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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

Original poster

How would you leave the house?

87 replies

dozyjosie44 · 08/03/2022 07:24

I'm moving next week and I'm heavily pregnant. Also doing work on our new house which is taking up a lot of time.

I will of course thoroughly clean my current property before I leave even if it means getting help in. But all of the little jobs that I wanted to do to freshen the place up such as touching up paint work in the house and tidying up all of the borders in the garden are fast seeming impossible.

What's the absolute minimum you would do before handing over the keys? I had grand ideas of leaving the house perfect and even leaving a little welcome gift for the new owner but time is running out and I think it's now a case of prioritising.

OP posts:
FangsForTheMemory · 08/03/2022 09:08

As others have said, leave it clean. I didn't do a deep clean on my last place but I wiped surfaces and skirting boards with wet wipes and vacuumed throughout. It's easy to do once it's empty. Also left a roll of loo paper in the loo and a bottle of champagne in the fridge.

FloraPostePosts · 08/03/2022 09:15

We didn’t do anything extra at all last time, just left it properly clean after everything was moved out - we did it over two days so it was mostly empty on completion day.

We got a call from the estate agent the day after the move with a specific thank you message from the buyers for leaving it spotless and ready to move in to, so I think that’s what people appreciate the most.

ChicCroissant · 08/03/2022 09:15

@needyousomuch

A gift ??! Is this an American thing ?
No, it's not American. It's quite common IME to leave a card and flowers or a bottle in the house for the new owners.

OP, I'd focus your (understandably!) limited energies on cleaning the house and not worry about the garden or the paint touch-ups. As a PP did, you can leave the paint for them if that makes you feel better about it. Definitely no Rug Doctor, if you really want to do that get someone else to do it for you! Good luck with the move and the new home (and the new baby) Flowers

TheFairyCaravan · 08/03/2022 09:17

We’re moving in a few weeks. The house were moving to has cats and a toddler so we plan to get a professional in lot clean the carpets. We don’t like the colour scheme so it’s getting completely redecorated. I’d just like it to be clean, however I’ll probably clean it as I unpack anyway.

No one expects to move into a perfect house. Even a new build wouldn’t be perfect, tbh.

Yaty · 08/03/2022 09:20

You just need to leave it clean and empty of any rubbish.

Mindymomo · 08/03/2022 09:21

Please leave light bulbs, you’d be surprised by how many people take these with them. We cleaned out my late father in laws house, I wiped down kitchen cupboards inside and out, carpets had a few stains on, but were old, so presume new owners would replace them. Unfortunately when the place was cleared, it was apparent that there was a lot of decorating that needed doing. We wanted to get a new garage door, but estate agent told us people prefer to do up their new house their own way and in their own time.

Ragruggers · 08/03/2022 09:22

Clean and no rubbish left.That’s it ,don’t worry..

TheYearOfSmallThings · 08/03/2022 09:25

Just leave it completely empty (including attic, shed, garage, bins and yard), and clean. Leave toilet roll in the bathrooms, lightbulbs etc in place. If you have blinds which won't fit your new house, check if they want them left or removed.

Maybe a bottle of wine and a card wishing them happy in their new home. The thing my friend found most useful when she moved recently was a list of the window cleaner, hedge service, plumber, electrician and handyman the previous owners had used - I wouldn't be able to do that as I haven't got a reliable list unfortunately!

CurbsideProphet · 08/03/2022 09:27

Please just leave it clean and empty. When we bought our house it was filthy - dog and cat hair everywhere (including inside kitchen cupboards), oven had never been cleaned. The upstairs carpet had to be removed immediately as it was caked in animal hair and dander. The loft and garage were full of rubbish and then we had weeks of them nagging us to pay £350 for the shed, they left it in the middle of the garden and finally came to collect it.

We knew them through a relative so it was quite a shock to discover they lived in such squalor 😬

Alicetheowl · 08/03/2022 09:28

Just relatively clean. The buyers have already seen the garden and paintwork and decided to buy, they might redecorate anyway.

Woollystockings · 08/03/2022 09:29

Reasonably clean and empty. No need to do a deep clean, touch up paint or fill any holes.

doodleygirl · 08/03/2022 09:30

Just clean. The last house i moved into was disgusting, I was so upset. Doesn’t have to be a deep clean just not dirty.

mnnewbie111 · 08/03/2022 09:32

@needyousomuch

A gift ??! Is this an American thing ?
Why does it need to be American? We were left a lovely note and wine and chocolates, it was very thoughtful and kind.
HomeHomeInTheRange · 08/03/2022 09:32

Clean is fine.

Totally unacceptable to not clean, @needyousomuch , but bathroom, kitchen, cupboards cleaned, rooms vacuumed, obvious marks wiped (get a magic sponge), is fine.

I have always left a pot plant and bottle or chocs and a card to say ‘good luck’.

Hankunamatata · 08/03/2022 09:33

I was so grateful when kitchen cupboards had been cleaned inside. Yes a good clean is all I expect. Cant believe people actually take lightbulbs 😳

Hotelhelp · 08/03/2022 09:34

In your situation I'd just pay someone to come in and clean. In fact I'll be doing that even though I won't be pregnant when I move!!

EastYorksLass · 08/03/2022 09:36

I hoover through and make sure everywhere is clean and leave a bottle of wine and a card - I think that is fine! They are going to be dragging boxes and furniture through everywhere so don't go mad.

Rory1234 · 08/03/2022 09:37

When we sold our place/bought our new place we had the old place cleaned by a company the day before we moved, it cost about £60 and was worth every penny!

I always leave a place clean, there’s nothing worse than arriving at a new place on moving in day and finding it dirty.

HeyDiddleDee · 08/03/2022 09:41

Agree - just clean. And might even be worth checking with your buyers what their move in plans are. We booked a end tenancy type deep clean for our move out day and asked the Estate Agents to check buyers were ok with the cleaner being at the property finishing up when they arrived (if it turned out that way). Buyers said they were not moving in that day and had booked their own deep cleaner for the day after completion so we could save our money (very kind of them). I did do a quick clean of bathrooms, kitchen surfaces and sink etc so it was superficially clean but oven, inside cupboards etc left for their booked cleaner.

Halllyup17 · 08/03/2022 09:42

Relatively clean with some space in the bins and I'd be happy. I'd clean it myself anyway.

HeyDiddleDee · 08/03/2022 09:43

Oh and yes to a letter with info about alarms, paint colours, bin days etc. We left that and a nice bottle of wine for our buyers.

MatildaTheCat · 08/03/2022 09:44

Clean obviously including any appliances.
Leave bulbs, loo roll and anything really obviously needed immediately.
Label all keys.
If possible leave a crib sheet of info on bin days, any quirks in the house etc and of course leave all the paperwork for existing appliances.

Good luck.

Babdoc · 08/03/2022 09:44

You are obviously a lovely conscientious person, OP, but you shouldn’t be trying to do any of this stuff while heavily pregnant.
When I moved into my current house, the outgoing owners not only left it covered in dust, they removed every light bulb and every carpet - including the stair carpet, leaving exposed lethal sharp gripper rods everywhere!

If you want, you could get a cleaning firm to give it a once over when you leave, but it’s not essential. The new owners will have removal men tramping in and out with a load of dusty boxes anyway, and will probably want to do their own cleaning and decorating. Good luck with your move and your new baby when it comes!

sashh · 08/03/2022 09:48

Clean is good, nothing else matters.

We moved house a couple of times as children and one place we found an old board game in a cupboard, that was exciting when you are 9.

And it was all we had to play with as my parents discovered on moving in the place had the old round pin sockets so had to go on a mad hunt to find some.

As an adult I've never expected more than clean but what would be useful would be some local knowledge eg opening hours of the local shop, best take away, names of neighbours.

GrolliffetheDragon · 08/03/2022 09:54

The thing my friend found most useful when she moved recently was a list of the window cleaner, hedge service, plumber, electrician and handyman the previous owners had used - I wouldn't be able to do that as I haven't got a reliable list unfortunately!

We left a list like that - and included the best local takeaways as well as we knew they were moving some distance. Also a bunch of flowers because the house wasn't left as clean as I would have liked, but we ran out of time.