When homeowners move out of a foreclosure house after selling or losing the house at an auction, they often wonder what items they can take. Especially if they are moving into lower-quality housing or could use the extra cash selling some items may bring, they may consider removing essential items like water faucets, copper pipes, or even the furnace. Determining what can and can not be taken can be one of the more difficult aspects of dealing with a house after foreclosure.

There are a few general rules about what appliances and items may be taken out of a house when homeowners either sell or are foreclosed on. With the large number of homeowners facing foreclosure right now, news stories have been reporting that many former owners essentially strip their properties of anything useful or salable, including copper pipes, furnaces, kitchen sinks, ovens, and so on. But not all of these can be taken in not all circumstances, and to prevent lawsuits for damage to the property, homeowners should be aware of what they can and can not take.

The most general rule on what may be taken after a sale or foreclosure of a property involves the distinction between fixtures and personal property. In many cases, aspects of these types of items can overlap, making it somewhat difficult for homeowners to decide on if an item belongs to one or the other category. Especially for items with sentimental value that are affixed to the house, determining whether they can be moved or must remain is not a simple process.

However, if removing an item from the house would cause damage to the property or make it unlivable, then the item is most likely a fixture. Laundry machines are often just hooked up to a few vents and power outlets, making them personal items, for instance. They can safely be removed from the house. On the other hand, furnaces, ovens, air conditioners, and the like would make the house unlivable or cause damage to the property, and they are often considered to be fixtures.

The size of items or the work put into them do not automatically determine whether an item is a fixture, either. Just because an item is small or natural does not mean it can always be taken. The keys to the house, for example, as always considered fixtures, and trees or bushes can not be easily removed from a property without causing damage to the ground. Both are integrally related to the functioning or current use of the property and will most often count as fixtures.

A second issue in determining what can be taken after foreclosure is the original intent of an item: was it installed to be a permanent part of the house or not? Items installed as permanently attached to the property are most often considered fixtures, such as the furnace, copper pipes, faucets, doorknobs, and so on. A house without these items would not be livable without expenditures to repair or replace these items.

Related to both of these previous issues is if an item is attached to the property in some way. Items that are attached are often considered fixtures, whereas items not attached may be considered personal property. A bookcase built into the walls of the house, for instance, will most likely be considered an attached, permanent fixture; but a bookcase the owners purchase and put together themselves that is not attached or built in can easily be moved and counts as personal property. Similarly, pipes and faucets and some appliances will also count as fixtures, since they are attached to gas lines, water pipes, or other items that make the house livable.

Items that the homeowners deem to be fixtures must be left in the house, but these items can be replaced with ones of a similar or lesser value. If antique doorknobs were installed on the outside doors, these would count as fixtures, but the owners could replace these with cheaper (although working) knobs and take the ones they previously installed. If they put in a new oven but still have the old one, they can take the new one if they reattach the original. This gives homeowners some leeway in deciding what they would like to take, especially for items with sentimental value. The heirloom fan or chandelier may be taken if the damage to the property is repaired and other items are substituted.

Following these few general rules, homeowners moving after foreclosure should be able to determine most of what they can and can not take with them. The issues of damage if the item is removed, original intent of its installation, and attachment to the property should be used with any appliance or item located on the property that the owners are unsure whether they can keep. Leaving a house after selling it or losing it to foreclosure is complicated enough; worrying about a lawsuit for damage to fixtures should not be one more headache homeowners have to deal with when attempting to make a fresh start.