How clean do you have to leave a house when you sell it?

[mrszimmerman]

Should I get in cleaners if I don't have time to do it myself?
I know it's going to be a mad rush...
Are there rules about it?

I once moved into a flat where they had thrown all their used wax earplugs behind the bend and there was a whole row of them, tangled up with dust bunnies on the floor where their bed had been :(

I did not forward any post

Leave it clean. We moved last week and it is fantastic to be able to put your stuff in straight away without having to do a clean first. The family we bought from had 2 little boys, so possible. They also left 4 sets of keys, instructions to recycling, appliances etc. Very thoughtful.

Oh I'm going to leave it clean!
I'm just wondering whether to get cleaners in or try to do it myself which is going to be hard I know!
Thanks so much for the advice though!
I wasn't going to leave it minging, also we're buying from a divorcing couple and I am not at all confident they're going to get cleaners in for us... don't know how to ask for it without giving offence somehow..

My last house that I moved from I was I'll and unable to give it a final clean after the removals had shifted my stuff. I offered to pay for a cleaning company to come in but the purchasers said no, they wanted to get straight in. It meant that the house was not left in the state that I would wish it to be ideally left in. I felt really embarrassed, but left them a bottle of wine anyway!

Ill, not I'll!

I paid for cleaners to come in and sort the house out when we moved. I had a 5 week old baby and couldn't cope with it myself. It was going to be rented anyway- had been bought as a buy to let, but no way am I leaving my grime to show me up!!!!

Plus, we had a good deal- part ex, hadn't declared any problems with our house (and there were a few) because the vendor never asked, not one question, ever...

I think it's really nice to move into a place and not have to start cleaning. I spent the best part of 2 days cleaning our place - including the oven , cutting the grass etc especially as we had cats so wanted to make sure no cat hair anywhere. I got a quote for cleaners to do a one off movers clean- £400 they quoted me!! Apparently that was the going rate for Edinburgh.

The lady whose house we bought phoned me to tell me to let the neighbours know how clean she'd left it. So I was expecting it pretty clean and instead I had to spend another 2 days cleaning and I am really not that bothered with a bit of dirt but there was tonnes of black labrador hair in all the drawers and cupboards in the kitchen, and all over the carpets. Yuk.
When we took the old kitchen out a couple of months ago I could've knitted a labrador with the amount of hair that appeared.

Its just a matter of courtesy - I don't understand how people can say they didn't have time - if its clean to a reasonable standard, its not hard to ensure its spotless after the furniture / boxes have been removed and if you seriously don't have time yourself, get professionals in to do a few hours cleaning. When you consider the cost of moving house, an extra £50 or £100 is not much to ensure you're leaving it unclean.