Published October 22, 2026
What stays with the house and the day you get the keys are both settled by your signed purchase contract, not by the listing photos, the open house or a conversation at a showing. Virginia law does not hand you a list of what conveys with a home, so anything you care about has to be written down by name, and the possession date and time have to be written down with it.
That sounds simple until the final walk-through, when the dining room chandelier is gone, the washer is a different brand or the seller is still moving boxes. This guide covers what the Code of Virginia does say, how to sort a house into what stays, what goes and what to ask about, and what to check before you close on a home in the city of Richmond, Henrico County or Chesterfield County. It is part of our closing-day series with the guides on the final walk-through, rent-backs, prorations and who sits at the closing table. This is general information, not legal advice.
What the Code of Virginia says, and what it leaves to your contract
The only statutory definition of a fixture we found is in Virginia’s commercial code. Section 8.9A-102 defines fixtures as goods that have become so related to particular real property that an interest in them arises under real property law. That definition sits in the secured-transactions article, and it is circular for a home buyer: a fixture is whatever real property law treats as part of the land. It does not tell you whether the mounted television or the garage refrigerator is staying.
The seller’s disclosure does not answer it either. Under section 55.1-703, the owner must give the buyer a residential property disclosure statement, which the Real Estate Board posts on its website. The statute says the statement tells the buyer that the owner makes no representations or warranties about the condition of the property or its improvements, and that buyers should do their own due diligence. We searched the text on that page, including the version effective January 1, 2027, for appliances and personal property. Neither is listed. The disclosure is about condition and certain listed matters, not an inventory of what conveys.
The result for a buyer is practical. If an item matters to you, it belongs in the contract by name. If the seller plans to take something you assumed would stay, the time to learn that is before you sign, or in a written amendment after, and not at the walk-through. A Virginia real estate attorney can tell you how a court would read a contract that is silent on a particular item.
Sorting the house into three piles
Walk each room with the listing and the contract and sort what you see into three piles.
Attached to the structure
Hardwired light fixtures, ceiling fans, built-in shelving, plumbing fixtures, and anything bolted, wired or plumbed into the house sit here. Under general property-law principles these are the items most likely to be treated as part of the real property, but “most likely” is not “certain,” and sellers do take chandeliers. Name the ones you are counting on, especially anything decorative or valuable.
Loose and freestanding
Furniture, rugs, a freestanding freezer in the garage, patio sets and wall art are personal property. They leave with the seller unless the contract says otherwise. If you want the outdoor table or the garage shelving, put it in writing.
The gray pile
These are the items that cause arguments, so list each one as included or excluded.
- Wall-mounted televisions and their brackets
- Curtains, rods and blinds
- Refrigerator, washer, dryer and any second refrigerator
- Window air conditioners and portable units
- Garage door openers and every remote
- Smart thermostats, video doorbells, cameras and hubs
- Water softeners, sump pumps and dehumidifiers
- Sheds, playsets, mailboxes and fence gates
- Hot tubs and above-ground pools
- Electric vehicle chargers
One line in the contract, such as “washer, dryer and refrigerator in the kitchen convey,” is cheaper than any dispute it prevents. The same goes for exclusions: if the seller is keeping the dining room chandelier, the contract should say what replaces it.
Get the Richmond closing-timeline checklist
Tell us you want the checklist and we will send you a closing timeline that shows where your possession date, the final walk-through and the Closing Disclosure fall, so you know which dates to confirm with your title company and which items to list in your contract.
Leased, financed and owed-on equipment
An item can be bolted to the house and still belong to someone else. Solar panels are the common example, along with some security systems, propane tanks and water treatment units that were installed under a lease or a financing agreement. Section 8.9A-334 of the Code of Virginia says a security interest may be created in goods that are fixtures or may continue in goods that become fixtures, and that the commercial code does not prevent an encumbrance on fixtures under real property law. In plain terms, a lender or equipment company can hold a claim on something attached to the house.
Ask the seller for the lease or finance paperwork on any equipment that is not clearly theirs, and ask your title company whether anything of that kind turned up in its search. Our guides on reading a title commitment and buying a home with solar panels show where those questions fit. A leased system does not simply transfer with the deed. Whether you take over the lease is a separate agreement with the equipment company.
Possession: the day, the hour and the keys
Possession is a term of the contract, and there are three common ways to write it. The first is possession at closing, which should state a time and what has to happen first, such as funds being disbursed. The second is a later date, which means the seller stays after closing and you need a written rent-back; our rent-back guide covers the terms. The third is early occupancy, where you move in before closing.
Be careful with the third. Moving in before you own the home can affect your homeowners policy and may conflict with your loan terms, so ask your lender in writing before you accept keys early. The homeowners insurance quote guide explains what lenders ask to see before closing, and our preferred lenders page is a starting point if you are still choosing a lender.
Whatever the contract says, confirm the mechanics two or three days ahead. Ask your agent and settlement agent when keys are released, whether that happens at the table or after funds are disbursed and the deed is recorded, and who is bringing garage remotes, mailbox keys and any smart-lock codes. The CFPB closing page lists reviewing your documents, following its closing checklist and closing the deal as the last steps, and that review is where a wrong date should surface. The Closing Disclosure three-day rule is a reason to settle the date early, since a late change to the closing day can ripple through the paperwork.
The walk-through is where you check the inventory
The final walk-through is your last look before closing, and it works best when you carry the contract and the inventory with you. Our final walk-through guide covers the full routine. For this topic, five checks matter most.
- Compare every item you listed in the contract against what is in the house, room by room.
- Look for bare spots and empty sockets where a light fixture, ceiling fan, curtain rod or wall bracket used to be.
- Run the appliances that are supposed to convey, and open the garage door with each remote you were promised.
- Check the garage, attic, shed and crawl space for items the seller meant to remove and has not.
- Photograph anything that is missing, swapped or left behind, and tell your agent before you sign anything, not after.
If something is wrong, you have more options before closing than after. A credit, a repair, a replacement or an escrow holdback can all be negotiated while the deal is still open. Our guide to escrow holdbacks at a Richmond closing explains how money can stay behind until a promised item or job is finished.
When belongings or a seller are still there after closing
Once the deed is recorded, the house is yours, but a seller may still be inside with boxes, a truck and a few more days of packing. If that was agreed, the rent-back terms apply. If it was not, the fastest fix is a written agreement signed before closing that names a move-out date and time and says what happens to anything left behind.
That last clause deserves a line of its own. A contract can say that anything the seller leaves after a set time is the buyer’s to keep or dispose of. If yours says nothing, do not throw away anything of value before asking your attorney, because the answer depends on how your contract is written.
If a seller stays past an agreed date without your consent, section 8.01-124 of the Code of Virginia allows the party entitled to possession to file a motion for judgment in circuit court for unlawful detainer. The statute covers a tenant who keeps possession of land after the right has expired, without the consent of the person entitled to it. That is a court process, and a signed agreement with a daily charge and a firm date is usually the faster path. Ask your attorney before you change locks or move anything yourself.
Where this fits in the closing-day timeline
The inventory is settled at contract, the possession date is confirmed in the week before closing, and the walk-through checks both. Prorations for taxes and dues follow the closing date, which is why a moved date also moves a line on the settlement statement, as the prorations guide shows. If you are still searching, our property search lets you start from current listings, and our buyer page describes how we work with buyers. When you make an offer, ask your agent to list the gray-pile items in the contract by name.
What to ask your attorney
Bring the contract, the listing and your inventory. Ask whether each gray-pile item is clearly covered, what the contract says about items left after closing, whether any attached equipment is leased or financed, and what to do if the seller will not agree to a written possession date. Settling these questions before closing is far easier than after.
Ask for the closing-timeline checklist
The same offer, restated: request our Richmond closing-timeline checklist and see where your possession date, walk-through and Closing Disclosure line up with your contract dates.
Frequently asked questions
Can a seller take the light fixtures after I sign the contract?
It depends on what the contract says and on how a court would treat the item if the contract is silent. Hardwired fixtures are the items most likely to be treated as part of the house, but that is not guaranteed. The safe route is to name any fixture you are counting on, and to ask the seller in writing about any you noticed in the listing photos before you sign or through an amendment.
What if the listing says an item stays but my contract does not mention it?
Treat the listing as a hint, not a promise. The signed contract is the document you will rely on, so ask your agent to add the item by name. If it is already close to closing, ask for a written amendment signed by both sides, and ask your attorney how your particular contract treats the gap.
Do I get the keys at the closing table?
Not necessarily. The contract sets the possession date and time, and your settlement agent knows how and when funds are disbursed and the deed is recorded. Ask both in the week before closing when keys, garage remotes and any lock codes will be released, and who will hand them over.
Can I move in a few days before closing?
Only with written permission from the seller and a check with your lender and insurer first. Moving in before you own the home can affect your insurance coverage and may conflict with loan terms, and it leaves the question of who pays for damage unanswered. Many buyers wait. If you do agree to early access, put the terms, dates and responsibilities in a signed document.
Who owns the things the seller leaves in the garage or shed?
Your contract should answer that, ideally with a clause saying items left after a stated time belong to the buyer. If it says nothing, do not discard anything valuable until you have asked your attorney. A short written message to the seller asking whether the items are meant to be left also helps.
Does a leased water softener or alarm system transfer with the house?
A lease follows its own terms and does not automatically move to the buyer. Ask for a copy of the agreement and check whether the equipment company must consent to a transfer. Section 8.9A-334 of the Code of Virginia allows a security interest in goods that are fixtures, which is why attached equipment can still belong to, or be secured by, someone else.
