I was thinking the other day, what do I do with all the smart devices when I move?

Light bulbs can go with you. What about your sprinkler controller, ceiling fans, thermostat, doorbell cameras, security cams, etc.

Then the reverse, can a previous owner login to their former devices? Are some brands better at doing this than others.

I would take as much of it with me as I could and replace them with the most inexpensive option.

Either build it into the cost of the house or remove it all before you show it.

If it's attached to the house, it's supposed to stay.

one MEEN Ag said:

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If it's attached to the house, it's supposed to stay.

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Yep, If you intend to take it with you, you should probably switch it all out prior to putting the house up for sale.

The only smart device we had in our last home that wasn't plugged into a wall was the Ring doorbell. It was a simple few clicks of a button on the app to disconnect it. I believe we cancelled our account as well since we were moving to an apartment temporarily.

Sasappis said:

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jtraggie99 said:

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one MEEN Ag said:

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If it's attached to the house, it's supposed to stay.

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Yep, If you intend to take it with you, you should probably switch it all out prior to putting the house up for sale.

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One line on the disclosure/listing is very easy. Why inconvenience yourself?

People reserve all types of things: special fixtures, playground equipment, certain appliances, etc. This is just a new example.

Most of the devices are tied to a smart hub or network. So assuming the owner takes those they should not have access anymore. But most of the devices can be reset in person.

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This. Just make sure you exclude everything you want to keep in your disclosures.

West Texas Lawyer said:

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Sasappis said:

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jtraggie99 said:

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one MEEN Ag said:

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If it's attached to the house, it's supposed to stay.

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Yep, If you intend to take it with you, you should probably switch it all out prior to putting the house up for sale.

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One line on the disclosure/listing is very easy. Why inconvenience yourself?

People reserve all types of things: special fixtures, playground equipment, certain appliances, etc. This is just a new example.

Most of the devices are tied to a smart hub or network. So assuming the owner takes those they should not have access anymore. But most of the devices can be reset in person.

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This. Just make sure you exclude everything you want to keep in your disclosures.

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I would mostly be concerned about sprinkler controlers, thermostats, etc. that will make things non-functional when they are removed. Especially things that are removed and leave holes in the wall or places that are not completely finished like behind a thermostat.

TexAg1987 said:

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West Texas Lawyer said:

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Sasappis said:

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jtraggie99 said:

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one MEEN Ag said:

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If it's attached to the house, it's supposed to stay.

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Yep, If you intend to take it with you, you should probably switch it all out prior to putting the house up for sale.

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One line on the disclosure/listing is very easy. Why inconvenience yourself?

People reserve all types of things: special fixtures, playground equipment, certain appliances, etc. This is just a new example.

Most of the devices are tied to a smart hub or network. So assuming the owner takes those they should not have access anymore. But most of the devices can be reset in person.

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This. Just make sure you exclude everything you want to keep in your disclosures.

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I would mostly be concerned about sprinkler controlers, thermostats, etc. that will make things non-functional when they are removed. Especially things that are removed and leave holes in the wall or places that are not completely finished like behind a thermostat.

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This is why I've kept all the old versions of these items I've replaced. I still have old thermo, doorbell, front door lock, sprinkler brain, etc, so if I moved, I'd replace back to original and take with me the smart versions.

I used to do the same thing with (then) fancy CFL lightbulbs when I was apartment hopping in college and early career life. I'm cheap.

Maybe it's just me, but if/when we move, I'm planning on leaving all of that stuff behind. It'll give me a good excuse to go and buy new/current tech. Plus I'm not really interested in going through and re-wiring all the switches where I have installed smart switches.

Sasappis said:

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jtraggie99 said:

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one MEEN Ag said:

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If it's attached to the house, it's supposed to stay.

---

Yep, If you intend to take it with you, you should probably switch it all out prior to putting the house up for sale.

---

One line on the disclosure/listing is very easy. Why inconvenience yourself?

People reserve all types of things: special fixtures, playground equipment, certain appliances, etc. This is just a new example.

Most of the devices are tied to a smart hub or network. So assuming the owner takes those they should not have access anymore. But most of the devices can be reset in person.

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Yes, you are obviously right. What I was trying to say is that you can't just start removing stuff after you are under contract unless it has been specified prior that you will be taking it with you and is not part of the sale.

You're really going to take down a ceiling fan and reinstall it in your new house? Same with a sprinkler controller. I would be pretty pissed if the previous owner left bare wires and dumb valves in place of an automated sprinkler system.

Delete them from the control app and/or reset the controllers to factory settings and leave them. If its wired in, definitely leave them. Don't leave wires and cables sticking out of the wall where cameras and whatnot used to be.

Sounds like something a super cheap person would do...

Bought a house in 2006 that was foreclosed...previous owners took EVERYTHING, ceiling fans, ceiling and wall lights, kitchen appliances including the vent hood and garbage disposal, etc. Just left wires hanging out everywhere!

Now considering that they much have let their 3 young kids paint their own rooms...cookie monster blue, wild purple, and pink. They painted everything in their rooms and closets, including the light switches/cover plates and convenience outlets/cover plates. Based on this, kinda which they'd taken the all the switches, outlets and cover plates to make it easier on me...

Only thing they didn't take was the HVAC equipment, guess cause it was installed in the attic. Oh and the attic, the guy must have worked for a Dish and a large trailer load of Dish control boxes and satellite dishes were removed from the attic. Not sure how many miles of cabling were included as well. They must not have even tried to remove anything from the attic as the guy's dishonorable discharge papers from the military were also found up there....

I guess I need to clarify. This is really a security question. I would not remove fans, thermostats, etc.

I will be selling my mom's house within a year. I have installed smart fans, sprinkler controllers etc. I saw on Sensi's page you have to take a picture of the MAC address and send it to them to remove the registration.

My concern is really If you move into a home that already has smart devices, can the previous owner still have access? Then, how would you be able to tell if they did?

All of those devices reside/communicate on your wifi network. That wifi network goes away (presumably) when you move.

Gary79Ag said:

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Now considering that they much have let their 3 young kids paint their own rooms...cookie monster blue, wild purple, and pink. They painted everything in their rooms and closets, including the light switches/cover plates and convenience outlets/cover plates. Based on this, kinda which they'd taken the all the switches, outlets and cover plates to make it easier on me...

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Talking about painting, I bought a house one time and apparently the previous owners had painted AROUND paintings and pictures on the wall. We had a very large, open living/dining room. They had a lot of pictures on the wall. The first time we set foot in the house after we had closed and they had moved out, you could see all the places where they had hung something on the wall (it was a different paint color!) Who does that?!?! Of course, they also had cable outlets in some rooms where there was no wall plate, just a hole in the wall with wires sticking out. They had been covered up by furniture. And this was a fairly nice house in a nice neighborhood. Crazy man...the things people do...

LOL at folks painting around pictures ....that takes the cake

Leaving our Rachio at the house we are selling, but I took the Ecobees before we listed it.

Funny thing on the Rachio, we got the inspection report and the inspector noted the sprinkler system as deficient as it did not have a visible rain gauge. Damn technology and such.

Of course, he also noted that the exhaust fans vented to the attic but then noted that the roof jacks for the exhaust fan pipes on the roofs were dented but still functioned.