12 Things That Stay With the House When You Sell in Michigan

What stays with the house when you sell in Michigan is mostly settled by one paragraph of the purchase agreement. The statewide Michigan REALTORS form (Form A, 2024 edition) lists the fixtures and attached items that go with the home unless the contract excludes them.

These are the twelve things that stay with the house when you sell, plus the grey areas worth putting in writing.

The twelve things that stay, in short:

1. Blinds, shades and curtain rods
2. Brackets for a wall-mounted TV
3. Light fixtures and ceiling fans
4. Built-in appliances, and the negotiable ones
5. Garage door openers and remotes
6. Water softener, unless it is rented
7. Wired smart home devices
8. Mirrors, shelving, carpet and fireplace doors
9. Storm windows, screens, awnings and shutters
10. Landscaping, fences and the mailbox
11. Generators, dishes, pool gear and invisible fences
12. Propane or heating oil in the tank

1. Do blinds, shades and curtain rods stay with the house in Michigan?

Window shades, blinds and curtain and drapery rods stay with the house under the standard Michigan REALTORS purchase agreement, which lists them among the included fixtures. The curtains and drapes themselves are not on that list. Fabric panels are the grey area that often turns into an argument at the final walk-through.

A clear contract leaves no guessing. If the curtains stay, the buyer's offer says so. If the seller wants to keep a custom rod or a set of shades, the agreement lists them as excluded, or the seller swaps them out before the listing photos are taken.

Taking every blind and rod on moving day because they felt like decor is the move that starts disputes. Bare windows and empty screw holes are hard to explain to a buyer who saw blinds in every listing photo.

2. Do you have to leave TV mounts when selling a house?

Attached TV mounting brackets stay with the house under the Michigan REALTORS purchase agreement, which names them in its list of included items. The television itself is personal property and leaves with the seller. The rule follows the attachment: the bracket is screwed into the wall, while the TV simply hangs on it.

A seller who wants the mounts can exclude them in writing and patch the wall before closing. Otherwise the brackets stay, along with the hardware needed to use them. Buyers who want a TV too can ask for it in the offer as a separate line.

Pulling the brackets and leaving holes in the drywall turns a free item into a repair claim. If the agreement is silent and the brackets are gone at the walk-through, the buyer has a fair complaint.

3. Can a seller take the light fixtures and ceiling fans?

Lighting fixtures and ceiling fans stay with the house under the Michigan REALTORS purchase agreement unless the contract says otherwise. That covers the dining room chandelier, the pendants over the island and the fans in the bedrooms. A fixture wired into the ceiling is part of the home the buyer is paying for.

A seller who loves a fixture should swap it for a basic one before listing, so buyers never see it. If it already appears in the photos, the agreement should exclude it by name, such as the dining room chandelier, with a working replacement fixture installed.

Swapping a chandelier for a bare bulb after the offer is accepted is a breach, not a moving decision. Buyers notice at the walk-through, and the fix is usually a credit or a delay at the closing table.

4. What appliances stay with the house when you sell in Michigan?

Built-in appliances stay with the house under the Michigan REALTORS purchase agreement, such as a wall oven, cooktop, built-in microwave or dishwasher. Freestanding appliances are not on that list. The refrigerator, range, washer and dryer go or stay based on what the purchase agreement says, which makes them a common point of negotiation.

A clear offer names each freestanding appliance that stays, room by room, and says whether it comes as is. If the seller plans to take the washer and dryer, the listing should say so from the start, so buyers can price that in.

Assuming the refrigerator obviously stays, or obviously goes, is how both sides end up unhappy. Without a written line in the agreement, a freestanding appliance becomes a coin flip at the walk-through.

5. Do the garage door openers and remotes stay with the house?

Garage door openers and their controls stay with the house under the Michigan REALTORS purchase agreement. That means the motor, the wall button and the handheld remotes. The form also includes remote controls for built-in devices, so the remote for a ceiling fan or a gas fireplace stays with the home as well.

A seller who is ready for closing gathers every remote, keypad code and opener manual, labels them and leaves them in a kitchen drawer. Keys to every lock, the mailbox and any outbuilding belong in the same pile.

A remote clipped to the visor of a car that drives away on moving day is a small thing that sours a closing. Replacing it costs the buyer money and time for something the contract already gave them.

6. Does the water softener stay with the house when you sell?

A water softener stays with the house under the Michigan REALTORS purchase agreement, which lists it by name. The same paragraph says fixtures stay unless rented. So a leased softener, water heater or other rented equipment does not automatically pass to the buyer, because the rental company still owns it.

A seller with rented equipment says so up front, names the company and gives the buyer the choice to take over the rental or have it removed. Owned equipment comes with the manual and the service history, so the buyer knows what they are inheriting.

Keeping a rental contract quiet until closing creates a surprise for the buyer and a last-minute scramble. If the softener is leased, the listing and the purchase agreement should both say so.

7. Do smart thermostats, video doorbells and other smart home devices stay?

Wired smart home devices stay with the house under the Michigan REALTORS purchase agreement. A hardwired thermostat, doorbell camera or lighting hub is treated like any other fixture. Plug-in and battery devices are less clear because they are not wired in. They belong on the list of items to settle in writing.

A seller leaving smart devices resets them to factory settings, removes them from personal accounts and leaves setup steps for the buyer. A seller who wants to keep a device swaps it for a standard version before listing, such as a basic thermostat or doorbell.

A camera still linked to the old owner's account is a privacy problem for both sides. So is a wired thermostat removed with the wires left hanging, which leaves the buyer without heat control on move-in day.

8. Do attached mirrors, shelving, carpet and fireplace screens stay?

Attached mirrors, attached shelving, attached floor coverings and attached fireplace doors and screens all stay with the house under the Michigan REALTORS purchase agreement. The key word in each case is attached. A mirror bolted to the bathroom wall stays, while a mirror hanging on a nail is decor.

A seller sorts these items before listing. What is screwed, glued or built in stays, and what simply rests or hangs can go. Area rugs are personal property, while wall-to-wall carpet is an attached floor covering. That line is the core of fixtures vs personal property.

Removing built-in shelving or a fireplace screen because it matched the seller's style leaves damage the buyer did not agree to. If an item is borderline, write it into the agreement rather than deciding on moving day.

9. Do storm windows, screens, awnings and shutters stay with the house?

Screens, storm windows and doors, awnings and shutters stay with the house under the Michigan REALTORS purchase agreement. In Michigan, many owners take screens down for winter and store storm panels in the garage or basement. Those stored pieces still belong to the house, even when they are not on the windows.

A seller who is ready for closing labels stored screens and storm panels by window and leaves them where the buyer will find them. Spare awning hardware and shutter parts kept in the garage go in the same spot.

Tossing stored screens in the move-out cleanup is an easy mistake with a real cost. A buyer who finds no screens in May will ask the seller to pay for replacements, and custom sizes add up.

10. Do the landscaping, fences and mailbox stay with the house?

Landscaping, fences and mailboxes stay with the house under the Michigan REALTORS purchase agreement. Planted trees, shrubs and perennials are part of the property, while potted plants and garden decor are personal property. The form also includes all buildings, which can sweep in a shed, so a portable one is worth writing down.

Around Rochester, Rochester Hills and Oakland Township, where The Delia Group works, the yard is part of what buyers see and pay for. A seller who wants to move a favorite plant digs it up and fills the hole before listing. A play set, hot tub or portable shed gets named in the agreement as staying or going.

Digging up perennials after the offer is accepted is the classic move-out dispute. Buyers saw that yard in the photos and at the showing, and that is what they expect to find.

11. Do a generator, satellite dish, pool equipment or invisible fence stay?

Permanently attached generators, antennas and satellite dishes stay with the house under the Michigan REALTORS purchase agreement. So does all equipment for an inground pool, and invisible inground fencing with its related equipment. These are costly items, so buyers value them, and sellers sometimes assume they can take them along.

A seller sorts the equipment by how it is attached. A generator wired into the electrical panel stays, while a portable one on wheels is personal property. The pool cover and cleaner, plus the invisible fence collars and transmitter, should be left together in one place.

Taking the invisible fence collars or the pool cover leaves the buyer with equipment that does not work. If a seller wants to keep any of it, the agreement has to say so before the buyer commits.

12. Does the propane or heating oil in the tank stay with the house?

Liquid heating and cooking fuels in tanks, such as propane or heating oil, stay with the house under the Michigan REALTORS purchase agreement. They pass to the buyer at possession. The seller must keep the fuel at a working level and cannot let it fall below 10 percent of the tank at possession.

A seller on propane or oil checks the gauge before closing and schedules a delivery if it is running low. The supplier can also confirm whether the tank itself is owned or leased, since a leased tank stays the supplier's property.

Draining the tank on the way out, or letting it run dry in a cold month, breaks the agreement and can leave the buyer without heat. The form bars the seller from removing fuel other than through normal use.

Stays, Goes or Write It Down

Item	Under the Michigan REALTORS form	What to do
Blinds, shades, curtain rods	Stays	Exclude in writing to keep them
Curtains and drapes	Not listed	Settle it in the offer
TV brackets	Stays	The TV itself goes with the seller
Freestanding fridge, range, washer, dryer	Not listed	Name each one in the offer
Leased softener, water heater or tank	Rented items excluded	Disclose the lease up front
Potted plants, portable shed, play set	Not listed, or unclear	Write down whether it stays

A quick check of what goes with the house and what needs a line in the agreement.

Frequently Asked Questions

What qualifies as a fixture?

A fixture is an item that started out movable but became part of the property once it was attached. Courts generally weigh how firmly it is attached, how closely it fits the home's use and whether the owner meant it to stay. In a Michigan home sale, the purchase agreement usually settles the question first.

Do sellers have to leave their house clean?

Under the Michigan REALTORS purchase agreement, the seller must remove all trash and debris and leave the home broom clean. That means empty and swept, not professionally cleaned. The buyer can walk through the home within 48 hours before closing to confirm its condition and the items that are supposed to stay.

Who typically pays closing costs in Michigan?

Under the Michigan REALTORS purchase agreement, the seller pays the state and county transfer taxes and the costs of delivering clear title. The seller also pays for the buyer's owner's title insurance policy. The buyer pays to record the deed and the costs tied to the mortgage, including the lender's title policy. Other splits can be negotiated.

Would a toilet be considered a fixture?

Yes. Toilets, sinks, faucets and tubs are plumbing fixtures, and the Michigan REALTORS purchase agreement includes plumbing fixtures in the sale. A seller cannot swap a newer toilet for an older one after the offer is accepted unless the buyer agrees.

How long do you have to live in a house to avoid capital gains in Michigan?

The main test is federal. The IRS lets you exclude up to $250,000 of gain, or $500,000 on a joint return, if you owned the home and lived in it as your main home for at least two of the last five years. Ask a tax professional how any gain above that is taxed.

Talk to The Delia Group before you list

The Delia Group is a Rochester, Michigan real estate team working with buyers and sellers in Rochester, Rochester Hills, Oakland Township and across Oakland County. Deciding what stays and what goes before the listing photos are taken keeps those items out of the negotiation later. Sellers comparing the best real estate agents in Rochester or the top realtors in Rochester can call (248) 244-0703.

This article is general information for Michigan home sellers, not legal or tax advice. What stays with the house depends on the purchase agreement you sign, and some brokerages use forms other than the Michigan REALTORS agreement. Confirm your own situation with a real estate attorney or a tax professional.