16 Apr Window Treatments: Take Em or Leave Em?

If you’re moving to a new home, chances are you’ll still have plenty of windows that need to be fancied up with shades, drapes and curtains. But that doesn’t mean you should take your window treatments from one house to the next.

After all, the odds of the windows being the same size are low and you’re probably going to want a different color scheme in your rooms anyway. What’s the use of moving to a new home if everything looks the same?

The problem is, you’ve probably spent a lot of money on these items over the years and parting with them will be hard. Some people even get them custom-made, so the cost was even higher, but again, custom for one set of windows is not the same as custom for all.

You might offer them up to whoever bought your home, thinking that could help if any negotiations need to happen at closing, however, even if your curtains are beautiful, the new owners probably want to buy their own and decorate how they see fit. Still, it’s worth trying, especially for first-time homeowners who may not be able to spend much on these window treatments right away. After all, people always like getting things for free.

Never leave broken blinds or shades in the home. If you notice your items have tears or are broken in some way, fix them so the new owners aren’t faced with a problem right away. And cleaning everything is always a good idea. Even old curtains and drapes will look brand new with a nice cleaning.

Maybe you’ll decide you do want to take everything with you. If this is the case, make sure your REALTORⓇ explains this to those looking to buy and list it on your selling documents. You don’t want a misrepresentation over something so minor holding up the sale.

In these cases, some agents will suggest you take everything down and replace them with cheaper options that you can leave. This way, at least the new owners have something when they come in. The downside here is that your curtains and drapes will most likely be more eye-catching and could even help in someone deciding to buy your home over another.

If you do go this route, choose neutral colors or sheer curtains so they will work with any decorative style a new homeowner may have.

If you decide to take your window treatments with you and a buyer comes along wanting to buy the house, but wants the curtains included, be flexible. In most cases, it will be worth giving them up rather than waiting for another interested party to come along. Plus, you’ll have the fun of shopping for curtains all over again for your new home.