AIBU to think that I'll be able to clean behind the packers / movers as we move out?

[Inertia]

Have done a fairly comprehensive clean this week, scrubbing most of the cupboards and chucking a lot of stuff out. We have packers coming one day, removals the next- AIBU to think I can just go round spraying/ bleaching / hoovering as they clear out each room?

We are only moving a short distance so no need to consider travel times, and planned to get cleaners in to do the new house before we get there. Am I being too ambitious do you think?

[Spatsky]

I tried to do similar and it was a total fail and we ended up offering new owner money today for a clean, but then. Tried to do it with a 13 month old while 4 mint a pregnant, you may have feather success.

[Spatsky]

FFS sorry, hope you got the gist.

[CremeEggThief]

I would leave it until the movers have been and gone too, but well done for getting your cupboards done already :o.

[girlywhirly]

I have managed some cleaning, if the packing is all done, van and removal men gone, and while waiting for the completion phone call. But then only if a short distance move. Usually got floors mopped/vacuumed, surfaces wiped, loos/basins/bath/sink/hob given final clean.

It's much more difficult if the new people are already waiting to get in! I've been lucky that most times I've moved, they have moved in on another day.

[MrsBethel]

I'd plan to have an extra session when the place is empty to finish it off. You'll probably need it. If you then find you don't, then well done.

[imperialstateknickers]

I hired a cleaner to follow us out of each room. But ddtwins were 13 months at the time so couldn't do it myself. I think I would have probably still got someone in to do it anyway, answering questions and pouring endless cups of tea into helpers used up a huge amount of time. Also I hate cleaning anyway.

[Blu]

I've found it possible to have a quick go round after they have cleared each room. Spraying and bleaching sounds a bit OTT - clean floors, clean kitchen and bathroom and no gunked on food is fine. Cupboard shelves given a wipe over.

The removals team move really fast. You may find they get the van packed ages before you are able to get confirmation that you have completed contracts and you can collect the keys, in which case the removals team will take the van to the new house and then go to lunch until you get cnfirmation and keys. During this time you might be able to finish cleaning your old house. You will need to colelct the keys from the Estate Agents.

As soon as you get keys they will unload at an astonishing speed - they will not wait around while you have a cleaner clean the place. Nor is it on to ask either them or a cleaner to be working at the same time.

Are you expecting the new house to be very dirty? Live with the bare minimum of unpacking that night, and get cleaners in the next morning?

Do all you can to have children looked after elsewhere for the day, and only get them back once the removal men have left.

[Blu]

Mark every box in clear big black marker with the room in the new house you want it to go into.
Prepare to be expected to make lots of cups of tea during process - Removals is hard thirsty work. Keep kettle and tea stuff in a separate box, and take it in your own car to unload first at new place.

[BackforGood]

Get a family member / friend to clean round the house you are leaving, if you think it will ned doing. You'll need to be at the new house, directing where you want stuff. I would only think it would be some vaccuuming though - all other cleaning should be done before moving day.

[Blu]

You sound quite cleaning-focussed, so I wouldn't have thought an awful lot needed doing in your old place?

[Inertia]

Ooh lots of useful tips there, thank you.

Children will be at school so that should make things easier. Girlywhirly and Blu - think you are right about being ready before completion is confirmed, your timetable actually sounds quite likely Blu. We are novices at this, we moved into this house with a couple of mates and a Transit van so we are clueless with removals.

Not really expecting the new house to be dirty , am probably being a bit precious about it to be honest - just thinking that it'd be easier to get it done while house is empty, but next day is a good idea.

Our house is reasonably clean but will need dusting/ hoovering behind big furniture that I can't move, as well as another quick wipe of cupboards. No family local, friends at work. DH can go in his car to new house when van goes.

Will put aside a box with tea, coffee, milk, kettle , biscuits. Am I supposed to get pop or squash in as well ?

[SoggySummer]

I always have the packing service and have to clean to March Out standard (army housing).

The removals usually clear a room at a time. Usually they clear upstairs first. I literally clean each empty room top to bottom as it becomes empty. Leaving bathroom, kitchen sink and hallway until last. I leave the house backwards with the vacume as I back out the door! Unless you are being inspected as we are I expect this is not neccessary!

Insist (although they normally do anyway) they put sheets down on the floor.

Clean windows etc before move day. Keep a bucket, cloths, kitchen paper, towels and cleaning stuff and your vacume to one side.

Good luck.

[cavell]

I have managed to do exacttly what you propose - twice.
The new occupant even asked the estate agent to thank me for leaving the house so clean in one case.
It is hard work and you will be exhausted. But it is doable.
(Should add that I also managed this "single-handed", as it were. Dh went in to work on both removal days).

[JaquelineHyde]

I did this two weeks ago and it worked perfectly well with 3 dcs running around and being 4 months pregnant.

Have the bathroom and toilets cleaned before they arrive (and windows obviously)

Ask them to start upstairs and as they move out of each room, quick dust, run the hoover round and wipe the window sils down.

Then hoover the landing and stairs and move straight on to the next room they clear - dining room, sitting room etc.

The kitchen should be a breeze as it should already be totally clean and just need a quick hoover/brush and a mop.

Unless you are incredibly messy/dirty this should be no problem at all.

Also remember to take some paper, black marker and blu tack with you so you can blu tack the name of each room to its door in your new house to correspond with how you have named them on your boxes. The removal men will love you for this!

[Inertia]

Jaqueline-take my hat off to you for doing the move with DC running around! Ours will be in school thank goodness. Will do the kitchen the day before once the packers have emptied cupboards. Can do windows this weekend. Will do bathrooms once DC are ready for school- might get DH to drop them off .

Cavell- DH is under strict orders to use a day's leave to move! I've dealt with everything else :)

Soggy- Good idea about sheets, I think they do bring their own. Was going to get a crate for clenaing stuff- think I'll just keep it all in the bucket :)

[Mandy2003]

IMO I think the only chance you'll get is once everything is on the lorry. Have moved twice in the past 2 years (once my house, once my Dad's) and in both cases the removers did not clear a room at a time - they just picked and chose what order they wanted things to go on the lorry in.

[CalmingMiranda]

You can't really tell them how to do the job - they will pack the van according to best use of space and safety, and making sure your furniture doesn't get crushed etc.

I have bought and sold and moved on the same day 4 times now.

This is probably how it will work:

Night before - put your bins out and/or or park your car across 2 spaces to create space for the van. This is v important!

Very early - removal co will arrive. They will start to move like lightening, moving through the house with huge pieces of furniture. IF they empty a room you will be able to clean in it. there will be very little that you and DH can actually do, in reality, and it is important that you don't get in their way.
Late morning / early lunch, 12pm at latest, because you will have been warned to be ready to complete by 12 - van will be packed.

You will now spend quite a lot of time on the phone to your solicitors finding out if you have completed. The solilcitors will have gone for lunch. The removal van will drive off to your new house and they will go to the local cafe and then wait outside the house. You could finish cleaning at this point. Eventually you will get the call that you have completed. Lock your old house - it no longer belongs to you. New owners will be waiting outside in van! Go to Estate Agents to collect keys, go an unlock new house.

Removal men will now move like lightening once again. It will take a surprisingly short space of time. If they are a good co they will assemble the beds for you. You CANNOT have a professional cleaning company in the house at this time. You will be busy answering questions while doing yor best to keep out of removal men's way.

Mid-late afternoon Removal men will leave.

Call for takeaway.

Go to bed.

Clean cupboards before you fill them as you unpack over the next few days.

[Mandy2003]

Wow CalmingMiranda, you said what I wanted to say but so much better!

Don't forget that your removal men may have to sit outside the new property for 3 hours AFTER COMPLETION because the vendor has not been told to be done by midday!!

[CalmingMiranda]

Good point, Mandy - last house but one the idiot vendor had muddled the dates and booked his van for the following day. Nightmare. And he had no intention of doing any cleaning whatsoever. I had sweated myself into the ground cleaning the house I had just left.

OP - get your solicitor and Estate Agent to check that your sellers know they must be out by 12, or whatever time is mutually agreed, and that your removal men know the timetable.

[fiventhree]

You are. Please pay someone, it will do you in (moved in may, and had help, and it was still shattering).

[Inertia]

That's really helpful Miranda, thank you - we 've never done a move like thus before, we moved here from rented into a vacant house so we just bimbled along at our own pace then. Sounds like we'll need to be a lot more snappy this time.


We already know that the completion is going to need to be very carefully timed so I can see that being stressful. I guess the removal company are used to it. You're right that cleaners would probably be in the way - just had a heated debate with DH about that !

Nobody is moving into our house immediately, so that's one less thing to worry about.

[WorkingItOutAsIGo]

You don't have to clean a house you are selling!

[BackforGood]

Really working - wouldn't you leave it clean for the new people ??? I think everyone else would.

I too was amazed at the speed the removal men move. They know their stuff and it's best to let them get on with it. The better labelling you have done, the smoother it will be.

Excellent post by CalmingMiranda

[oscarwilde]

Did exactly as you are suggesting and it worked out fine. I did book a cleaner to do a quick floor wash etc but we were delayed getting into our new house and could have done without.
However .....
She was a godsend and agreed to stay for 3 more hours when I discovered that our new house had been left UTTERLY FILTHY with a 2hr cleaning booking with two cleaners who had been paid in advance and informed me that "they weren't allowed to use bleach because of 'elf n safey' " . They rubbed a wheezy hoover around half heartedly and then stood at the door expecting a tip. It was in such a state the removing guys took pity on us and gave us an hours headstart on the cleaning before unloading!
Two days later it dawned on us that the house was totally infested with fleas...
Personally I would be calling around the day before to see whether their standards are even close to yours and checking if they have pets!