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Original poster

Leaving a note for the people who are buying our house off us?

52 replies

ThePerfectNegroni · 05/10/2014 20:50

We are assured that we are moving on Friday, by our solicitor although I will believe it when I see it.

I am writing a note for the people buying our house. What should I put in it? This is our first house. When we moved in we got a scribble left for us, a freezer full of loose breadcrumbed things (Findus crispy pancake? chicken kiev?) and a cellar full of junk. I'd like to leave something a bit nicer for the new owners!

What did you put in your note? I've put in recs for the doctors nearby that we like, takeaways and the names of people who live on either side.

OP posts:
NeedaDiscoNap · 05/10/2014 20:52

I haven't done this but my DB and DSIL did - they left a bottle of Prosecco and a card with a nice message, the names of the neighbours, and a few takeaway menus. I thought that was lovely.

Dilligufdarling · 05/10/2014 20:56

Things like which bins to put out when is v useful and if there are any protocols/issues with parking on the road.

villagecorner · 05/10/2014 20:56

We had a lovely note from the previous owners when we moved in and a bottle of champagne in the fridge. It was only short but it was a nice touch. Like the previous poster, it said the neighbours' names (very appreciated!) and also wished us as many happy memories in the home as they had over the years!

goshdarnit · 05/10/2014 20:56

The day the bins go out is useful.
As we were moving in to the area, we were left a list of the local buses, taxi firms and takeaways.

All much appreciated! Grin

Glitterkitten24 · 05/10/2014 20:57

When we moved in we got a nice note which told us the names of some neighbours, what days the bins were collected, alarm codes etc as well as a bottle of wine.

I think it was left on the kitchen work top if I recall, it's a lovely touch!

Familyguyfan · 05/10/2014 20:58

I left a note including all the stuff I thought was important:

bin dates (3 bins all out on different days)
central heating details
burglar alarm stuff
what to do with any mail after redirection ended
left all instruction booklets I could find
Guarentees for the white goods we were leaving
details of which key fit what
Take away menus

I then left a welcome to your new home card and a bottle of champagne. The previous owners did the same for us and it was lovely.

RCheshire · 05/10/2014 20:59

At previous places I've left a map pointing out where the local doc, dentist and corner shop were, rec for restaurants etc, instructions for 'using' the house. As well as a bottle or similar. Last place we bought the sellers left us a card and orchid

exexpat · 05/10/2014 21:01

My sellers left me a note with names of neighbours, alarm/safe codes etc, and also a package with the original deeds and documents relating to the house (going back to the 1890s) which is nice to have.

Original poster
ThePerfectNegroni · 05/10/2014 21:01

Good, it seems like I am on the right track. I've already included where to find the info on the bin days (its a complicated calendar pinned on the side of the fridge), good takeaways, what key is where, instruction manuals etc.

OP posts:
Familyguyfan · 05/10/2014 21:13

Oh, also stuff like where the meters were and the stop tap for the water. Very important.

MrsJuice · 05/10/2014 21:19

Clean the house from top, to bottom. Bleach the baths/toilets. Clean the hallway just as you leave.
Pop a 'Welcome to your new home' card on the side, any relevant manuals and info about refuse collection. A small note about how certain things work too, and your phone number/new address in case of any issues.
Also, a jar of coffee, a couple of mugs and milk in the fridge.

I had flowers and chocs delivered for that, although didn't expect it at all.Smile

wonkylegs · 05/10/2014 21:21

We left details for the burglar alarm, where the stopcock, meters, rodding hole etc were.
Details for what key did what.
Nos for the Drs, our plumber, joiner, gardener, milkman, window cleaner etc.
Takeaway menus
Manuals for the appliances that were left.

When we got here the people also left us the names & numbers of all the neighbours.

MillieMoodle · 05/10/2014 21:27

When we moved out of our last house we left a folder with useful info in it - bin days, stopcock location, how to work the boiler etc. also included takeaway menus. We left a bottle of champagne and a card welcoming them to their new home and saying we hoped they'd be as happy there as we had been.
When we moved into our current house we were left with no gas/elec/water, no working boiler or bathroom facilities, and no internal doors. We did buy a repo though...

SquinkiesRule · 06/10/2014 21:48

I left a lot as I knew the woman who bought our house was coming from over 3 hours drive away and didn't know the area.
I left the take out menus, a list of local numbers, including the two local docs, local hospital, vets, plumbers, etc. All the booklets to the washer, dryer dishwasher, cooker, Heat controller. Blue prints to the septic system and the plans for the pumps showing all the switches etc. It was a huge pile of stuff on the kitchen counter.

MyFabulousBoys · 06/10/2014 21:52

I remember hearing one of those legal phone-ins on the radio about a couple who had left a note for new owners. They had said if the boiler ever faulted just switch it off and it will start again or something like that. The new owners used it as proof of unreliable equipment and tried to sue them for the cost of a new central heating system.

So avoid anything like that!

haveanotherdoughnut · 06/10/2014 22:47

I left a card, posh florist flowers and bottle of wine when I sold my flat.

When we moved in here, the previous owners left the boiler manual and no black bin bags. Thanks so much for that Mr and Mrs . They left no forwarding address so all post addressed to them goes in the bin....

BackforGood · 06/10/2014 23:01

Depends a bit how far they are moving, to buy your home - if they are local they won't need things like where Drs surgeries are. Smile

Things like where the stop cock is.
Leave manuals for things like the boiler.
Bin days is useful.

If you've got along fine, then forwarding address - about 6 years after we moved in here, we had to do something to the electrics above the kitchen, and found stuff of theirs stored in the small hatch, that they'd forgotten. Sentimental stuff they were thrilled to have got back.

Ruhrpott · 06/10/2014 23:08

We left a note and included the gas and electric readings, bin day, our new address for stuff that got missed in the redirect, burgler alarm code and a folder with all the instruction booklets of all the appliances and boiler. We also left a bottle of wine.

Momagain1 · 06/10/2014 23:11

Ours left us a bottle of champagne, manuals and instructions, and overloaded bins that I had to chase up the council about emptying.

And in addition to the 5 sets of keys from the solicitor, about 20 more keys were hanging on a rack in the utility closet. 2 of which got us out the communal back doors and gated vennal(sp) to the communal back garden and overloaded bins (all 12 for the whole building, plus stuff piled between). The others, I dont know.

NetballHoop · 06/10/2014 23:17

We were left a detailed list of all the plants and trees in the garden. It was a nice touch, though a bottle of gin wine would have been even nicer.

Sorry previous owners, the Quince tree didn't make it.

LL12 · 07/10/2014 03:45

If they are already local then I wouldn't bother with things like Gp surgery and take away menus.
Leave details of Stopcock, refuge collections, manuals, codes, forwarding address.

ch1a · 07/10/2014 04:09

Stopcock location is a must! Plus anything unusual about appliances or house. Like we have some knack to get good shower pressure which would need explaining.

mathanxiety · 07/10/2014 04:21

I left the business cards of the sewer guy and the only furnace guy who had ever managed to figure out the furnace, and the best plumbers. There was also a card for the people who put up the gutters, so I left that. I never had any luck with electricians so I couldn't help them there. Also manuals for the fridge and stove, washing machine and dryer and A/C. I also found the wiring diagram the previous owners had left for us, which I had found very helpful as the circuits were byzantine in the extreme. Before we had found it we were constantly blowing fuses because of overloading certain circuits.

user1497901842 · 19/06/2017 21:00

We left a card and wrapped gift with Scentsy warmer and scented wax melts. We also left all the manuals for the boiler and white goods and scented drawer liners. We love fragrance and hope they loved it too. We thought it was a more practical gift than flowers, chocolates or wine.

JT05 · 19/06/2017 21:10

Most of things mentioned above, but also a plan of the garden ( it was March) what was growing, what would pop up and when to prune.
They loved the garden, but were novice Gardeners.