In a survey by Halifax, the top complaint by house-buyers are sellers taking garden plants, light fittings and toilet roll holders when they leave their homes.
More than a quarter of the people surveyed admitted to digging up their favourite plant from their garden and taking it to their new home, while 12% admitted taking light fittings, 8% took light bulbs and 8% took the toilet roll holders and towel rails from bathrooms and even the house number plaques when they moved!
Five per cent of people even owned up to taking their wheelie bins with them, despite the fact that they are the property of the local council.
Our view
Strictly speaking, plants forming part of the garden are 'corporeal hereditaments' i.e. they form part of the land and should not be removed. Likewise, items fitted to the building such as light fittings form part of the building and should not be removed. If you take these, unless agreed as part of the sales particulars, you are guilty of 'stealing them'!