Should You Include Furniture in Your Offer to Purchase a House?
BY Scott Moore, Group Leader & Realtor | July 24, 2026Every so often, a buyer says something that seems perfectly reasonable: "Can we ask them to include the couch?"
On the surface, it doesn't sound like a big request. The sellers are moving anyway, right?
Or it can seem like a negotiation tool. We’re giving them the possession date they want - they can do us a favour too, right?
But this is one of those situations where buyers and sellers often value the exact same piece of furniture very differently and it can create big problems during negotiations.
Buyers Think Convenience. Sellers Think Replacement Cost.
Imagine you're buying a home and you fall in love with the sectional in the living room.
From your perspective, it makes perfect sense.
It fits the room perfectly.
It saves you the hassle of shopping.
The sellers won't have to move it.
It feels like a small favour.
The sellers, however, are looking at the same couch and thinking something completely different.
"If we leave it behind, we have to go spend $5,000 on another one."
They aren't valuing it based on what it's worth on Facebook Marketplace. They're valuing it based on what it costs to replace. They’ll still need a couch at their new home and if they don’t have their current couch, they’ll have to buy a new one.
That difference in perspective is where negotiations can quickly become more difficult than they need to be.
Suddenly, a negotiation over an entire home becomes focused on a sofa.
Which is one of the reasons that it's rarely worth complicating a deal by asking for the furniture.
Sometimes It Makes Perfect Sense
There are certainly situations where it works to include furniture. A few examples include:
Theatre seating in a media room
Custom stools for an unusually low or high bar
Patio furniture that perfectly fits a rooftop deck
A pool table in a finished games room
In these cases, the furniture is essentially part of how the home functions.
The vendors probably think about the furniture as part of the space and they think it's as reasonable to leave it behind as you do.
The Right Way to Do It
That being said, vendors selling furniture to buyers is pretty common, and it can be done.
Here’s the right way to do it.
After the sale is final, your realtor can reach out to the vendor’s realtor. This should start with a compliment about how much the buyer likes their style.
If there’s a particular piece you’re interested in, ask whether they would consider selling it and if so, for what amount.
If you’re open to possibly purchasing a number of items, you can pass that along too. In this case, usually the vendor sends a list of items they are willing to sell, and prices.
If you come to an agreement, usually the buyer sends the vendor an etransfer, and the vendor leaves the items in the home when they move out.
Instead of asking the seller to absorb the replacement cost, you're recognizing that the item has value to them. You’re also separating the furniture purchase from the purchase of the home.
Many sellers are far more open to this approach.
One More Thing to Consider
Furniture is also personal.
Sometimes it's tied to memories, family, or plans for the next home.
Just because someone is moving doesn't necessarily mean they're ready to part with everything inside it.
Keeping negotiations focused on the home itself often leads to smoother transactions and happier buyers and sellers.
The Bottom Line
Every offer is different.
Sometimes including furniture makes perfect sense.
Sometimes it's a request that seems small to one party - and huge to another.
One of the biggest jobs of an experienced REALTOR® isn't simply writing offers, it's recognizing which requests help move a deal forward and which ones risk slowing it down.
Our goal is always the same: keep negotiations focused on what matters most, avoid unnecessary roadblocks, and help everyone reach the finish line with as little stress as possible.