Will the trustee take my furniture in Chapter 7?

In most consumer cases, ordinary used furniture falls within the published household goods exemption and is not sold. Value is measured at fair market value on the filing date (11 U.S.C. § 522(a)(2)), and used furniture typically resells for a small fraction of its purchase price. Exemptions are not automatic, though — property must be claimed on Schedule C.

Do I lose my TV in bankruptcy?

A television is generally treated as household goods or a consumer electronic device within the exemption category. Arizona's statute names consumer electronic devices expressly (A.R.S. § 33-1123), and the federal list covers household furnishings, goods, and appliances (11 U.S.C. § 522(d)(3)). What matters is its used resale value on the filing date and how much of your exemption is already used.

How much is the household items exemption?

There is no single national figure, because the amount depends on which exemption list applies to you. States vary widely — New Mexico allows an aggregate $75,000 in household goods and furnishings (NMSA 1978 § 42-10-1), Arizona $15,000 (A.R.S. § 33-1123), New Hampshire $3,500 for household furniture (RSA 511:2). Check your state page for the figure that applies where you live.

Are electronics and appliances covered?

Yes, appliances are named directly in the federal exemption for household furnishings, household goods, wearing apparel, appliances, books, animals, crops, and musical instruments (11 U.S.C. § 522(d)(3)). Consumer electronics are treated as household goods in some state statutes by name. Coverage still depends on total value against the applicable cap.

Can I use the federal exemption list?

Only if your state permits it. An individual debtor may elect either the federal schedule or the state and local package (11 U.S.C. § 522(b)(1)), but several states have opted out — including Arizona (A.R.S. § 33-1133), California (Cal. Civ. Proc. Code § 703.130), and Mississippi (Miss. Code Ann. § 85-3-2). Spouses filing jointly must make the same election.

What if a lender has a security interest in my furniture?

That changes the analysis. A nonpossessory, nonpurchase-money security interest that impairs an exemption in household goods may be avoidable under 11 U.S.C. § 522(f)(1)(B). Where the lien secures the purchase of the item itself, different rules apply, and 11 U.S.C. § 722 allows redemption of certain personal property by paying the allowed secured claim in full.

Does moving to another state change my exemptions?

It can. The applicable state or local exemptions are generally those of the place where your domicile has been located for the 730 days immediately preceding the filing, with a further look-back rule if your domicile was not in a single state for that period (11 U.S.C. § 522(b)(3)(A)). A recent move is a fact worth raising with a lawyer early.

What does it cost to file?

The Chapter 7 filing fee is $245 (28 U.S.C. § 1930(a)(1)(A), (f)(1)), plus a $78 administrative fee and a $15 trustee surcharge. Chapter 13 is $235 (28 U.S.C. § 1930(a)(1)(B)) plus a $78 administrative fee. Attorney fees are separate and vary by district and by the complexity of the case.

Property & exemptions

Household Goods and Furniture Exemptions in Bankruptcy

Bankruptcy exemptions commonly cover household goods, furniture, appliances, and clothing held primarily for personal, family, or household use. Value means fair market value on the filing date — resale value, not replacement cost (11 U.S.C. § 522). Because used furniture and electronics resell for little, ordinary household contents typically fall within the published exemption amount and stay with the household.

Key points

Exemptions are measured at fair market value as of the filing date, not what you paid (11 U.S.C. § 522(a)(2)).
Household goods, furnishings, appliances, and clothing held for personal, family, or household use are a recognised exemption category under 11 U.S.C. § 522(d)(3) and under state exemption statutes.
Exemptions are not automatic — property must be listed on Schedule C, or a trustee may sell it (Bankr. S.D. Iowa official guidance).
Some states require you to use their exemptions instead of the federal list, so the amounts and categories differ by state.
A nonpossessory, nonpurchase-money lien on household goods can sometimes be avoided under 11 U.S.C. § 522(f)(1)(B).

If you are weighing bankruptcy, one of the first fears is usually physical: the couch, the beds, the television, the washing machine. This page explains how the exemption rules treat ordinary household contents, how value is actually measured, and what changes the answer.

How does the household goods exemption actually work?

An exemption is a legal category of property you can keep out of the bankruptcy estate. In a Chapter 7 case, the trustee may sell property to pay debts, subject to your right to exempt the property or a portion of the sale proceeds; official court guidance describes exemptions as what may enable you to keep a home, a car, clothing, and household items (Bankr. S.D. Iowa official guidance).

The federal list includes an exemption for household furnishings, household goods, wearing apparel, appliances, books, animals, crops, and musical instruments held primarily for the personal, family, or household use of the debtor or a dependent (11 U.S.C. § 522(d)(3)). State exemption statutes describe the same category in their own words — Texas exempts home furnishings including family heirlooms (Tex. Prop. Code § 42.002), and New Mexico exempts an aggregate interest in household goods and furnishings up to a stated value (NMSA 1978 § 42-10-1).

The practical question is never whether furniture is covered. It is whether the value of what you own fits inside the published amount.

The exemption attaches to categories of ordinary household property, not to individual brands or receipts.
Property must be claimed — it is not applied for you.
What matters is your equity and the item's resale value on the filing date.

What changes the answer for your household?

Several variables move the outcome, and most of them are about value rather than about the type of item.

First, valuation. "Value" means fair market value as of the date the petition is filed (11 U.S.C. § 522(a)(2)). Used furniture, a five-year-old television, and a well-worn sofa are worth what a second-hand buyer would pay, which is usually a small fraction of purchase price.

Second, which exemption list applies. Some states have opted out of the federal list entirely — Arizona (A.R.S. § 33-1133), California (Cal. Civ. Proc. Code § 703.130), and Mississippi (Miss. Code Ann. § 85-3-2) each bar residents from using the federal exemptions in 11 U.S.C. § 522(d).

Third, how long you have lived where you live. The applicable state law is generally the law of the place where your domicile has been located for the 730 days before filing, with a look-back rule if you moved (11 U.S.C. § 522(b)(3)(A)).

Fourth, whether an item is unusually valuable compared with what an ordinary household holds.

Fair market value on the filing date, not purchase price or replacement cost.
Whether your state permits the federal list or requires its own.
Where you have been domiciled for the past 730 days.
Whether a lender holds a security interest in the goods.

What does federal law say about household goods?

Three provisions of 11 U.S.C. § 522 do most of the work on this page.

Subsection (b) sets up the choice between lists: an individual debtor may exempt property listed in either the federal schedule at subsection (d), or the alternative package of federal non-bankruptcy, state, and local exemptions applicable where the debtor has been domiciled (11 U.S.C. § 522(b)(1), (b)(3)(A)). Spouses in a joint case cannot split — one may not elect the federal list while the other elects the state list; if they cannot agree, they are deemed to elect the federal list where that election is permitted.

Subsection (d)(3) is the household goods exemption itself, covering household furnishings, household goods, wearing apparel, appliances, books, animals, crops, and musical instruments held primarily for personal, family, or household use.

Subsection (f)(1)(B) allows avoidance of a nonpossessory, nonpurchase-money security interest that impairs an exemption in such goods — a rule aimed at lenders who took a blanket interest in a household's contents as collateral (11 U.S.C. § 522(f)(1)(B)).

Federal provisions that govern household goods
Provision	What it does
11 U.S.C. § 522(a)(2)	Defines value as fair market value as of the petition date
11 U.S.C. § 522(b)(3)	Points to the state or local exemptions of the 730-day domicile
11 U.S.C. § 522(d)(3)	The federal household goods, furnishings, and apparel exemption
11 U.S.C. § 522(f)(1)(B)	Avoidance of nonpossessory, nonpurchase-money liens on household goods

Where do state rules differ, and by how much?

State household goods exemptions vary enormously in both structure and amount, which is why this page does not publish a single number.

Some states set a generous aggregate cap. New Mexico exempts an aggregate interest in household goods and furnishings not exceeding $75,000 (NMSA 1978 § 42-10-1). Arizona exempts household furniture, furnishings, household goods including consumer electronic devices, and appliances personally used by the debtor or a dependent, provided aggregate fair market value does not exceed $15,000, adjusted annually for cost of living (A.R.S. § 33-1123).

Others are far narrower or itemised. New Hampshire exempts household furniture to the value of $3,500, with separate line items for beds, a cook stove, a refrigerator, and provisions (RSA 511:2). Alaska allows an aggregate $3,000 across household goods, apparel, books, instruments, and heirlooms (Alaska Stat. § 09.38.020). New Jersey's attachment exemption for household goods and furniture is $1,000 (N.J.S.A. § 2A:26-4).

A few states use a necessity test rather than a dollar cap. See your state page for the amounts that apply where you live.

Aggregate cap states: one pool covering all household contents.
Itemised states: separate limits per category of item.
Necessity-test states: coverage turns on what an ordinary household holds.

What does this look like in practice?

Consider a household filing with a decade of accumulated furniture: a sofa and armchairs, two bedroom sets, a dining table, a mid-range television, a washer and dryer, kitchenware, and clothing. Bought new, that might have cost tens of thousands of dollars. Valued as the law requires — fair market value on the filing date (11 U.S.C. § 522(a)(2)) — a second-hand buyer might pay a few thousand for the lot.

That gap is why household contents are rarely the pressure point in a consumer case. In most districts, ordinary used furniture and appliances fall inside the published exemption and the trustee has no economic reason to pursue them.

Where the analysis gets closer is with unusual items: a collection, an heirloom of real market value, high-end audio equipment, or a recently purchased large appliance. California's judgment-exemption statute addresses this directly, instructing courts to consider both how commonly the type of item is found in a household and whether the particular item has extraordinary value compared with items of the same type in other households (Cal. Civ. Proc. Code § 704.020).

How value is measured
Approach	Used for exemption purposes?
What you originally paid	No
What it would cost to replace new	No
What it would sell for used, on the filing date	Yes — 11 U.S.C. § 522(a)(2)

What documents and information are involved?

Household goods appear in two places in the paperwork, and both matter.

You list what you own on Schedule A/B: Property (Official Form 106A/B), which walks through categories of personal property item by item (Bankr. N.D. Ill. official guidance — Chapter 7 - Additional Documents). You then claim the exemption on Schedule C: The Property You Claim as Exempt (Official Form 106C).

Court guidance is blunt about the consequence of skipping the second step: exemptions are not automatic, and if you do not list the property on Schedule C, the trustee may sell it and pay all of the proceeds to your creditors (U.S. Bankr. Ct. D. Ariz., Instructions for Completing the Bankruptcy Petition, Schedules and Statements).

Official guidance is equally blunt about accuracy: knowingly and fraudulently concealing assets or making a false oath in connection with a bankruptcy case can result in a fine, imprisonment, or both (Bankr. E.D. La. official guidance — Chapter 13 Form Packet).

A room-by-room inventory of furniture, appliances, and electronics.
A realistic used-resale value for each grouping, not a purchase price.
Any financing or security agreement covering household goods.
Schedule A/B (Official Form 106A/B) and Schedule C (Official Form 106C).

What should you ask a lawyer about your household goods?

A short list of specific questions gets you further than a general worry, and most of these turn on facts only a local practitioner can weigh.

Ask which exemption list applies to you, given where you have been domiciled for the past 730 days (11 U.S.C. § 522(b)(3)(A)), and whether your state has opted out of the federal schedule.

Ask how the trustees in your district value used household property in practice, and whether any specific item in your home is likely to be treated as having extraordinary value.

Ask whether any lender holds a nonpossessory, nonpurchase-money security interest in your household goods, and whether lien avoidance under 11 U.S.C. § 522(f)(1)(B) is available in your case.

Ask how the household goods analysis interacts with your chapter choice. Official guidance recommends having an attorney review your decision to file and your choice of chapter (U.S. Bankr. Ct. D. Alaska, The Forms Individuals and Married Couples Need to File Bankruptcy).

Which exemption list applies to me, and why?
How do trustees here value used furniture and appliances?
Is any item in my home likely to draw attention?
Does a lender hold a security interest in my household goods?

Frequently asked questions

Will the trustee take my furniture in Chapter 7?: In most consumer cases, ordinary used furniture falls within the published household goods exemption and is not sold. Value is measured at fair market value on the filing date (11 U.S.C. § 522(a)(2)), and used furniture typically resells for a small fraction of its purchase price. Exemptions are not automatic, though — property must be claimed on Schedule C.
Do I lose my TV in bankruptcy?: A television is generally treated as household goods or a consumer electronic device within the exemption category. Arizona's statute names consumer electronic devices expressly (A.R.S. § 33-1123), and the federal list covers household furnishings, goods, and appliances (11 U.S.C. § 522(d)(3)). What matters is its used resale value on the filing date and how much of your exemption is already used.
How much is the household items exemption?: There is no single national figure, because the amount depends on which exemption list applies to you. States vary widely — New Mexico allows an aggregate $75,000 in household goods and furnishings (NMSA 1978 § 42-10-1), Arizona $15,000 (A.R.S. § 33-1123), New Hampshire $3,500 for household furniture (RSA 511:2). Check your state page for the figure that applies where you live.
Are electronics and appliances covered?: Yes, appliances are named directly in the federal exemption for household furnishings, household goods, wearing apparel, appliances, books, animals, crops, and musical instruments (11 U.S.C. § 522(d)(3)). Consumer electronics are treated as household goods in some state statutes by name. Coverage still depends on total value against the applicable cap.
Can I use the federal exemption list?: Only if your state permits it. An individual debtor may elect either the federal schedule or the state and local package (11 U.S.C. § 522(b)(1)), but several states have opted out — including Arizona (A.R.S. § 33-1133), California (Cal. Civ. Proc. Code § 703.130), and Mississippi (Miss. Code Ann. § 85-3-2). Spouses filing jointly must make the same election.
What if a lender has a security interest in my furniture?: That changes the analysis. A nonpossessory, nonpurchase-money security interest that impairs an exemption in household goods may be avoidable under 11 U.S.C. § 522(f)(1)(B). Where the lien secures the purchase of the item itself, different rules apply, and 11 U.S.C. § 722 allows redemption of certain personal property by paying the allowed secured claim in full.
Does moving to another state change my exemptions?: It can. The applicable state or local exemptions are generally those of the place where your domicile has been located for the 730 days immediately preceding the filing, with a further look-back rule if your domicile was not in a single state for that period (11 U.S.C. § 522(b)(3)(A)). A recent move is a fact worth raising with a lawyer early.
What does it cost to file?: The Chapter 7 filing fee is $245 (28 U.S.C. § 1930(a)(1)(A), (f)(1)), plus a $78 administrative fee and a $15 trustee surcharge. Chapter 13 is $235 (28 U.S.C. § 1930(a)(1)(B)) plus a $78 administrative fee. Attorney fees are separate and vary by district and by the complexity of the case.

Sources

11 U.S.C. § 522 — Exemptions · official source
11 U.S.C. § 722 — Redemption · official source
A.R.S. § 33-1123 — Household furniture, furnishings and appliances; annual adjustment
A.R.S. § 33-1133 — Other exemption laws
NMSA 1978 § 42-10-1 — Exemptions
RSA 511:2 — Exemptions
Alaska Stat. § 09.38.020 — Exemptions of personal property subject to value limitations
N.J.S.A. § 2A:26-4 — Property exempt
Tex. Prop. Code § 42.002 — Personal property
Cal. Civ. Proc. Code § 704.020
Cal. Civ. Proc. Code § 703.130
Miss. Code Ann. § 85-3-2 — Certain federal exemptions prohibited
Bankr. S.D. Iowa official guidance — Instructions - Bankruptcy Forms for Individuals
U.S. Bankr. Ct. D. Ariz., Instructions for Completing the Bankruptcy Petition, Schedules and Statements
U.S. Bankr. Ct. D. Alaska, The Forms Individuals and Married Couples Need to File Bankruptcy
Bankr. N.D. Ill. official guidance — Chapter 7 - Additional Documents
Bankr. E.D. La. official guidance — Chapter 13 Form Packet
28 U.S.C. § 1930(a)(1)(A), (f)(1)
28 U.S.C. § 1930(a)(1)(B)
Bankruptcy Court Miscellaneous Fee Schedule, Item 8
Bankruptcy Court Miscellaneous Fee Schedule, Item 9

By Antonio G. Jimenez, Esq. · Florida Bar No. 21022

Last reviewed July 26, 2026 · Sources verified July 26, 2026 · How we verify

Every figure on this page is drawn from a primary legal source and checked against our canonical legal database before publication. Bankruptcy.law is not a law firm and does not provide legal advice.

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