Does Surround Sound Wiring Stay or Go? (agent, price, property)
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When you are buying or selling a house and the current owner has run speaker wires through the walls for their surround sound system, is it typically assumed that will stay or go? Not sure if it matters or note, but the wiring in this instance came with the the system (boise). It isn't mandatory that the wires be run through the walls, but it was how it's frequently done. It's not a house that was prewired for surround sound.
This became an issue for us in a recent sale/purchase and wanted real estate professional's thoughts to avoid any misunderstandings in the future.
Are the wires on the inside or the outside of the walls? If they are inside, I would say the wiring stays. Outside, the wires and speakers can go, BUT the little piece that's typically used to attach the speakers to the wall should stay. Removing this piece could result in damage to the wall. Just one opinion.
if it is a fixture it stays. So, if the wiring is in the walls, it stays (unless stated before hand in the contract or listing). If the wiring is hanging on the outside (not stapled or affixed to the wall) it can be taken. Agree with rrah, the speakers can go, but the part affixed to the wall must stay.
I have often seen it listed as the the wiring stays with the house but the speakers are going with the sellers. I usually ask for it on the contract for my buyers if it is not specified. I would consider the wires within the walls the same as other wires inside the walls and should remain. Speakers are 50/50 but to make the deal work most sellers are willing to let them go!
IMO, if the listing sheet make any reference whatsoever to the wiring, it should stay. Not as a negotiable item, but as a fixture. Maybe make the speakers negotiable, but wiring should stay.
If someone (a seller, I would imagine) is insistent that the wiring doesn't stay, it should be removed and holes patched and painted before going on the market.
We're getting ready to close on a house that is professionally wired for surround sound (4 speakers bolted to the wall, in-wall wiring, and a separate floor speaker). We like the system and, because the sellers did not exclude it from the contract, we assumed it came with the house.
Yesterday, their listing agent contacted us because the sellers "forgot to exclude the speakers" and are requesting to take them and patch up any holes. We've already made a few allowances on things not pre-specified in the contract, however we are inclined to keep the speakers.
So... I'm hesitant to say "no" for a few reasons: 1) We feel we're getting a fair price on the house (~83% of original list price after 4 months in a declining market). 2) The sellers have been very accommodating with our needed move in date, and 3) they have agreed to make all requested repairs at the their own expense (~$2k).
Your opinions please! Stick to our guns? Offer to buy the speakers? Should the listing agent--who forgot to ask the sellers whether the speakers stay or go--buy them?
Are they requesting to take just the speakers or the wiring? The wiring clearly has to stay, just like the cable wires do.
What is attached to the wires is debatable as a fixture or not. I would consider the speakers themselves personal property like a television unless they are mounted in the wall directly (you know the kind that are embedded in the wall, then they are a fixture).
I know I walk through the house and ask about sentimental light fixtures, etc before listing. How they are mounted matters, IMO.
CSPhillips, the speakers are definitely not a deal breaker for us, but we'd like to save the time and expense of buying and installing new ones.
Silverfall, I believe the speakers are attached to mountings bolted to the wall. Their offer to patch up where the speakers are mounted suggests they want to take speakers and wiring? Perhaps the compromise will be to leave the mountings and wiring in place. It's good that you thoroughly prepare your sellers re: fixtures, etc... before listing.
In my opinion wires stay (they are in the wall already), speakers can stay or go - we took our speakers with us when we moved - they are easy enough to replace and you want something that will work with your system - our speakers were specific to our surround sound system so we would have had to leave the entire system which we did not want to do.
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