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AIBU?

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Original poster

To think people should actually clean their houses before moving out?

187 replies

vic1981 · 23/08/2014 02:14

I am more than somewhat annoyed. I spent ages cleaning my flat before moving out today, it was pristine. Also left a letter for the new owner with useful information about the house, such as where the stopcock was located etc with a card and bottle of champagne.

On arriving at my new place today have been confronted with an absolutely filthy house. Dirty toilets, not hoovered, deep in grime everywhere. Horrible smell pervading the house, previous owner has left things in the loft and garden. Oh, and the icing on the cake, cat shit on the bedroom floor.

Am I being unreasonable to think that you are supposed to make an effort to have a clean and tidy house when you move out?

OP posts:
Mumoftwoyoungkids · 23/08/2014 09:07

When we moved long distance I was in charge of hoovering and dh was in charge of directing the movers.

So basically every time the movers cleared a room I zoomed in with the Hoover. It's unbelievably quick to vacuum a completely clear room. Get the house as clean as you can before they arrive.

SixerofthePixies · 23/08/2014 09:08

I always do a deep clean before we move. As we pack up the kitchen I clean each cupboard and drawer and just put all the bits we need for the last week in one cupboard (4 plates, cups etc) to go in one final box. Easy to do a quick clean down

Last time we moved, we put all the boxes as we packed them into the lounge leaving just furniture in each room. Really easy to clean each room the night before the move. I then went round with the Hoover/mop after each room was empty.

However I can certainly say that houses we have moved into have not always been so clean. The people who owned this house, had moved out a week before exchange as they were going into a rented house, they employed proffessional packers apparently, shame they didn't get someone to clean it too.

MyGastIsFlabbered · 23/08/2014 09:13

If it's rented accommodation I'm afraid I don't, simply because in the past I've spent hours cleaning & the letting agents have still insisted on getting a professional cleaner in, so now I save myself the bother.

popperdoodles · 23/08/2014 09:13

we haven't moved for 13 yrs and dread the thought of it. when we arrived at this house the previous owner was still here and arguing with their solicitors on the phone about something, threatening not to leave. we were so pleased when he finally left. However loft was full of his ex wife stuff, grass had not been cut since viewing and tonnes of rubbish dumped in the garden. upstairs wasn't too bad at all but living room and kitchen were just vile! we knew it desperately needed decorating but the dirt....I don't know if it wasn't that bad when we viewed of if it wasn't as noticeable with all his stuff in.
so
I don't think it needs to be spotless but hygienic would be nice!

WaywardOn3 · 23/08/2014 09:23

We always have leaving a clean house in our buying/selling contracts Wink

newnameforanewstart · 23/08/2014 09:27

I used to leave my houses and flats immaculate because I was how I was raised. Anyway a LONG time ago now I bought a house, completed, turned up got keys from the estate agent went to house and opened the front door......... Now the previous person living their was a single mum, so I was not expecting much cleaning to be honest.

Honestly you have never seen anything that bad! Few things of interest.

  1. I never knew my mother knew swear words like that ones coming out of here mouth.
  2. We dumped all the stuff out of the car - knocked on next door and asked were the nearest supermarket was. We cleared the shelves of bleach and sugar soap (from the DIY place next door) and ammonia.
  3. we spent all day cleaning - literally if it was a hard surface it got bleached, the walls and ceilings had to be sugar soaped, the kitchen floor we tackled with paint scrapers and ammonia. Then we bought 2 huge paint tins, one white and one magnolia.
  4. I always knew the MUSHROOM carpet had stains on it - when I viewed the house the mum was potty training sin potty so you can imagine what sort of stains. As a house warming gift, my parents booked a professional carpet cleaner. Imagine our shock when he started and the carpet was actually CHAMPAGNE Coloured!

When I moved out, we packed everything into storage - early exchange delayed completion and made sure everything was clean etc before I left the house.

MissMarplesBloomers · 23/08/2014 09:42

Facing this dilemma myself in a few weeks, am trying to keep house clean around boxes but it's difficult. Have got offer of friend who is a cleaner to come over on moving day. She will clean behind us as we leave & use her own stuff.

Not looking forward to it but hey ho!

gamerwidow · 23/08/2014 09:48

yanbu it's common decency to at least clean the kitchen, bathroom and hoover before you leave.

DurhamDurham · 23/08/2014 09:57

I think we have been quite lucky and the houses that we have moved into have been clean. The last time we moved I came up to Durham to settle my children into their new school at the start of term while my husband stayed in our old home to finish off packing. I have no idea how he left the house, I did call and remind him to make sure it was all clean and tidy but not sure it would have been done to my standards. Apologies to the family who moved in if it was less than clean Smile

whatever5 · 23/08/2014 10:15

I think that it was in our contract of sale that the house should be clean. I would speak to your solicitor.

mrselizabethdarcy · 23/08/2014 10:26

When we moved into our house it was spotless - Absolutely gleaming. It was so nice to just be able to unpack. . I bumped into the previous owner and thanked her profusely. The house she moved into though was disgusting. Grease and dog hair in the oven, filthy carpet and slimey walls. She said she cried when she saw it. Such a shame that she left our s lovely and then had to clean another before she could unpack.

whatever5 · 23/08/2014 10:32

I don't really get how deep grime would be a surprise though as it must have been like that when you initially looked around the house.

HSMMaCM · 23/08/2014 10:32

We left our old house spotless. Our new house was a pigsty when we viewed it, so we knew it would need cleaning. We arrived, helped the old owners pack and move out (!!!! Including their Great Danes ), ripped all the carpets out and threw them in the back garden (should have seen the old owners faces, because they were still moving stuff into next doors garage) and put the boxes in the house ready to start the deep clean, with my army of lovely family and a shop load of cleaning products. It took us weeks to find the ground level in the garden.

citruslemon · 23/08/2014 11:21

I bought a house that had been owned by an elderly coupes who died a few months apart and their son was selling the property. The house was in a disgusting state but I didn't mind cos I was gutting the place anyway. But what upset me was the son didn't clear the house of his parents belongings. The estate agents arranged for the furniture to be taken away but their personal items (like their wedding photos, sons baby photos and a suitcase of mementos) were left behind. The son said he had no interest in them and they're in my garage now :/

firesidechat · 23/08/2014 11:23

I don't really get how deep grime would be a surprise though as it must have been like that when you initially looked around the house.

It's hope triumphing over experience. You know that the slightly grubby house you viewed probably won't be spotless when you move in, but you hope that somehow the sellers will turn into Kim and Aggie overnight.

citruslemon · 23/08/2014 11:25

newnameforanewstart: "now the previous person living their (sic) was a single mum, so I was no expecting much cleaning to be honest."

Really? Why?
Am a single mum with a full time job not much money but my house is spotless, as are the houses of most of my single mum friends. And at the same time I know many traditional 2.5 families whose houses aren't so clean.

expatinscotland · 23/08/2014 11:45

YANBU. Switzerland has it right.

specialsubject · 23/08/2014 11:55

most normal people clean up. But most normal people do not keep toilets filthy and clean up pet excreta.

unfortunately you bought a house from someone either sick or bone idle. You are also entitled to vacant possession which means nothing left. So take photos and get on to your solicitor.

Cardriver · 23/08/2014 12:10

YANBU OP, common decency to clean up your own filth before you move out. I always do a deep clean. I do most of it as I'm packing and then keep the hoover which I take in the car, along with the kettle, toilet paper, cleaning materials and light bulbs for a quick start on cleaning the new house. I use baby wipes to do last minute clean up jobs, like the skirting boards behind big items. I also pay for childcare for any under 5s because I'm a single parent and I can't do that stuff and look after young children. The new buyer of my last house (who has become a friend) said she just moved her stuff straight in and didn't have to clean anything Smile

When I bought that house it was minging and this house wasn't much better. Lofts full of junk, big furniture left, stuff still in drawers, etc. The old owners had covered a manky window seat with a bit of fabric and used drawing pins, yes drawing pins to keep it in place. They knew I was moving in with children, one very young! Shock

allmycats · 23/08/2014 12:25

Once I moved from a fairly recent new build which I had professionally cleaned and I was unable to move directly into the house we had bought it was going to be a renovation so we had already booked a rental for 2 months BUT on going into the renovation project we took the carpets up with shovels they were so black/shiny with dirt and the whole placed was so filthy that I rang the council and they came and classified it as 'unfit for habitation' - apparently the shit under the filthy beds she had left was, wait for it - SHEEP SHIT!

Apollonia6 · 23/08/2014 12:25

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whatever5 · 23/08/2014 12:35

It's hope triumphing over experience. You know that the slightly grubby house you viewed probably won't be spotless when you move in, but you hope that somehow the sellers will turn into Kim and Aggie overnight.

If someone can't be bothered to clean when they are trying to sell and there is an incentive to clean (to get the best price etc) there is no chance they will clean before people move in though.

cathpip · 23/08/2014 12:39

My sister has just had this. Moved house 2 weeks ago, left hers pristine and has moved into a house that is filthy. She has had to get cleaners in and it's taken them 3 days to clean it, she would of done it herself but she's 8 months pregnant with twins! We move in about 6 weeks, i will be leaving this house clean with oven done, it is just common decency.....

Fullpleatherjacket · 23/08/2014 12:51

YANBU.

We have bought and sold several times over the years and not once have I moved into a clean house.

The one we are in now had a pool of piss behind the toilet because the old boy we bought it from had a drink problem and couldn't aim Hmm

StrawberryCheese · 23/08/2014 12:54

We have lived in a few rented flats and it's eye opening to see what some people regard as clean. Our last flat was fully furnished and had so much stuff in the kitchen cupboards and drawers and everything was either dusty or greasy. I had to scrub the lot. This had been cleaned by the landlady herself and the agency had told me that they couldn't be held responsible for the standard of cleaning. I left that place so spotless when moving out.