refusing to put the house on the market until DH can clear up his crap?

[MINIBondGirl]

We want to sell our house but I just don't have the time (or energy) to keep the place immaculate, especially when my DH can't clear up after himself. He will open his post next to the bin and just dump all his stuff on the side rather than lift the bin lid. He leaves his clothes on the bathroom floor rather than put them in the washing bin. If he spills red wine he won't quickly wipe it up - I have to attack it with bleach when I find it.

There are numerous things like this that drive me mad and I already have a dog and two small boys to look after. Oh and top of the usual school stuff, walking the dog and working.

Views?

YANBU. He needs to help rather than hinder especially if you're putting your house up for sale.

No, YANBU. it won't sell if it's messy or cluttered. If you do want to sell though perhaps you could get a cleaner to help before the estate agents or viewers come round?

Yanbu. It must be hard work keeping the place ready for a showing all the time if your dh leaves a trail behind him.

Yanbu to want him to clear up but maybe he'll make more of an effort if you are actually trying to sell the house. My dh does things like that and I'm pretty untidy too, but when we were trying to sell the house, we both made a real effort to be tidy. Things like putting away laundry and binning the post could be easily dealt with if he tried, it doesn't sound as if there is a large amount of clutter which would be much harder to deal with, it's just day to day mess.

We're trying to sell our house at the moment. It's hard trying to keep the house tidy when you've got young children. Often it's easier just to shove everything into a big box and put it in the garage when someone's coming round :o

Views? You live with a pig.

Quite right too.

I think you're right. Clearing up after yourself is just what adults do, isn't it?

He leaves his clothes on the bathroom floor rather than put them in the washing bin.

Please tell me you don't move them?

YANBU, but if you want to move and you won't put the house on the market until your dh stops acting like a child, you could be in for a long wait.

He is unlikely to change as long as you keep allowing him to behave like this.

I'd get the estate agents round to give you valuations and brief them to make the point to your dh that you will have to keep the house immaculate if you want to get decent offers on it. he needs to understand that like has to go on hold slightly when you are looking for a house sale, because keeping the house pristine has to be your priority for a while.

The Black Bin Bag is your best friend. Just dump it ALL in it, and put in the garage/garden. When he can't find his stuff he'll soon learn........won't he?

What a disgusting, disrespectful slob.

I am no neat freak, our house is all cluttered and untidy, but no way would I put up with someone who spilt stuff and didn't wipe it up. That mings.

We had our house on the market a couple of years ago and after eighty viewings could not sell. It is not a complete shithole but trying to keep it tidy with three kids and an exptremely untidy partner was a nightmare. The garage is full of shit and there are lots of jobs need doing. Buyers do notice unless you are in a sought after area its a very difficult market to sell in. I did nearly all the viewings and it took me a day to get it viewer ready. Check out the episode of Outnumbered when she tidies the house for a viewing. It nearly made me cry with laughter, and that was my life for a long time. "Whats happened to my bedroom, there's carpet on the floor!".

Don't move house, move husband!

Tulips

I am forever grateful that when we moved two years ago our house sold in 3 days. Having to cram 2 bean bags and a mahoosive basket of ironing into my tiny KA every time we had a viewing drove me nuts

Big black plastic bag, scoop everything in, tidy said bag away. When he asks where X is tell him it's in his bag. When he complains tell him you're trying to keep the house in a saleable state. Don't buy anymore red wine- I know, I'd struggle to live without it too but sometimes needs must -
When he asks for red wine tell him it's off the menu as you are trying to keep the house in a saleable state. Any other gripes he has - you are trying to keep the house in a saleable state, repeat as necessary.

YANBU, your DH needs to clean up after himself, he's not a child.

My DH is was like this. He has gradually gotten better, in fits and starts, but we've had some storming arguments about it! If I just left his things lying about, they stayed there, for weeks, months even. I got a box, filled it with the crap he'd left, put it on his side of the bed and said if it was still there in a week I was throwing it out. He left it, so it went. He was very panicked for a while that I'd actually thrown out his ipod and memory sticks he uses for work! I'd put them in the garage instead, but he doesn't leave stuff all over the place anymore. We also have spaces he can dump stuff in, but if they get full, it's his job to clear it out before he can dump anything else.

Adorabell - lovely - that will be my new phrase.....

YANBU

My DH is the same; stuff dumped everywhere. There is currently a bag on the kitchen floor from when he stayed away on Saturday night. paperwork all over the kitchen table. clothes all over our bedroom floor. cups in the living room. I leave them all but if we were selling up I'd just go round with a bin bag each day and dump it in his van