Furnishings

About 70 percent of properties in Breckenridge and Summit County are second homes or investment properties. When selling a second home, the owner (who may live in New York) will typically not want to deal with selling furniture separately from the home itself. Therefore, the purchase price will often include “Furniture and Furnishings”.  There are obviously different perspectives about furniture and furnishings depending on whether you are a Buyer or Seller.

Seller

If you are the seller of a property and are including “Furniture and Furnishings” in the purchase price, a written and signed detailed inventory needs to be completed to indicate exactly what is staying in the home upon purchase. It may be obvious to you that your “personal items” will not be included, however, it is quite common for that antique chest or expensive piece of artwork given to you as a wedding gift are assumed by the Buyer to be part of the purchase.  This potential misunderstanding can be easily rectified and avoided by creating a detailed exclusions list that can be given to the Buyer initially.

As a Seller you want to make it as easy for a Buyer to say "Yes," to your home as opposed to the competition.  Offering the furniture to a Buyer quite often solves another flight out and the task of furnishing their new home, concerns about you scratching the floors or walls upon removing your furniture, etc.

Buyer

As mentioned, Buyers ideally would like to purchase a property with minimal time and effort needed after closing to furnish or fix up the home.  Most are happy and relieved to purchase the home fully furnished.  However, sometimes they may not like the extremely dated furniture and furnishings and want it removed so that they can update.  Strategies come in to play when listing or purchasing a property regarding furniture and furnishings and depend on the particular deal.  I would be discussing these strategies in detail with you prior to you making an offer on a property.

Mortgage Company or Bank

Mortgage companies and Banks only finance the purchase of the real estate, not the furniture, furnishings or the snowmobile being thrown into the deal!  The appraisal only appraises the value of the real estate.  Therefore a separate Bill of Sale and furnishings agreement needs to be prepared that conveys these items simultaneously and only if the real estate transaction closes.

Search for homes in the local real estate market

Please don't hesitate to contact Andrew Biggin at Breckenridge Associates for more information about theSummit County real estate market.