To ask the seller if the cleaner can go in the day before we complete on house purchase!

[Deedippy]

So we are buying a probate house. House being sold by adult children and currently empty (ish) and hasn't been lived in for over 2 years. The house is very dated and needs alot of work but we are planning to live there whilst it's being done. The day of completion will be bonkers as we are selling our current home to purchase this one and the last thing I need to be doing when we finally get in whilst settling two kids and the dog is run around with the bleach and hoover. So aibu to ask the estate agents to ask the sellers (we've met the son and he's very nice) if our very lovely and trusted cleaner could go in after exchange but before completion to blitz the place? Or is this idea a totally absurd?

Not absurd but you don't own the house until completion so they may well say no.

I would say no, I would not want anyone in the house until completion and the money was safely in my bank account.

But there was another thread like this recently and people seemed to think it was fine to go into a house multiple times between exchange and completion, and that you risked losing the sale (despite the fact that the person would lose their deposit) if you didn't allow it, so who knows. The whole sale process seems to have changed quite a bit since we bought our house 20 years ago.

MILs house was sold recently and the buyer went in multiple times and the estate agent just took him without even asking SIL!

Have you exchanged? Given it’s a probate property I think it’s ok to ask.

I say go for it

@Deedippy It’s a reasonable request if the vendors don't want to do it. When are they finally clearing the house? Your cleaner will need furniture out. Hopefully you get agreement or, if not, ask what cleaning the vendors are doing. I think they will be ok though.

Ask. If they say no it’s probably because they’ve been advised to refuse. You could then ask them to commission a clean and offer to pay.

it’s very reasonable if the property has been empty so long.

The people we bought off let us do this and it was so helpful. Personally I think it was because they knew the state they'd left behind and felt guilty... anyway we paid for 3 cleaners for 4 hours each, which ended up being 7 hours each (and a small fortune) but made moving in less miserable. House was still dated and tired looking but not a health hazard! (5 years later it's lovely!)

Absolutely reasonable request I can't imagine anyone saying no esp as its empty. Go for it.

OK to ask but they may say No

Not absurd, but I wouldn’t allow you even if I thought your motives were entirely honourable. Just too much of a risk.
Worth asking though.

I think you will have more success if you say they can chose firm etc and you will pay. Then they know nothing dodgy can happen legally. The solicitors get so weird about this stuff.

definitely ask! If it all falls through they’ve got a clean house, I don’t see what the issue is, agents will have the keys and it can all be done through them.

Ask, but you should pay!

If the house was empty, I'd be delighted the buyer was going to save me a job!

Thanks. Good to hear not a totally crazy idea. We are hoping to exchange before Xmas and complete in Jan (although this is never a guarantee until it's happened)

I would say the house is about 95% cleared out. There's a few cupboards still to be emptied, a few lovely bits of g plan furniture left (won't mind at all if they leave those) and that's about it. The family have been doing it bit by bit over the last year

This is a good idea

Also ask about the furniture! You might be doing them a favour as they might be taking to tip or paying for clearance. Last time I moved I put some stuff outside the house to give away or take to tip. Tables etc and buyer drove past and asked me if she could keep it! Did me a favour.

Surely you can just send in the cleaners on the day? That's what we've always done. Cleaners and carpet cleaners go in at 2pm and are done by 4pm and then we move our boxes in.

Really don't see why you have to do it the day before?

I would say no. You can clean once you have the keys.

@SutWytTi Miser! Would you also be the kind of person to leave a house unlived in for two years unclean?
If they say no then they should clean it very very thoroughly themselves.

@jollywhite you have clearly never moved into a true fixer upper. 2 hours!!! More like 30!

Bit harsh.

I think you buy a probate house as it is.

I would ask, the worst that can happen is that they say no.

When we sold dmil flat, we would certainly have been open to this, although we had already had it professionally cleaned and repainted to freshen it up.

We asked to do this and have the carpets that were being left professionally cleaned before we moved in. The property was empty and the vendors were more than happy with it. It saves them a job! Anyone who would say no to this when the property is empty is mad. What do you think the cleaners are actually going to do to the property?

I actually scrub my house from top to bottom when I’m moving and have always moved into houses that have been left spotless - however I always like to do my own cleaning in new house anyway

Given it’s empty I think it’s worth asking. They may say no though.