It’s not uncommon for Wilmington home sellers moving across country or downsizing to be faced with having too much furniture to move. It’s customary to have a garage or estate sale, or arrange for a donation place, like Goodwill or the Salvation Army, to pick up unneeded items prior to moving. However, sellers sometimes run into a situation where they are unable to easily discard of furniture, like garage shelving that is too large to move and must be taken apart, and ask if they can just leave it for the buyer.
Specific requirements differ by state, but when a home is sold in North Carolina, it is the responsibility of the home seller to empty and clean the property (bank owned properties are a different story as they often sell “as-is”). According to the North Carolina Offer to Purchase, the property needs to be in the same condition or better on the day of closing as it was when the offer was made. It’s expected that all personal belongings and debris are removed, this includes all furniture.
However, the buyer may be happy to have the extra furniture. It doesn’t hurt to request your Wilmington real estate agent to ask the buyer’s agent if they would be interested in the furniture. But this should be done selectively. You can’t make a request for every piece of furniture you “don’t feel like moving.” You also can’t leave the furniture unless you receive approval, and we suggest having that in writing (an email will do). Otherwise, you’ll end up having to pay to have the furniture or shelving removed after you’ve already vacated the property.
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