Whether it’s specially built for a modern Denver home or for buyers who really like interior design pieces, there are a few reasons why someone wants to package their furniture into a home sale.
It’s not overly complicated, but there are some important details to get it right. This simple guide will show you how to confidently include furniture in your home sales.
1. Communicate clearly with buyers
Be specific from the beginning. If you include furniture in a sale, the buyer and everyone else involved will need a clear, itemized list of what you are staying. Not “something” or “maybe dining sets”, but a detailed point by point list: beige West Elm sofa, leather barth stool, den mounted TV, and definitely not a signed Spring Teen poster. Buyers will want to know what they are getting, and agents, lenders and underwriters want that list in writing. Ambiguity kills the deal and opens the door to the line issue.
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2. Select furniture worth including
Not all furniture is worth negotiating. If you are planning on including furniture in your sales, think strategically. Focus on items that add real value or appeal to buyers – not the old armchair that you meant to replace for years.
Start with furniture.
In good condition or recently purchased: clean, modern, and gentle use pieces are the most attractive. A frayed, sagged, or worn items can actually undermine perceived value. Difficult to Customize or Replace: Built-in, banquet, floating shelves, or anything specially designed for spaces is a big selling point and may feel like a natural part of the home. Scaled to the room: If buyers love the way your modest section just fits into the living room, they may prefer to keep it up rather than starting from scratch.
Think about what the buyer reasonably wants and what you can live without. It is better to keep something sentimental or valuable to you personally than to regret giving up on it just to close the deal. Some well-selected works can be very helpful, and the curated approach feels more intentional than providing everything inclusion.
3. Spend your time carefully in negotiations
It is usually best to wait for the offer to grow furniture. This will treat you as an add-on, not as a sales condition. If the buyer expresses interest early, make it clear that furniture discussions occur separately from the price and conditions of the home.
Once adjusted, you will work with your agents to negotiate the value of your furniture, create a written list, and formalize your contract with your personal property addendum.
4. Organize everything
Next is the issue of value. This is the point where the lender enters the equation. Let’s say your house is on sale for $500,000 and you’re throwing furniture worth $10,000. You can’t call a day leaving the selling price at $500,000. Lenders will not throw pillows to fund them. If you try to slide furniture to the purchase price, the rating won’t support it and the underwriter may have a problem with this.
You need to split it: the house is $490,000 and the furniture is $10,000. Yes, this is annoying. But that $10,000 is personal property, not real estate, and if you try to fudge the numbers, the wrench could be poured into the entire transaction.
5. Document everything
This brings us documentation. This is one thing you can’t have too much in real estate transactions. You must use your personal real estate addendum to write all included furniture into your purchase agreement. Personal Property Addendum describes all personal property outside the home itself contained in the transaction. This should be written out in sufficient detail to prevent misunderstandings during the final walkthrough. Pro Tip: It is recommended to create a bill of sale just for furniture to enhance protection.
6. Keep everything in the same state
Once the paperwork is in place and everyone agrees about who gets what, it’s time for the final walkthrough and closing. The furniture must still be there. It was the same situation, when we first agreed. You can’t suddenly become nostalgic and replace a cool leather chair for Grandma’s Flower Recryer.
You can include furniture in your home sales
If you include furniture in your home sales, treat it like a mini sale in a large transaction. Create a list. Set the value. Please leave it in writing. Separate from home prices. Use experts to process your taxes.
Make it right, and you have made your buyer’s life easier, filled your selling price, and cleared your home at once. If you’re wrong, you can join the world of headaches.
FAQs about including furniture in home sales
Can I sell a furnished house?
yes. You can sell a fully furnished home, but you will need to document the furniture separately from the household price and use personal real estate addendums.
Should I include furniture in my listing price?
no. Furniture should be itemized separately from the selling price of the home to avoid valuation and funding issues.
If the furniture is not closed, can the buyer return?
probably. If furniture is included in the purchase agreement and is not an agreed upon, it may be considered a breach of contract.
