What fixtures and fittings do I leave when I sell?

Few sellers think about fixtures and fittings until a solicitor sends over a long tick-box form near the start of the sale. It looks fussy, but it is one of the few documents in the whole process that you alone control, and getting it right early prevents an argument on completion day when nobody has time for one.

What is the difference between a fixture and a fitting?

A fixture is an item attached to the building in a way that makes it part of the property, such as a fitted kitchen, a boiler, built-in wardrobes, radiators or a bathroom suite. A fitting is a free-standing or easily removable item, such as a sofa, a bed, curtains, a lampshade or a plug-in fridge. The default rule in England and Wales is that fixtures stay with the house and fittings leave with you, unless the TA10 form says otherwise.

What is the TA10 form?

The TA10 is the Fittings and Contents Form, a standard document produced by the Law Society and used in most residential sales in England and Wales. It lists every room and category of item, and for each one you tick whether it is included, excluded, or available to buy for an extra price. Your solicitor sends it to the buyer's solicitor as part of the contract pack, and the answers form part of the deal.

Do I legally have to leave anything?

You do not have to leave any particular item, but you do have to be accurate about what you are leaving. The default assumption is that fixtures stay, so if you intend to take something that looks built-in (a favourite light fitting, an integrated appliance, even an established garden shrub), you protect yourself by listing it as excluded on the TA10 from the start. Silence is read as inclusion.

What happens if I take something that was meant to stay?

Once contracts are exchanged, the TA10 is legally binding, so the buyer is entitled to receive the property in the state the form describes. If they arrive on completion day to find a listed item gone, they can ask their solicitor to hold back part of the money until it is resolved, which can delay completion for everyone in the chain. It is a small detail with an outsized power to derail a moving day.

How do I avoid a fixtures and fittings dispute?

1. Fill in the TA10 honestly and early, before the buyer's solicitor has to chase it.
2. List anything built-in that you plan to take as excluded, in writing, so there are no surprises.
3. Price any item you are happy to sell (white goods, garden equipment) rather than leaving it vague.
4. Take photos of the home as it is listed so there is a record of what the buyer expected.
5. Tell your agent what is staying so the marketing matches what the buyer actually receives.

Knowing what stays and what goes is part of selling on your own terms, with no detail left for someone else to decide for you. ValuQ gives UK homeowners free, side-by-side property valuations from competing local estate agents, so you can compare on merit and keep control of every step of the sale, including the small ones.