Negotiating Furniture Into Your Home Purchase
You've found the perfect home in Sioux Falls. The moment you step inside, your heart sinks a little. It's not the house itself — the house is exactly what you've been searching for. It's the burgundy leather sectional in the living room, the custom dining table with matching chairs, or that built-in bookshelf that somehow makes the whole space feel like home. Your home.
Here's the thing: you can make those pieces part of your purchase. It happens more often than you'd think, and with the right approach, it's completely negotiable.
Why Buyers Fall in Love with Furnished Homes
There's psychology behind why furniture makes homes more appealing. When a home is professionally staged or thoughtfully decorated, it creates an emotional connection. When you decorate your home, you put a lot of thought and care into it. Sometimes, you find the perfect pieces of furniture to compliment the space and a buyer recognizes that. That recognition is real, and it's worth exploring.
In Sioux Falls, where many families are buying their first homes or upgrading to larger properties, the appeal of moving into a home that's already furnished is genuinely significant. First-time buyers may also see the appeal, as the process of furnishing an entire home for the first time can be daunting. Think about what you're saving in time, money, and stress when you don't have to spend months hunting for pieces that fit your space.
Understanding What "Furniture" Actually Means
Before you start negotiations, you need to know what you're negotiating for. Furniture is not connected to the property at all. Furniture includes items such as: televisions, tables, beds, couches, and chairs. Furniture is almost always considered personal property and therefore not included in the sale of the property.
This is critical. Unlike built-in bookshelves or light fixtures, which might be considered part of the home itself, a free-standing sofa is personal property. That means it's not automatically yours just because it's sitting in the house when you buy it. If you want the furniture, you will likely need to negotiate for it within your offer.
The difference matters. Items that are screwed, bolted, or permanently attached to the structure typically stay. Items that are simply resting in the space? Those are fair game for negotiation.
How to Start the Conversation
Don't wait until closing to mention that you want the dining room table. The best time to bring this up is during the initial offer process. The buyer, with the help of their real estate agent, can negotiate the price of furniture when they submit an offer.
As your real estate agent here in Sioux Falls, I always encourage buyers to identify specific pieces they're interested in early. Walk through the home during your showing and note which items appeal to you. Are there pieces that are specifically scaled to the room and would be expensive or impossible to replace? Those are the strongest negotiating points.
Custom-made or hard to replace: Built-ins, banquettes, floating shelves, or anything designed specifically for the space can be a big selling point and may feel like a natural part of the home. Scaled to the room: If a buyer loves the way your low-profile sectional fits the living room just right, they may prefer to keep it rather than start from scratch.
The Two Ways to Handle Furniture Sales
There are essentially two paths when negotiating furniture: include it as part of the home sale contract or handle it separately. Each has different implications.
Option 1: Separate Bill of Sale (Most Common)
Typically, the buyer has to write the seller a check for the furniture that they're buying outside of escrow. She says this is the route most sellers go for all the reasons mentioned above: It's difficult to include furniture in negotiations because the appraiser will not count the value of the furniture toward the value of the home. And you typically can't incorporate the furniture as part of the sale's contract because the lender is lending on the home, not its furnishings.
This method is cleanest and most straightforward. The buyer gives the seller cash at closing for specific pieces, documented in a separate bill of sale. From a lender's perspective, this is the smoothest path because it keeps personal property completely separate from the real estate transaction.
However, if your buyer is purchasing the furniture outside of escrow, then you need to get that check — and cash it — before the sale closes. If we're selling the furniture outside of the home sale, I always insist on getting the check upfront so that it can clear before we close escrow.
Option 2: Include Furniture in the Purchase Agreement
If you want furniture included as part of your offer, it gets more complicated but it's possible. You'll need to write all included furniture into the purchase agreement using a personal property addendum. A personal property addendum describes every piece of personal property, outside of the house itself, that is included in the deal.
The challenge here is the lender. Lenders don't finance throw pillows. If you try to slide furniture into the purchase price, the appraisal won't support it, and the underwriter might have issues with this. You'll need to break it out: $490,000 for the house, $10,000 for the furniture. Even if you're trying to bundle everything together, the bank requires you to separate the values.
Pricing the Furniture
This is where things get tricky. Start your pricing process by digging up any receipts you can find for your furniture. You won't be able to charge the full price you paid since the furniture is now used (unless you have a lot of antiques that become more valuable with time), but knowing what you originally paid will help give you an idea of what to charge and back up your prices if a buyer questions it.
As a real estate agent in Sioux Falls, I've seen negotiations stall over unrealistic furniture pricing. A five-year-old sectional with normal wear and tear isn't worth half its original purchase price. Pieces that look clean, modern, and gently used will appeal most. Scuffed, sagging, or worn-out items may actually hurt the perceived value.
If you're the buyer and the seller is asking an unreasonable amount, don't be afraid to push back. Don't be afraid to negotiate if you decide to sell your furniture to your homebuyer. Even if you come up with a price you think is fair, the buyer may want to negotiate a different one. The buyer, with the help of their real estate agent, can negotiate the price of furniture when they submit an offer.
The Details Matter — A Lot
This is where most people get careless, and it's where problems arise. The purchase contract should include a detailed, item-by-item inventory of every piece of personal property the seller agrees to leave. Vague language like "all furniture" invites disputes. A good inventory lists each item by name, its location in the house, the brand and model for anything valuable, and its current condition.
Saying "all furniture in the living room" might seem clear enough, but what happens if the seller disagrees about whether the area rug or the side tables count as "furniture"? Suddenly you're having an argument at closing, and those are never fun.
Photograph everything. Walk through the house room by room and document each listed item with time-stamped photos. This creates a baseline you can compare against during the final walkthrough. If you agreed that a leather sectional would stay and you arrive on closing day to find a budget fabric couch in its place, those photos are your evidence.
Using Furniture as a Negotiating Tool
Sometimes furniture negotiations aren't about what you want — they're about breaking a stalemate. Negotiating for non-fixed assets and furniture can be used as a successful tactic to bring buyers and sellers to a satisfactory agreement. When the price is more than the buyer expected to pay or negotiations have stalled and the seller is not willing to go down any further, one or the other may suggest including furniture in the price. The buyer may feel better about the final price, and the seller can wind up the deal with fewer items to move out and a satisfactory payout.
In a Sioux Falls market where both buyers and sellers have competing interests, this is a smart tactic. If you're $10,000 apart on price, maybe the seller agrees to leave $8,000 worth of furniture, you cover the remaining $2,000, and everyone wins.
Your Real Estate Agent Makes the Difference
Negotiating furniture into your home purchase isn't something you should wing on your own. If you're unfamiliar with how to sell furniture alongside a home, don't forget to lean on your real estate agent. If you hire an experienced agent, you can feel confident that they've likely managed this process before and will be more than happy to help make sure both you and the seller come to an agreement you're happy with.
As a Sioux Falls real estate agent, I've helped countless buyers negotiate furniture purchases. I know the local market, I understand what lenders will accept, and I can help you avoid common pitfalls that could derail your entire deal. I can also help you identify which pieces are worth fighting for and which ones are negotiating fluff.
If you're looking for a home in Sioux Falls and you've fallen for a particular piece of furniture, don't assume you have to leave it behind. Reach out and let's talk about how to make it part of your purchase. I'm here to make your home buying experience smooth and successful. When you're ready to explore Sioux Falls listings, check out my property search on HOUSEJET to see what's available in your area.
Your dream home is out there — and if it comes with furniture you love, that's just the cherry on top.
