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Original poster

How much cleaning do you do before you move out? (when selling)

50 replies

tory79 · 05/06/2013 22:10

We have just sold our house (stc) This is the first house we have owned, so previously our only experience of moving has been between rented properties, and obviously we did lots of cleaning to make sure we got our deposit back!

When we moved in to our current house it wasn't that clean, and I can 100% guarantee that the house we are buying won't be cleaned at all! But I have no idea if thats normal? It would feel weird to me to not leave my house clean for the buyers (not that it is dirty now, but you know what I mean!) On the other hand, at least it would be one less thing to think about

OP posts:

ChasingStaplers · 05/06/2013 22:13

None.

I would get a cleaner in though. Maybe you'll get a pleasant surprise and the people you're buying from will get one in too!

TryDrawing · 05/06/2013 22:17

I leave a house spotless. I just think anything else is rude.

Leviticus · 05/06/2013 22:20

We cleaned, including Vaxing the carpets when we sold recently. It was a newish flat that nobody was living in, which made it easier.

I'd like to think I'll clean to a decent but not immaculate standard when we sell our current home. Do unto others...

flowerpippin · 05/06/2013 22:20

Spotless

Our current house was pretty clean but the oven was pure filth. Quite amazed that our vendors thought it was okay to leave it like that to be honest.

MisForMumNotMaid · 05/06/2013 22:20

I pack the vacuum last to give a quick clean as I leave. I ensure bins are empty and usually leave a note with a bottle of something with a list of things like which day bins go out, which keys go where, local takeaway menus.

I don't do a deep clean but I do clean the toilets (ensure theres some paper left) leave the kitchen wiped down and vacuum. I tend to mow the lawn too.

I've moved an awful lot of times.

Its not obligatory to do anything but its the old do as you'd like to be done to adage.

CuddyMum · 05/06/2013 22:24

When we moved a couple of weeks ago the removals company provided a full cleaning service for £120. I thought this was a bargain and it really took the pressure off on the move day.

BoulevardOfBrokenSleep · 05/06/2013 22:33

This has come up on MN before. Apparently, every single MNer leaves their house spotless when they move out.

However, every single house I've moved into has been filthy.

Either there's something wrong with the statistical method there... or maybe I ought to make sure I only ever buy houses from MNers?

ItsAllTLAsToMe · 05/06/2013 22:43

I know Boulevard! When I move out of a house, I clean it, then when I move into a house, I clean it too.

Someone, somewhere, is doing no bloody cleaning, because they know I'll do it for them .

BimbaBirba · 05/06/2013 22:51

I was going to start a thread asked this very question! The thing is, where do you find the time (and energy) to clean to a high standard on move day? Surely you can't get any cleaning done while the removal people are working?

BackforGood · 05/06/2013 22:57

Bimba - you've done all the cleaning before moving day, and then give a quick vaccuum of places that you might not have been able to get to before (perhaps behind a very heavy wardrobe or something) once that room is empty.
Or, if you are lucky enough to have a friend or relative helping, they clean once you and the removal men have driven off, but again, the house would be mostly clean before removal day.
All the places I've bought have been left clean - as someone said upthread, you leave a property in the way you'd hope to find it, and, I find most people in life do.

Shattereddreams · 05/06/2013 23:02

If I moved out my house, it would be clean, because my house is clean. Simples.

When I bought it, it was stinky rotten filthy. But so was the previous owner (6 cats, enough mail order catalogues to reach the moon, can't see the flower borders for overgrown plants, you actually painted a fish with bubbles coming out it's mouth on the chimney breast above the period fireplace?)

Yep. Clean as a whistle these days.

BimbaBirba · 05/06/2013 23:08

Yes but don't removal men get it mucky with packing and shoes, etc? Suppose my house is clean by most people's standards so it wouldn't take that long to get it looking good once empty. The one thing I don't know if I have the time to do is painting the walls which are really filthy in some places

ItsAllTLAsToMe · 05/06/2013 23:14

Ooh, get a magic eraser sponge from Lakeland, they rock.

BimbaBirba · 05/06/2013 23:21

Cool. Gives me an excuse to get into Lakeland

soontobeslendergirl · 05/06/2013 23:37

I clean the house and leave it immaculate and leave them a bottle of champagne and a card. I've moved loads - once I had a nice clean flat and a bottle of wine, mostly they have been passable- one was pretty dirty and the latest house was fucking filthy!! It was so dirty that there was a small clean spot where their head was on the bath - where it had rubbed a clean space - yeughhhhh. stair carpet had a cleanish bit up the middle where they walked and all the fluff and dirty crap gathered at the sides - there were old peas and chips in the freezer. the house was only a year and a half old at this point too. Manky shitting bastards!!!! They left a load of their crap on the front lawn - my OH drove to their new house and chucked it on their lawn!!

What made it worse was that they knew we were moving in with two toddlers - it was so dirty we couldn't stay in it. :(

so, back to the original post - yes, I would clean it as I wouldn't want anyone to experience what I did.

ItsAllTLAsToMe · 06/06/2013 06:38

Aw, slender girl, I hope I'm about to move into your house!

wonkylegs · 06/06/2013 09:34

House got a deep clean to put it on the market. We've sold pretty quickly. The house is kept generally clean. I'll do a quick Hoover/wipe round before we leave but probably nothing more.
I will give the garden a good weed/mow before we go though as it's summer and the weeds grow so fast otherwise.

PigletJohn · 06/06/2013 09:53

It's a personal pride thing, and you probably don't want to be ashamed of your old house.

Cleaning an empty house is actually very easy (whiz round with the hoover, swab the bathroom etc) but most people are in a terrible hurry and don't have time on moving day. I sold a house a few months ago and had the luxury of a gap between moving out and completion day, so I went back the night before to take the meter readings, spruce it up, leave a tray with kettle, mugs, tea, milk, mop the kitchen floor. I asked the new lady if she'd like me to leave my old vac and she seemed quite pleased to have it.

specialsubject · 06/06/2013 10:39

I cleaned as I went, emptying cupboards and then not opening them again once they were empty and clean! Full vacuum the day before. Did a final bathroom clean the night before, and then wiped down the kitchen after breakfast.

then vaccuumed on moving day as rooms were emptied - but unfortunately it was a wet day so it wasn't quite as immaculate as I would like. However I think the buyers would not have had to clean up as they arrived, which is the standard I would expect.

the one I moved into was also clean. Win win!

tilbatilba · 06/06/2013 10:54

I think having a company come in and do a professional clean is the best investment ever. I've moved so many times and I'm always so grateful to be able to enjoy unpacking into the new place and not worry about the grot of the old.

soontobeslendergirl · 06/06/2013 10:54

ItsAll - thank you :) we always make sure it is nice stuff too. If someone has just paid a lot of money to buy your house, it's the least you can do.

Been in our current house for 9 years now - it was the fucking filthy one. It's put me off the house and I still don't really like it, but it's great for the kids, it's handy for everywhere and the market being what it is, we will be here until they finish school.

we had a 2 week overlap which was meant to be our time to decorate the new house but we had to spend it cleaning it instead and also cleaning our old house - even when we moved, my OH still nipped down (12 miles away) to the old house to cut the grass as he didn't want to leave it uncut for the new people. Whereas our garden contained tubs of stagnant water and pots full of dead plants.

We are mugs eh? :(

ItsYonliMe · 06/06/2013 11:44

I've got too much pride not to leave a house spotless when we're leaving, whether as tenants or home owners.

TheSurgeonsMate · 06/06/2013 11:48

I've moved into dirty and I've moved into clean, and clean is better.

I was SO THRILLED to find my new house was spotless that I would never ever now consider selling a dirty one.

catpark · 06/06/2013 13:26

Make sure at the very least you don't leave poo in the toliet and all over the seat. We had that delight in the house we moved to last year. Along with piss soaked carpet in downstairs toilet. And mould in the fridge. That was just some of the filth.

Spent a week cleaning and scrubbing the whole house before we could paint it, I did cry that first day. :(

Clayhead · 06/06/2013 13:27

Spotless. Never moved into one which was that clean though!!

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