at what stage do you clean the new house if completion day is the day of the move?

[beaglesaresweet]

I've moved before without cleaning first and although the place was ok, it didn't feel fresh or like an exciting new place with the vendors removals leaving the place not too clean, unavoidably.

How do people co-ordinate everything when completing on the same day (selling and buying)? Does the removals co keep stuff in their lorries and then moves it all in after a day or two of cleaning in the new place? Doe it cost extra for removals to wait a few days with stuff in their lorry?

Or is it normal to pursuade vendors to leave a couple of days early so you can clean? (if they are going into rentals themselves)

Or do you move in furniture and boxes - and of course your own removals may make it a dirty again esp if raining outside - then clean around it all before unpacking, assuming there is a lot of stuff?

argh!

[Racers]

He can't remember sorry! Once you factor in travel time, distance and possible overtime, it all adds up and he didn't seem to think the storage was a massive extra cost. I would just ring around and get quotes.

[Unexpected]

It doesn't matter if the vendors move out early, you still can't have access to clean or get professionals in as the property doesn't belong to you. Also you DO need more than one day if you are having the carpets professionally cleaned as well because you can't walk on them for some time after cleaning. They are also left slightly damp so the movers will inevitably end up leaving lovely marks on the newly-cleaned carpet and you won't be able to put any furniture down on the carpets without using the foil which the cleaners use when they are cleaning.

[beaglesaresweet]

I was thinking carpets could be clean on day of completion (afternoon) and then dry over night - is that not enough? can't remember as haven't done this for a while.
I know I can't access - I meant with their permission, just to get the cleaners in, not to move anything in. I wouldn't have minded if I was the vendor and had moved out earlier.
I could of course hope the vendors are as nice as some posters here and will leave it all nice. Ok, could then do carpets later in this case, But if the whole house needs cleaning - I think I'll try to agree to something with vendors. I just know I wasn't happy with previous moves - you also end up knackered from packing final items and tidying the old place so no energy on same day to do much re new house. I want to be organised this time so wanted to hear what others do.

[beaglesaresweet]

*could be cleaned

[Augustwedding]

We had a day between completing and moving in. My biggest regret is not getting cleaners in to clean new house, it was really disgusting! And had fleas :(

If it's feasible I'd do it!

[TheFantasticFixit]

To be honest OP, the only way you'll know if it can work is to phone the removal companies and get quotes and then do the same with cleaning. I think though for what you requires including carpet cleaning you will need 2 nights between completion and moving in and I doubt the removal company will want their truck tied up in a yard without there being a hefty bill attached. With a long distance move, plus 2 night storage, including packing (which is a separate day) you are looking at least £1500-£2000. Our one day, no packing needed as we did it ourselves, basic rate then overtime came to £770 for 10 hours. We had been quoted upwards of £1100 (which was ridiculous)

I echo unexpected's comments about carpet cleaning, I gave previously been told to leave it a good day and yes, it is left slightly damp afterwards so would be stained by the removers if you got them in too quickly after.

No doubt you'll find someone to accommodate what you need in some guise but you are most likely going to need a decent pot to pay for it!

[TheFantasticFixit]

Also, due to our vendor pissing around, we didn't complete until 4.30pm, so if you were caught in a similar predicament it might not work as you hope

[steppemum]

the thing is OP, I am nice and would like to accommodate people etc, but there is no way on earth that I would let the buyer in through the door unaccompanied until the sale is legally complete.

There are too many horror stories and if you turn out to be not as nice as you appear, they are stuck legally because they let you in. So I really wouldn't expect this to happen.

We were lucky, we were renting, having sold our flat several months before. We completed and then had 10 days before our rental contract was up, so we went in and cleaned and I decorated the girls bedroom.

We have moved into many ummm 'interesting' houses as I was growing up and we ended up camping in them as we cleaned and sorted, and then putting furniture etc out.

When moving out, I clean as I pack, so empty a cupboard - clean it. I cleaned bathroom and kitchen day before, and on the day hoovered round behind the removers.

[Unexpected]

There are so many obstacles to this plan.

The vast majority of vendors are buying themselves so the idea of leaving early is not possible, in which case the idea of accessing early becomes irrelevant. Even if your vendors are leaving before completion, there is no way that I would let unaccompanied strangers (because that is what your cleaners and carpet shampooers are) into the property. You may find someone who is willing to do so but unlikely. And the vendors solicitor and estate agent will advise against it.

You cannot guarantee what time you will complete on the day of sale. Our last move, although we had a nice short chain and everything should have been straightforward, we didn't complete until 2.30. Unless you are willing to pay the carpet cleaners a large premium to sit outside the door of your new house all day, there is no way that you are going to be able to call them on the day to specify the time they can get in. They will book you in a week beforehand for, say, noon and if they haven't got the keys, they will wait for whatever time your job should have taken and then go on to the next one. Ditto the cleaners.

[HauntedNoddyCar]

We bought an unoccupied ex-rental and wanted the carpets cleaned. I managed to get the carpets cleaned in it 2 days before completion but I had to pay their solicitors to draw up a contract, use a professional company and agree liability. It was a bit of a horror to arrange and it was really lucky that we pulled it off. Our biggest issue was hoping for decent weather so that the carpets would dry because we couldn't put the heating on or leave windows open!

[crochetcircle]

We did this, although for a different reason (not cleaning!). The company packed our stuff into containers on the back of the lorry rather than straight into the lorry and then stored them at their site (I assume) until we were ready to move in. It was cheap - c£100 for a few nights I think. I think it's common to do this if you are moving overseas for example, or if you go rented for a while. H

ave you asked the removals company?

[Fermin]

We have negotiated via our solicitors to gain access the day before completion. We've had to sign a form to say we will be responsible for all utilities from that day and that we will
remove any items left there should completion not go ahead. We have booked cleaners to come and do what is effectively an end of tenancy clean so, shampoo carpets, oven clean etc. The house was filthy on all the viewings so we were expecting it to be just as disgusting on completion day. It helps that our vendors are moving into rented so the house will hopefully be empty when the cleaners arrive.

[beaglesaresweet]

ah, three last responses outlining just want I'm hoping to do.
Fermin, yes that's exactly what I was thinking of doing. The house I'm offering on isn't even filthy (you haev even more reason to do it!) but I want to have it fresh and kit/bathrooms cleaned in case the vendors don't do it. By the way they ARE going into rental, not buying.

That's good news, Haunted and Fermin that you could arrange via solicitors, as far as it not much to pay for this. Also postres saying 'unaccompanied' - I obviously don't mind if the vendor is at home during the clean. It depends if they agree though.

crochet, I wonder if you could tell me (or pm) which removals co did you use? I'm nowhere near the move yet, and it's hard to find someone as reasonable as this (100 pounds per few nights in storage!) so either you are in an area where removals are cheaper or it's a very flexible type of co. I don't want to use big companies anymore - done it so fat, yes they aer reliable but they charge an arm and a leg.
I've done packing and moving before, I still have many boxes from previous move so i'd say half-day worth of new packing. I thought they could pack and load in one day rather than pack one day and then load next - in which case do all this day one and then two nights in lorry or containers.

[beaglesaresweet]

thank you all for so many responses, all useful thoughts!

[crochetcircle]

I pm'd you - let me know if it didn't work!

[crochetcircle]

Just thought it might have been cheap because we only had a two bed place? Not so much stuff to move?

Good luck!

[Fermin]

Def ask your solicitor for early access. Ours seemed completely unfazed and said it was a regular request.

[cupcake78]

You know those weeks of waiting a out for everyone else and doing nothing? Those are the weeks you clean windows, skirting boards, seriously scrub floors, clean carpets etc! Also throw out tons of stuff. Wash curtains etc.

On the final week you clean as you pack. On the day of the move you wipe down kitchen and bathroom and Hoover.

[Lagoonablue]

Just move in. Stick your stuff in one or two rooms and do the cleaning. Then unpack and move in properly. Simple.

A bit unrealistic to expect to move into a sparkling clean house. By the time the removers have been in it will be mucky anyway.

I recently moved. Did a quick clean of kitchen and bathroom bit actually it was fine as they had cleaned. We are decorating anyway so no point in deep cleaning every room and carpets as carpets coming out and paint going on.