geno]

Originally posted by: PlatinumGold

Originally posted by: her209
Don't forget to take all the doorknobs too!

this post is just ignorant. why would i take the doorknobs?? i didn't pay for them.

pssst, that *might* have been a joke

 

[CFster]

The people we bought our house from took the toilet paper dispensor. Not the dispensor itself, just the spring loaded thing that goes in the middle.

Talk about cheap...

 

[WinkOsmosis]

How can you stand the flourescent light??

 

[PlatinumGold]

Originally posted by: WinkOsmosis
How can you stand the flourescent light??

i use it in the garage, light outside garage, light outside doors (front and back) bathrooms etc.

basically places i don't spend too much time, places i spend a lot of time, i get fixtures with halogens because they have similar light spectrums as incadescents but last much longer.

i spend a lot of money on bulbs.

 

[Ryan]

I use halogen lights in all of my fixtures - like 3 bucks a bulb - so you're sure as hell that I'm going to be taking every one of the lights in my house!

 

[Psorak]

If I moved into a house with all the light bulbs missing, I'd have the previous owners visited by one of my legbreaker friends.

Just for the fact that they're so stupid they deserve their kneecaps busted.

 

[thedarkwolf]

This reminds me of that Richard Pryor movie "Moving" were his family buys a house and when they show up to move in the last owners had taken the doors, windows, cabinets, pool, stairs, with them . Good movie.

 

[PlatinumGold]

Originally posted by: rbloedow
I use halogen lights in all of my fixtures - like 3 bucks a bulb - so you're sure as hell that I'm going to be taking every one of the lights in my house!

ya, i prefer the halogens in parts of the house i spend lots of time. flourescents where i don't spend lots of time.

 

[PlatinumGold]

Originally posted by: Psorak
If I moved into a house with all the light bulbs missing, I'd have the previous owners visited by one of my legbreaker friends.

Just for the fact that they're so stupid they deserve their kneecaps busted.

based on the poll, you'd be busy.

 

[VTboy]

Originally posted by: PlatinumGold

Originally posted by: WinkOsmosis
How can you stand the flourescent light??

i use it in the garage, light outside garage, light outside doors (front and back) bathrooms etc.

basically places i don't spend too much time, places i spend a lot of time, i get fixtures with halogens because they have similar light spectrums as incadescents but last much longer.

i spend a lot of money on bulbs.

My flourescent lights produce a nice bright white light. They are rated at well over 2000 lumens. I think they are nice bright, with a nice WHITE color and not yellow.

 

[DrPizza]

I'd replace the halogens/flourescent bulbs with regular bulbs.
Personally, we've discussed this for the future in our house, there are quite a few things we're taking with us, including the ceiling fans. I'll replace our good ceiling fans with $40 fans from wallyworld.

The odd thing: we're taking a lot of the plants that are planted around the house. (many have sentimental value - gifts for son born, gift from parent shortly before she passed away, etc.)

 

[Reel]

Originally posted by: PlatinumGold

Originally posted by: ReelC00L
I think most sales contracts list that there must be light fixtures but unless the fixtures are explicitly specified, you can put in a $2 light socket from home depot in place of a nice fixture and take it with you. If you have some attachment to the light bulbs or the fixture, swap it out but I think it is proper that you leave lighting sources everywhere there is one when you show the house. If we are talking about renting, then I think it is between you and the landlord. You might be able to get away with no bulbs in the fixtures but be prepared for them to charge you outrageous fees for replacement of the bulbs. Your best bet would be to do as said above and put in the cheapest bulbs you can find. Hell, buy good new bulbs for a relative and put in their old used ones if you want.

i always thought that any improvement you made to the house where you put holes in the sheetrock etc, you had to leave. i changed the light fixture in my kitchen in the house i sold and i left them when we moved out, was nice too, they were halogen light fixtures. i like halogen lights.

Whenever my parents have moved in to a house, they have pretty much expected to find the fixtures removed unless they specifically included them in the contract. Last house, they moved into had some pretty unsightly holes because the guy took the fixtures and left cheap sockets. They looked down upon it but the contracts they have used have always been such that allow this switch.

 

[flot]

Many (most?) home sale contracts should have wording to specifically include fixtures ceiling fans etc when buying a house.

As a seller, if you intend to take your fans, lights, etc with you - either make sure that is explicitly understood to everyone viewing the house, (especially your realtor and the buyer's realtor) or save yourself a lot of hassle and remove/replace fixtures BEFORE you start showing the home to potential buyers. If it is just one or two things, it's not a big deal, just state it explicitly. But if you have 8 $400 ceiling fans that you plan on taking with you, you should definitely replace those before showing - or expect to end up throwing them in to close a deal. (who wants to buy a house and then immediately have to go buy 8 ceiling fans)

Most home sale contracts are for "as shown" properties... if the new buyer moves in and those things are missing, you've violated the contract.

 

[jwells777]

Far more importantly, why are you spending $7-$8 on the flourescents. Definitely need more practice at being a hot dealer. I usually get them for between $1.50-$3 depending on the wattage. At that point, who cares whether you take them or not?

 

[DigDug]

Some of you people are so goddamned cheap, its sickening.

 

[nodoubts2k]

replace them with cheapo bulbs.

 

[Lizardman]

You are a jacka$ if you take the bulbs.

 

[TommyVercetti]

Originally posted by: nodoubts2k
replace them with cheapo bulbs.

This is what I would do, if I had those flourescent bulbs.

 

[brxndxn]

You're an ass if you don't leave bulbs in every socket for the next occupant. You're not an ass if you replace the flourescents with incandescents, though. JUST LEAVE SOME LIGHT FOR THE NEXT OWNER!!!

I swear.. think about the people that move in.. a new house that they're not yet used to. One wakes up in the middle of the night, fumbles for the light switch.. no light... Seriously, it's a safety hazard not to have all the lights in the sockets.

 

[Ameesh]

Originally posted by: PlatinumGold

Originally posted by: MustISO
For what we could sell out house for I'd leave the bulbs, and maybe the big screen TV.

i actually sold my house about 10 months ago and DID leave the light bulbs but NOW we are in an apartment looking to buy a house. Everytime i put in a flourescent bulb this thought comes to mind.

i guess i am cheap.

youre fvckin really cheap! why dont you take the shower heads too?

 

[Freejack2]

Strip the place bare cheapskate.

 

Originally posted by: DrPizza
I'd replace the halogens/flourescent bulbs with regular bulbs.
Personally, we've discussed this for the future in our house, there are quite a few things we're taking with us, including the ceiling fans. I'll replace our good ceiling fans with $40 fans from wallyworld.

The odd thing: we're taking a lot of the plants that are planted around the house. (many have sentimental value - gifts for son born, gift from parent shortly before she passed away, etc.)

Make sure you write all of that into the contract.

 

[dirtboy]

Originally posted by: SampSon

Originally posted by: DrPizza
I'd replace the halogens/flourescent bulbs with regular bulbs.
Personally, we've discussed this for the future in our house, there are quite a few things we're taking with us, including the ceiling fans. I'll replace our good ceiling fans with $40 fans from wallyworld.

The odd thing: we're taking a lot of the plants that are planted around the house. (many have sentimental value - gifts for son born, gift from parent shortly before she passed away, etc.)

Make sure you write all of that into the contract.

Very true. If a buyer comes through a house and see fixtures and then they are replaced after the sale, the buyer does have recourse.