# What to Leave Behind When Selling a House in Florida: Fixtures, Appliances and Personal Property > In a Florida sale, fixtures and the items listed in the contract stay with the house. Everything else you can take, but you should write down any exceptions before the buyer sees the home. - URL: https://maxliferealty.com/blog/what-to-leave-behind-when-selling-house-florida - Author: Ryan Solberg, Florida real estate broker (BK3354351), MaxLife Realty - Published: 2026-11-12 - Category: Seller Guides ## Key Takeaways - Attached items (fixtures) and the personal property listed in the Florida contract go with the house. If it is listed as included, it stays. If you want to keep it, exclude it in writing. - The Florida Realtors residential contract lists major appliances, ceiling fans, light fixtures, wall-to-wall carpet, and rods, draperies and other window treatments as included unless excluded. - At closing the seller delivers the property cleared of personal items and trash, with all keys, garage door openers and access codes. - Mounted TVs, wall mounts, chandeliers, and washers and dryers cause the most arguments. Decide before listing and put it in the listing and the contract. - Items you exclude should be excluded before photos and showings, so a buyer does not fall in love with something you plan to take. **In a Florida sale, anything attached to the house and everything the contract lists as included stays; everything else is yours, as long as you say so in writing before the buyer makes an offer.** Most disputes come from things nobody thought about: a mounted TV, a chandelier, a washer, a garage remote. ## What counts as a fixture in Florida? A fixture is something attached to the property in a way that makes it part of the real estate: built-in cabinets, installed flooring, a ceiling fan, a mounted light fixture, a water heater, an installed sprinkler system, the pool and its permanent equipment. The usual test is how it is attached, whether it is custom-fit to the home, and what the parties intended. Courts can disagree on borderline cases, which is why the contract matters more than the label. The practical rule for sellers: if it is attached and you do not want to leave it, exclude it in writing and repair the spot where it was. ## What does the Florida contract say is included? The Florida Realtors residential contract (the form Florida Realtors calls CRSP, which is a third option beside the FR/BAR Standard and AS IS forms) says the sale includes existing improvements and attached items, including fixtures; built-in furnishings; major appliances, including but not limited to range, refrigerator, dishwasher, washer and dryer; ceiling fans; light fixtures; attached wall-to-wall carpeting; and rods, draperies and other window treatments, as of the date of the buyer's initial offer. It has blanks for other items that are included and for items that are excluded. It also says personal property listed in the contract is included in the price, has no contributory value, and is being left for the seller's convenience. The FR/BAR forms use a similar structure: a list of items included, a space for others, and a space for exclusions. I have read the Florida Realtors form but not every revision of the FR/BAR forms, so check the specific form and revision you are signing. If a line is blank, do not assume. Fill it in. ## What about appliances? - **Kitchen appliances.** Range, refrigerator, dishwasher, disposal and built-in microwave are normally included. If you want to take a nice refrigerator, exclude it and plan on replacing it. - **Washer and dryer.** Listed as included in the Florida Realtors form. Decide and state it. - **Second refrigerators, freezers, wine coolers.** Not obviously a major appliance. List them as included or excluded. - **Condition.** In the FR/BAR Standard form, the seller warrants that non-leased major appliances work until closing. If you leave an appliance that does not work, say so. ## Window treatments, mounted TVs and light fixtures - **Rods, draperies and window treatments** are on the included list unless excluded. If you plan to take custom drapes, say so before showings. - **Blinds and shutters** attached to windows are generally part of the house. Hurricane shutters and panels are usually included, and you may want to list them by location so there is no argument. - **Mounted TVs.** The TV is personal property, usually. The wall mount and the wiring may stay or go. Decide, write it down, and plan for patching the wall. - **Light fixtures and ceiling fans.** Included by default. If your grandmother's chandelier is not for sale, replace it with a basic fixture before photos. ## Pool, outdoor and garage items - **Pool equipment** such as pump, filter, heater and automation system is part of the property. Pool cleaners, chemicals, and the cover may or may not be. List the extras. - **Outdoor items.** Sheds, play sets, outdoor kitchens, mounted fire pits, and landscape lighting are typically fixtures if built in. Freestanding furniture is yours. - **Garage door openers.** The remotes and keypad codes are part of what the seller delivers at closing, along with keys and access codes. Gate remotes and community access cards too. - **Smart home devices.** Cameras, doorbells, thermostats and locks can be tied to your account. Reset them to factory settings and hand over the codes, or take them and install a basic replacement. Say which. ## What do I hand over at closing? Under the Florida Realtors contract form, by the time of closing the seller removes personal items and trash, sweeps the home clean, and delivers the deed, possession, and all keys, garage door openers, and access codes. Practical checklist: - Every key: front door, deadbolts, mailbox, pool gate, shed, HOA clubhouse. - Garage remotes, gate remotes, community access cards and decals. - Alarm and smart-lock codes, plus Wi-Fi equipment you are leaving. - Appliance manuals, warranties, paint colors, and the names of the pool, lawn and pest services. - Roof, HVAC and other transferable warranties, and the home warranty if you bought one for the buyer. - Utility accounts closed or transferred on the closing date. If an HOA or condo association controls the amenity or the access device, ask the association how to transfer or replace it, and whether there is a fee. [HOA estoppel fees and deadlines](https://maxliferealty.com/blog/florida-hoa-estoppel-certificate-fees-deadlines) are separate, but the same association usually handles both. ## What about HOA and community items? Association-controlled items usually do not belong to you at all. Gate access cards, pool fobs, clubhouse keys, parking decals, and amenity passes belong to the community. Return or transfer them as the association requires, and ask whether a replacement fee applies for the buyer. If you have installed something that needs approval, such as a hurricane shutter, antenna, or exterior change, tell the buyer which approvals are in place. Condo and HOA documents also list what the association maintains, which tells the buyer what comes with the unit in practice, whatever the contract says about the contents. ## How do I avoid a fight over what stays? 1. **Walk the house with your agent before listing** and tag anything you plan to take: a sticker, a note in the listing remarks, a line in the exclusions blank. 2. **Remove excluded items before photos and showings.** A buyer who loves the dining room chandelier will assume it comes with the house. 3. **Write down the exceptions in the listing and the contract,** not only in conversation. 4. **Photograph the home** before you move out. 5. **Leave the home in the condition the contract requires.** In the FR/BAR Standard form, the seller must keep the home in the same condition until closing, normal wear and tear excepted. A missing fixture or a damaged wall is a problem at the walk-through. 6. **Clear out the garage, attic and shed,** not just the living areas. Leftover junk is a common reason for a delayed closing. For what to repair or leave alone before listing, see [what to fix before selling a home in Florida](https://maxliferealty.com/blog/what-to-fix-before-selling-home-florida). To see what the sale nets once credits and costs are in, use the [seller net sheet calculator](https://maxliferealty.com/seller-net-sheet-calculator), and if you want help writing up the included and excluded list, [talk to Ryan](https://maxliferealty.com/contact). *General information as of November 2026. Form language is paraphrased from the Florida Realtors CRSP-17 redline published March 2025; FR/BAR revisions may differ. Not legal advice.* ## Frequently Asked Questions ### What stays with the house when you sell in Florida? Real property, which includes fixtures attached to the home, and any personal property the contract says is included. The Florida Realtors contract form lists existing improvements and attached items, built-in furnishings, major appliances such as the range, refrigerator, dishwasher, washer and dryer, ceiling fans, light fixtures, attached wall-to-wall carpeting, and rods, draperies and other window treatments, as of the date of the buyer's initial offer. The FR/BAR forms use similar lists. Anything not on the list that is not attached is generally yours, but check the signed contract. ### Can I take the chandelier or mounted TV with me? Only if you exclude it in writing. A chandelier is a light fixture attached to the house, and light fixtures are included by default. A wall-mounted TV is commonly treated as personal property, but the mount may be a fixture. If you want to take either, list it as excluded before the buyer makes an offer, and replace the fixture or patch the wall. Putting it in the listing remarks and the contract avoids a dispute. ### Do I have to leave the washer and dryer? It depends on the contract. The Florida Realtors contract form lists washers and dryers among the major appliances included, while some other forms list them as items to be specified. Read your form and state it clearly: included or excluded. If included, the buyer is not paying separately for them. ### What do I have to hand over at closing? Under the Florida Realtors contract form, the seller delivers the deed, occupancy and possession along with all keys, garage door openers and access codes, and has removed personal items and trash and swept the property clean by the time of closing. Gate remotes, alarm codes, pool keypads and mailbox keys belong on that list. Warranties and manuals are a courtesy, and they help the buyer. ### Can the buyer do a final walk-through to check that everything is there? Yes. A walk-through shortly before closing is standard, and it is where missing items or damage are noticed. If something included is missing, it can delay closing or lead to a credit or holdback at closing. Take photos of the home before you move out, and keep the list of included items handy. --- Source: "What to Leave Behind When Selling a House in Florida: Fixtures, Appliances and Personal Property" by Ryan Solberg, Florida real estate broker (BK3354351), MaxLife Realty, https://maxliferealty.com/blog/what-to-leave-behind-when-selling-house-florida (last updated 2026-11-12). Content may be quoted with attribution to MaxLife Realty.