No, you do not automatically have to leave your appliances when you sell your Des Moines home, but things attached to the house usually stay unless the purchase agreement says otherwise. Freestanding appliances like the fridge, range, washer, and dryer go wherever the contract says they go, so the time to decide is before you list, not at the final walkthrough.
That is me filming the inside of an oven on a walkthrough. Glamorous work, I know. But appliances come up in almost every negotiation, and a 30-second video saves a lot of arguing later about what was there and what shape it was in.
The general rule is fixtures stay and personal property goes. Fixtures are things attached to the house, like ceiling fans, a built-in microwave, mounted brackets, and curtain rods. Personal property is what you could pick up and carry out. Where it gets fuzzy (the garage fridge, the mounted TV itself, the curtains, the playset), write it into the listing and the offer.
The trade-off for sellers is keeping versus including. A five-year-old fridge is worth very little to you on moving day and a lot to a first-time buyer who just spent every dollar on closing. Including it removes friction. Buyers pay for confidence, not sweat equity, and fewer unknowns feels like confidence.
What I typically see in Des Moines is that appliance disputes almost never happen because of the appliance. They happen because nobody wrote it down, and someone feels surprised at the walkthrough. Most deals fall apart because of reactions, not problems.
As one example, a seller who plans to take the washer and dryer should say so in the listing and leave them out of the offer. A seller who quietly swaps a newer fridge for an older one before closing is asking for a very uncomfortable walkthrough and a buyer who now questions everything else.
My Seller Quick Reference Chart covers the small seller decisions that protect your momentum.
Related Resources: Is an Older Home a Smart First Purchase in Des Moines? and Moving to Des Moines: Should a First-Time Buyer Live in the City or the Suburbs?.
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Written by Jason Huffey, REALTOR with RE/MAX Revolution (License S73436000), serving Des Moines and the greater Des Moines metro. Call or text (515) 606-1227. The Best Is Yet To Come.
