To be miffed about my filthy house

[constantlylactating]

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.

We have just bought a house and it was so dirty it took me a full day to just to clean the kitchen cupboard doors - the owners went into a home and their son-in-law thought he was doing us a favour selling it to us - they should be ashamed letting their mam and dad live in such filth! I have honestly never seen such dirt before just glad they had emptied it!! I feel your pain!

Years ago, as a student, I worked for a removal company. We always stored people's belongings in the locked vans in the locked yard overnight so people could get cleaners in. We, also, provided a cleaning service for both clients. It included deep clean and carpets.

You got the keys very late in the day.

Each house I have moved into I have used a similar service. Or put stuff in storage and rented for a week or two. Present house we rewired before we moved in. Put in better loft insulation, had a deep clean done and decorated kids rooms before moving in
Oh and bought light bulbs as the miserable man took them away.

It took about a week. It was an added expense but well worth it. Slowly did up the rest of the house as snd when we could afford it. We found out our furniture didn't fit. We had come from a Georgian flat to a 1960s detached with low ceilings.

I wish you every happiness in your new home.

@GRex - yeah.. but where did you get the -10% from?

OP does not say they had a 10% discount.

Another house of a similar layout nearby selling for 10% more does not mean OP's seller gave her a 10% discount.

Exactly this, we had no discount. We could afford the house, and the work needed, but I'm certainly not in a position to be blowing 5k on staying in an air bnb 😂

You paid 10% less, which took into account the state of the property. That is a discount on the full market rate for the property. One that was fair, but relied on you doing a little bit of work.

You might be wise to check how much your solicitor will be charging you to chase up the few £'00 you want to have the junk taken away.

Maybe they were banging their heads off the wall…ask me how I know! 🙈

Most people get to a point in their lives when the upkeep of their dwelling is beyond them. Once upon a time they would have been young and energetic enough to do repairs and clean or would have had the budget to get others to do it for them, but time and money can get the better of us all, it will probably happen to most of us.

So corners don’t get hoovered, house repairs get left, junk accumulates, then it’s our time to die or be moved on and we don’t always have the means to leave a show home. New houses take work and anyone who thinks along these judgmental lines is not a realistic or caring member of society. You move in to somewhere as a young family, stop being judgmental and precious, roll your sleeves up and get on with it, the person you are judging who lives there before was a human, with friends and family that loved them, not a filthy cave dweller.