When buying or selling a property, it can be difficult to know which items are included in the purchase.
Fixtures are items that have become annexed to the land and as a result are considered part of the land in a property sale. This could be a rainwater tank, built-in shelf or appliance.
Chattels are goods that are considered moveable and can be removed from the location without issue, such as pieces of furniture. When the transfer of a title takes place, fixtures will remain with the property itself, and therefore be owned by the purchaser, while chattels are taken by the vendor.
If a vendor wishes to keep any fixtures or specific chattels, this must be expressly determined in the contract. To avoid disputes, it’s important all items that are included or excluded from the sale are set out in the contract.