Asking the seller to remove the carpet? (contingent, claim, contracts)

[snowmountains]

Can you ask the seller to remove the carpet before signing contract? If you asked, and the seller removed it, and later for whatever reason you didn't sign the contract, are you supposed to pay for the cost to remove the carpet and the cost to put it back (although I'm not sure how much "cost" there would be)?

[kevcrawford]

I wouldn't let my sellers do that for just that reason. If it's that important to you, remove it yourself.

[Chuckity]

You can ask whatever you'd like.

Whether or not someone will do it is a different matter altogether.

[BigDGeek]

Originally Posted by kevcrawford

I wouldn't let my sellers do that for just that reason. If it's that important to you, remove it yourself.

I agree. If I was selling this house and a buyer asked me to remove the carpets, I would refuse and tell them to do it themselves.

[texdav]

Yep you need to commit before or I can't think anyone is going to do that really.

[20yrsinBranson]

Originally Posted by ssww

Can you ask the seller to remove the carpet before signing contract? If you asked, and the seller removed it, and later for whatever reason you didn't sign the contract, are you supposed to pay for the cost to remove the carpet and the cost to put it back (although I'm not sure how much "cost" there would be)?

A seller would be an idiot to remove the carpet before the final paperwork was signed.

I would say that if they can prove damages in a court of law (small claims court even), that they could very get a judgment against you and make you pay for the removal and maybe putting it back too. Depending on how strong their case was and how sympathetic the judge was also.

But I still say they would be idiots to do it before the house was SOLD.

20yrsinBranson

[Silverfall]

What I did once...is that the seller agreed to a carpet allowance, and the buyer picked out their flooring. We agreed that the carpet would not get replaced until we had received notice that the buyers were approved by the underwriter and that the only remaining condition was the carpet replacement. Then they replaced the carpet.

Deal closed a couple of weeks later.

[middle-aged mom]

Carpet and 1980's wallpaper removal are common conditions of contracts in my area. No one does didley, till it's a done deal.

[JustJoy]

Originally Posted by ssww

Can you ask the seller to remove the carpet before signing contract? If you asked, and the seller removed it, and later for whatever reason you didn't sign the contract, are you supposed to pay for the cost to remove the carpet and the cost to put it back (although I'm not sure how much "cost" there would be)?

Never going to happen - not unless you've signed a contract and then you'd need to make your contract/offer contingent on carpet removal which the seller may or may not agree to (or, if it's in horrible shape, base your offer on the fact that 'you' would need to replace the carpet). Put yourself in the sellers' shoes - would YOU spend money replacing carpet when there was no firm contract in place?

[gold*dust1]

I can only see asking for a carpet allowance which if seller agreed, you wouldn't be allowed to tackle until after closing!