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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:
TheRealAmandaClarke · 23/08/2014 19:58

do people really have small children at home on the day of a move?
Hmm
Obviously lots of people have no help with childcare.
We are the ones who never go out. Grin
Sorry exexpat

LapsedTwentysomething · 23/08/2014 20:03

Well it makes sense to have the kids at school / nursery / with friends for the day - whatever - surely?

FryOneFatManic · 23/08/2014 20:12

Okay, my old house wasn't absolutely spotless, but it was pretty clean, dusted, etc, and I hoovered once all the boxes were out, including the stairs.

Which was waaaaaaaay more than can be said for the state of our new house

TheRealAmandaClarke · 23/08/2014 20:15

Tbf, i would probably try to pay for an extra CM day. But thats not always possible, because she wouldn't always have space on days i don't normally work.
I think theres a lot of ppl who don't know what its like to not have informal childcare, no family help/ no friends who are capable of doing that.
As I say, that is why Dh and I haven't been out together since DD was born. And only once, since DS was born nearly four years ago.

mineofuselessinformation · 23/08/2014 20:18

To the people wondering about cleaning / handing over keys, my ea had a front door key to be collected. The rest were left in the house.

whatever5 · 23/08/2014 20:22

Well it makes sense to have the kids at school / nursery / with friends for the day - whatever - surely?

It doesn't make sense if you are moving to a new area and the new nursery/school is 100s of miles away! It also doesn't make sense in my opinion to ask friends to take a day off work so they can look after children while you move.

Onesleeptillwembley · 23/08/2014 20:24

Some people are clueless, not everybody has family around, or people able to look after the children, especially in the day. It's really not that hard to grasp that some people are self reliant.

tiggytape · 23/08/2014 20:43

This reply has been deleted

Message withdrawn at poster's request.

JassyRadlett · 23/08/2014 20:44

I've done it a number of times. No family, no friends, paid for extra childcare /babysitter if required.

First, you tell the removals people to be out an hour before you need to be out. Under no circumstances choose a removals company that charges by the hour.

Second, talk to removals people about their methods - ask them to empty one room before moving on to the next.

Third, why do you need to beat the van to the new place? You have to drop off keys, pick up new ones on completion, removals guys will be used to this and probably glad to have time for lunch and a cuppa.

Fourth, your Hoover and mop are non-negotiable going into the car. Leave other stuff in van if necessary. If absolutely impossible, borrow Hoover from a neighbour and buy a cheapie mop and chuck away. In extremis, vacuum immediately behind movers and chuck it in as they're leaving, then mop.

Honestly, you do what you have to do to leave the house in a decent state. You do the exposed things first, in the days before - bathrooms and kitchen should be done, ditto windows. All you should be doing on moving day is behind furniture/appliances and final vacuum and mop.

Cardriver · 23/08/2014 20:45

I've just remembered that DD1 when she was 4 gave herself a DIY haircut during one moving day whilst I was busy Shock

So if you can't get rid of the DC then keep all scissors out of reach Grin

whatever5 · 23/08/2014 21:35

tiggytape -some people exchange and complete on the same day so there is no warning. We refused to so that but still only had a few days so not much warning. My oven, cupboards etc were clean anyway. What I didn't do was a final hoover around, wipe surfaces etc after the removal men had gone as there was no time.

whatever5 · 23/08/2014 21:38

JassyRadlett Have you ever moved a long distance away? It sounds as if you have only moved to houses in the same area which would be a lot easier.

Namechangeragain2014 · 23/08/2014 22:05

Its strange that in all the years of moving as an army family I have only heard the military brat reference once before this thread - seems that the RAF and the Navy like the acronym a lot more than the actually Army families!!

Onesleeptillwembley · 23/08/2014 22:14

That's very odd, I went to military schools with all three services in some places, between the beginning of the 70's and early 80's. it was definitely common parlance. I married young, by the late 80's, I was in HK as a wife and it was then again in common usage. I

GertieFinkle · 23/08/2014 22:19

I cleaned my house before I moved. I also paid my cleaners to clean my house throughout once the movers had got all the stuff out. Then the cheeky bitch woman who bought it rang me the next day to ask if there was some problem with the hot water as they'd used it all cleaning. I wouldn't leave a house dirty but I won't bother with that amount of effort (and money) again.

Onesleeptillwembley · 23/08/2014 22:20

And in the Army more than the others the term 'pad's brat' would be the norm, regardless of rank. Pad being a married man. I'm genuinely surprised the experience you claim to have had.

tiggytape · 23/08/2014 22:55

This reply has been deleted

Message withdrawn at poster's request.

whatever5 · 23/08/2014 23:02

That's pretty rare though surely? I know it can happen in theory but the vast majority of people must have a good 2 weeks+ to clean windows and de-grime the oven. If you exchange and complete on the same day, you'd probably except it to be a bit hit and miss.

I don't think it is that rare although it's obviously not advised. We had less than a week which I don't think is unusual. Most of that time was spent trying to find a removal company who could do it at short notice, paperwork and packing. It was hectic enough without cleaning windows or ovens (although they were cleaned regularly anyway so not dirty).

WineWineWine · 23/08/2014 23:14

JassyRadlett you suggestions just aren't always realistic!
You Can't always have an hour in the house after the removals van has left. If you have completed, the new owner wants the keys and wants you out. You also need to get to the new house to start unpacking. I did have someone looking after my baby but only for a limited time so getting into the new house was top priority, not cleaning the old one!

The removals van will need filling with how things will fit. You can't just insist they do one room at a time. I've seen them come in looking for something long and thin or light and squishy.

People all have different standards. I would rather clean my new house to my standard than have the previous occupant clean to theirs.

JassyRadlett · 23/08/2014 23:24

I'm sorry, I don't buy that. You absolutely can, if you plan properly on advance, and work with your movers effectively. Good movers will work with you to make things as easy as possible for everyone, and they will also have planned in advance.

It's not like you don't know what time you're due to complete and therefore what time you need to be out. You work backwards from there.

My standards are pretty high - both in terms of cleanliness and consideration for others. I may not have left every house I've moved out of absolutely spotless, but I've always made sure I've left it in a state that I wouldn't be unhappy to find if I was opening my new front door.

JassyRadlett · 23/08/2014 23:27

And I've managed to move distances that would make most British people's heads hurt, as well as more standard long-and short distance moves. The principles are the same - you give yourself a bit of extra time, give the movers a head start, and bloody get on with it.

MsAdorabelleDearheartVonLipwig · 23/08/2014 23:37

We had a couple of days to clean our house as the buyers were buying to let. I left it spotless and I also had the oven professionally cleaned. I think it was the cleanest it had been in years. Grin

This house that we moved into wasn't too bad. The DIY bodges however are another story.

Withmyfeetinthesink · 23/08/2014 23:43

Namechanger - I've never heard anyone brought up in that environment *not refer to themselves as an Army 'brat'. I was a bit Hmm first time I heard it, but just assumed it was almost shorthand for saying you were from that background/seeing whether anyone recognised the phrase so you knew you had common ground.

(I'm not, but know lots of people who are.)

Every house I've moved into has been filthy - I'm getting ready to do it again and I'll get cleaners into the new one before we get there. Last house had hardened cat food on every floor, great big dollops of it - how does that even happen? It wasn't poo - that was in different dollops.

TheRealAmandaClarke · 24/08/2014 07:20

I agree with winewinewine its not always practical.
I wont leave this house in a state, partly because i will use a decent removal company. But that costs money. Not everyone has that option. It will also cost me money on childcare, if thats an option on the day.
If there is time at the end i will give it the once over.
Besides, as it seems that apart from anyone buying a house from someone on this thread everyone seems to move into a shit heap, my priority is making sure the house we move into is clean. I have no Cm in the new area so i will have to pay for that. Im not keen on doing it for both.

LarrytheCucumber · 24/08/2014 08:32

When DS and family moved into their house the previous owner had left it to the last minute to pack and was running in and out of the house crying because they were making her move out Confused. They had arrived at the agreed time. She left loads of stuff behind and their solicitor wrote to her saying she had 7 days to reclaim her possessions. She didn't, so they had to take it all to the tip, and get the hot tub removed.
The neighbours suggested that they weren't too sad to see her go...