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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

To be miffed about my filthy house

157 replies

constantlylactating · 29/08/2024 22:27

Bought a house with DH and 2x young DS (5 and 5 months), moved in last Friday. It was an older lady living here alone, the house was too much for her, and as such we expected to have to roll our sleeves up and do some serious cleaning.

On moving day we didn't get the keys until 4.45, so when we arrived we were shattered. The house was so filthy when we were moving our stuff in, I could have cried. It stank of dogs (still does a week on) and every room was caked in layers of filth and grime- the kitchen and bathroom were so bad, I wouldn't even take the baby in them.

She had also left several things in the house- a huge wardrobe full of clothes, huge old dresser, dirty old fridge, oven, cupboards full of plates and food, and a shed packed full of broken tools.

We ended up in a hotel that first night, and we booked a deep clean with a cleaning company for the next day. Cleaner arrived and was horrified at the state the house had been left in. It took her 4 hours just to do the bathroom- she unearthed piles of dirty razor blades tucked behind the sink.

We need another deep clean as she didn't get round to most of the house. We also need to book a skip to get rid of all her crap stuff.

We expected a certain level of work, but honestly this last week has been really hard going, and it's still nowhere near clean enough for us to unpack most of our stuff.

AIBU to have expected better, or is this just standard?

This is the second house we have bought, we didn't have any issues at all the first time around.

OP posts:
DoreenonTill8 · 29/08/2024 22:29

Please say you have told your solicitor and she/her estate will be billed for the clean up!

constantlylactating · 29/08/2024 22:30

DoreenonTill8 · 29/08/2024 22:29

Please say you have told your solicitor and she/her estate will be billed for the clean up!

I have, I emailed them last weekend but have heard nothing back!

OP posts:
GRex · 29/08/2024 22:31

You need to charge for this, the seller can't leave possessions.

I'm not sure how you didn't notice the state of the house when you looked round though, to figure out it might be an issue? You'll need a decent answer to that if you want the solicitor to charge cleaning fees to the seller.

GRex · 29/08/2024 22:32

Take a lot of photos while you wait!

Tumbler2121 · 29/08/2024 22:33

Presumably it was like that when you looked at it? Also, did you get it really, really cheaply, an estate agent friend told me that a filthy house is the biggest bargain you'd ever get.

constantlylactating · 29/08/2024 22:35

GRex · 29/08/2024 22:31

You need to charge for this, the seller can't leave possessions.

I'm not sure how you didn't notice the state of the house when you looked round though, to figure out it might be an issue? You'll need a decent answer to that if you want the solicitor to charge cleaning fees to the seller.

So a lot of the dirt/caked on grime is on the walls/floors, and she had so much stuff piled up everywhere, you honestly couldn't see.

And re the smell- we knew she had dogs, so expected something, I think everything just got uncovered/stirred up with them moving her stuff out.

OP posts:
Edingril · 29/08/2024 22:35

Well you but a place as it is when you inspect it, sure no ones things should be there other than what is on the report

But did you not do a final inspection before settlement?

I don't remember it mentioning anywhere a place has to be clean, sure it is nice for it to be but not sure legally you can do anything about it

IReallyCouldntThinkOfAUsername · 29/08/2024 22:38

I feel ao sorry for the woman living like that! But yeah it's unacceptable to be left like that.

coronafiona · 29/08/2024 22:38

Sue for non-vacant possession. You can't leave furniture etc without prior agreement. And you can try and recoup the cost of cleantg that way.

Kw1234hhggf · 29/08/2024 22:38

We bought a house and it was unclean but not unmanageable but the outhouses x 2 were FULL of their unwanted shit! They left loads of stuff in the garden to take away 2 days after moving but only took 40% at best. I photoed and sent messages to the estate agent and said it wasn’t sold empty of possessions. The sellers paid for a removal company to come and clear it. Was super annoying and
irritating though and marred my ftb experience.

constantlylactating · 29/08/2024 22:38

IReallyCouldntThinkOfAUsername · 29/08/2024 22:38

I feel ao sorry for the woman living like that! But yeah it's unacceptable to be left like that.

Us too, she had two sons in their early 40s moving her out, I couldn't believe they would let her live like that.

OP posts:
IReallyCouldntThinkOfAUsername · 29/08/2024 22:39

Disgusting

constantlylactating · 29/08/2024 22:40

Edingril · 29/08/2024 22:35

Well you but a place as it is when you inspect it, sure no ones things should be there other than what is on the report

But did you not do a final inspection before settlement?

I don't remember it mentioning anywhere a place has to be clean, sure it is nice for it to be but not sure legally you can do anything about it

We did a final viewing, but as I said above- she had that much stuff you couldn't see the huge patches of dirt. And the dog smell- we assumed was because she had dogs, so that once the dogs were gone, the smell would go too!

OP posts:
Lavender14 · 29/08/2024 22:40

It sounds like she's not really been able to manage the move the way you'd have wanted her to op and likely hasn't had the necessary support with it. She sounds vulnerable. To be honest I'd be inclined to feel sorry that that's how she's been living in the first place. Horrible for you moving in with a baby but I think if she had hoarding tendencies (which it sounds like from what you've described) it's not unreasonable to expect what you've found unfortunately. Hopefully the deep cleans will put a lovely new shine on it for you and you're able to make it your own.

SummerSplashing · 29/08/2024 22:45

@constantlylactating

what a nightmare! I hope you took loads of photos so when it's all done you can look back & see how much you've achieved!

I hope you got it at a good price.

SecretSoul · 29/08/2024 22:50

constantlylactating · 29/08/2024 22:40

We did a final viewing, but as I said above- she had that much stuff you couldn't see the huge patches of dirt. And the dog smell- we assumed was because she had dogs, so that once the dogs were gone, the smell would go too!

What about the bathroom though? If it was so bad you wouldn’t even take the bathroom in there, surely you noticed that when viewing?

Don’t get me wrong, it sounds grim and you shouldn’t have to foot the bill - just wondering how on earth you missed it if it really is that dirty?

BitOutOfPractice · 29/08/2024 22:54

How can you not have noticed it was that bad?

outdamnedspots · 29/08/2024 22:57

So a lot of the dirt/caked on grime is on the walls/floors, and she had so much stuff piled up everywhere, you honestly couldn't see.

So she wasn't realistically going to clean all that, was she?

Clean your new house, then enjoy it!

OoLaaLaa · 29/08/2024 23:05

constantlylactating · 29/08/2024 22:38

Us too, she had two sons in their early 40s moving her out, I couldn't believe they would let her live like that.

Find out where she lives and dump all her stuff there

Haroldwilson · 29/08/2024 23:06

constantlylactating · 29/08/2024 22:38

Us too, she had two sons in their early 40s moving her out, I couldn't believe they would let her live like that.

Hm, from threads on here I understand it's a lot more complicated than that. Older people can be very, very difficult and don't always just let their children whirl in and clean up or organise help.

For all you know, her move might have been the result of a long hard road of her children trying to sort things out.

Gunz · 29/08/2024 23:10

The first house that I brought was a building society repossession. It was in a state - maggots in the sofa that was left behind for example. It was reflected in the price. I am looking to move and finding that houses that need work/state - it generally shows in the price. If its cheaper - there will be a reason - usually dated kitchen or bathroom or some sort of paved back garden. Probate houses stand out and hang as the beneficiaries put up houses which require alot of work and don't reflect the work required to bring it up to modern expectations. You will bring the house up to your expectations - but will take time.

tribalmango · 29/08/2024 23:19

Of course it's not standard nor acceptable, but I really don't understand how it was such a shock. If there was so much stuff you couldn't actually see the grime didn't you wonder?

And as PP say, it's not as straight forward as thinking her adult children 'let' her live like that. If she had capacity and didn't want to engage then what else could they do?

Unfortunately people who horde or don't clean, even if you go in and deep clean, quite frequently it can build up again remarkably quickly.

As long as the house is structurally sound it's all fixable.

constantlylactating · 30/08/2024 06:42

We definitely couldn't have afforded this much house if it didn't need work, we just assumed it would be clean 😂

OP posts:
constantlylactating · 30/08/2024 06:43

SecretSoul · 29/08/2024 22:50

What about the bathroom though? If it was so bad you wouldn’t even take the bathroom in there, surely you noticed that when viewing?

Don’t get me wrong, it sounds grim and you shouldn’t have to foot the bill - just wondering how on earth you missed it if it really is that dirty?

When we got to the bathroom she said it was going to be cleaned- it obviously wasn't.

OP posts:
Rafting2022 · 30/08/2024 06:47

Sounds like you have been naive.

Can you move into an Airbnb for a week while you get it to a liveable condition?