Home Buddies - Houston Credit Repair Coach for Investors and Homeowners

What Items Can I Take? My Home Has Foreclosed

Many homeowners have lost their home to foreclosure. They are definitely in a state of shock, embarrassment, and/or devastation. They are moving somewhere else now, but what can they take with them from the foreclosed home?

Some homeowners may be feeling so overwhelmed that they are not even thinking about taking some important personal items that they are more than entitled to take with them. Perhaps some are even very angry. Angry to the point that they are feeling compelled to be vengeful and remove some very essential items from the home before they actually vacate the property. You cannot just allow yourself to “strip the property clean” of all its fixtures, including copper pipes, furnaces, and faucets.

There are a few general rules and guidelines for homeowners to help them determine what items to take, without the fear of a lawsuit, and without causing damage to the property. You must first be able to determine between a fixture and personal property, even if that personal item has been affixed to the house.

It’s a fixture if:

There will be damage to the property (or would make the property unlivable) when the item is removed. If a cost will be involved to repair or replace the item.

• Most often furnaces, ovens, and air conditioners, copper pipes, faucets, doorknobs, keys, trees, landscape items, etc. are considered as fixtures because they relate to the property being functional and relates to the current use of the property.

Note: Please keep in mind the original intention for the item when it was originally installed into the home or attached to the property. Was it installed to be a permanent part of the house or not?

It’s personal property if:

It is an item that is not attached to the property. Or if it can safely be removed from the house without any damage and replaced with something comparable.

• Washing machines and dryers are usually considered a personal item.

And of course if it is your own actual personal property you take it with you.

Note: Homeowners may replace a fixture with one that is comparable. If you had bought a new oven, and still have the original old one, you may take the newer one with you and just reattach the older one in its place. The newer oven could be considered your personal property.

Having to leave the house itself is complicated and overwhelming. If you follow those general rules you should be able to move forward into your next step of your life after foreclosure.

Good luck.

Barbara Partaka
Home Buddies