Inna Ivchenko If that is a description of a home yet to be seen, then it means the home needs updating.

Too subjective for me to ever use.  Looks like Renee has a pretty good desfinition.

I use this description often in my reports. Carpets that show signs of wear through everyday use would be one example.

Hi Inna -- it depends on the situation and is often used as a legal term.  We often hear of it as it relates to rentals/leases or warranties.   I think it is intentionally vague and subject to much interpretation.  

We don't use these terms.  Everyone has a different opinion. 

Very vague.  I guess you could say that a 15 year old dishwasher that still works has normal wear and use.  I personally think they're buzz words.

normal "wear and tear" refers to the normal aging of a product....i.e., carpeting has a variety of years depending on the quality.... the least expensive might have 5 years....the most expensive might last decades and all of it depends on the traffic...

It means the same as 'newer' or 'newly old' or 'beatiful.

In essence it means whatever the writer assigns.

And of the writer grew up in Appalachia with 11 siblings, 'normal wear and use' has a very visual outcome.

Normal wear and tear (or use) means the general condition of object you are describing other than it being new or being neglected.  Kitchen cabinets which have the finish slightly worn away around the door handle would be an example of normal wear and tear of someone opening the cabinet numerous times over the number of years that they have lived in the home. 

Renee nailed this one!

That's an excellent question, Inna and I'm not sure there's any real answer to it.  As typically one doing the wearing will have a different opinion than one buying the wear-ed property.

I don't use it but when I see it in a description I expect the property condition to range from bad to not great but OK (could use fresh paint or new carpet but rentable/liveable as-is). The latter is what is should mean IMO. worse than that should be describe as "needing work". 

I'm a transplanted attorney from South Africa practicing real estate in Kentucky. In SA we used the term "normal wear and tear" which may be what you in the US refer to as "normal wear and use".

In South Africa one of the places you would typically see the phrase "normal wear and tear" used would be in rental contracts where the ternant had to return the rented premises to the landlord "in the same condition" he received them in "normal wear and tear excluded".

An example of normal wear and tear would be for instance that the carpet nap would obviously not be as thick as it was a year previously because the tenants have walked on it for a year, and the paint on the walls be a little faded as it is a year older. So the carpet and walls will not be in the same condition because through normal usage they have deteriorated. If on the other hand a dog has chewed at the carpet leaving a hole in it that would not be normal wear and tear in a residential setting, but if the rented space were a "doggy hotel", the chewing would possibly be considered normal dog behaviour, anticipated and reasonable, and so the hole may in those circumstances be "normal wear and tear".

Each case is different. You must look at the totality of the facts and decide, in those circumstances, whether the deterioration has occured because of "normal wear and tear".

To me it means average condition for it's age. Twenty year old carpet may not be thread bare but it'll certainly be looking tired is an example.