Viewing Minging Houses

[Smokeahontas]

I’ve only been viewing for two weeks, but my God, the amount of houses that need a clean have shocked me. I know it can be hard juggling WFH with kids, but for the love of Christ, run a Flash wipe over the kitchen counter & rinse the bath pubes away.

I’ve told this story before, but our house was grim when we moved in. To the extent that we found a sausage living in the bottom of the oven when we cleaned it. Luckily it hadn’t been there long enough to actually attack 😬

However, it did mean we got the house for a lot less than it was originally listed for because nobody else wanted it at that price... and it’s nice and clean now, no rogue sausages to be found! So you might get a bargain, as long as you don’t mind a good scrubbing session for two bloody weeks, that’s how long it took to get this place acceptably clean

I agree, you’d think people would have a whisk round with a duster though.

I once viewed a flat with half a fresh turd on the toilet seat (only half as the rest was smeared down the bowl). And the couple were in the flat too, so they will have known that we knew that it was theirs, and not cared. There's such a wide range of what people think is acceptable.

Maybe rental tenants who don't want to leave!

@Spudlet

I’ve told this story before, but our house was grim when we moved in. To the extent that we found a sausage living in the bottom of the oven when we cleaned it. Luckily it hadn’t been there long enough to actually attack 😬

However, it did mean we got the house for a lot less than it was originally listed for because nobody else wanted it at that price... and it’s nice and clean now, no rogue sausages to be found! So you might get a bargain, as long as you don’t mind a good scrubbing session for two bloody weeks, that’s how long it took to get this place acceptably clean

I agree, you’d think people would have a whisk round with a duster though.

Pretty much the same for us. Awful odour that put most people off and I assumed it was a drain/sewerage problem. Turned out to be rotting food in the fridge that saved us 30k!!!!

Your title made me laugh and I know exactly what you mean. Some folks really live in filthy homes

I’ve posted about one before that we went to see.

Seven figure house.
Looked fab on line.
Pulled up and a really attractive well groomed woman was there, she owned it.

As we went in we could see the filth.
She looked at the agent and said “ working house “ shrugged and walked out. She sat outside when we viewed.
He said he’d told her previously and repeatedly about getting it cleaned.

There was literally rubbish strewn on the floor throughout. Sweet wrappers, bits of screwed up paper, crisp packets. Just rubbish. Actual rubbish. On the actual floor. Like strewn all over the living room carpet.
Dishes piled up on every kitchen work surface.
The grease in the kitchen and smell was outrageous. Cooker fridge etc all pure filthy.
The cat litter trays hadn’t been cleaned for ages I think. I don’t own cats but the smell of cat piss made my eyes water in both the living room and bedroom. You couldn’t breathe. I don’t know how she slept in there.
The bathrooms and toilets were shit stained scummy messes.
The towels were filthy, visible dirt and in piles just tossed on the floors.
The bed sheets were visibly grimy, like you could see the actual dirt on the linen on the unmade beds.

Honestly for one of the first times in my life I couldn’t see past it. I was absolutely shocked. So was my husband. It was pure filth. Every single room. Was totally minging.

And she was one ofthe cleanest, perfect hair, perfect clothes, perfect make up, really attractive women, you’d ever lay eyes on.

I don’t know if there was a mental health issue. And she did sort of look at me in embarrassment and look away as I walked out. So she knew. We both smiled and said thanks politely . But she must have seen the discomfort in our eyes in terms of seeing how she was living

Look past the dirt, that will wash off. It's the structure and location you need to worry about.

Only excuse for this (and it's not an excuse) is disgruntled tenants unhappy about being forced to move so making viewings difficult.

I can be a slob but if anyone comes to my place I make sure its clean or I dont let them in

The house my brother bought was like this when they looked and bought over 20 years ago.

Divorcing couple, one clearly didn't want to have to move...

Our seller was the homeowner, but I think he’d bought the house with his ex, who I’m guessing was the driving force behind - well, everything. He gave the impression of a man who found life rather overwhelming generally.

Ours owned the house. As said, I don’t know if there was a mental health condition, but the house was like something you see on the telly. And there was kids living there too. One about seven and one early teens. The little girl was also filthy. Just grubby, in grubby clothes and dirty hair, but happy as Larry, smiling and playing.

In reality one of us should have probably reported it to social services. The woman was an air hostess. And as said, presented immaculately. But lived in absolute and utter squalor.

God, when I think of myself lighting scented candles and plumping up the sofa cushions!!

We looked round one which was perfect on paper but so, so grimy. Dust on every surface, dust bunnies in every corner, smeary finger marks on cupboard doors and mirrors. The house has had a full refurb just a couple of years previously but the lack of care taken ahead of viewings made us worry that the refurb had been careless too and we'd end up with expensive mistakes to correct.

My ex has remained in the marital home, I left due to DV. He's letting the house fall apart and not even keeping it clean because he has said he would rather run it down and cause damage so I lose any money from the divorce settlement. It will be sold on court order and I'm dreading people going to see it.

We once had an estate agent tell us that we needed to be tidier. He had arrived with no notice (the agreement was 4hrs notice) and 18month old DD had just tipped a full bag of new, clean nappies on the bedroom floor. He said it was disgusting. I laughed in his face and insisted on a different agent for viewings. Twat.

Look at what it could be, not what it is.

What I find odd is the general theme of houses of older who have died or gone into care homes, really dated, to the point you wonder how they lived there but immaculate gardens. Strange priorities

One of the worst I viewed - house was generally untidy and a slobby sullen teen was laid out full length on the couch. Best bit was in the bathroom loo a massive unflushed turd the size of a babby's arm
Didn't make an offer.

We looked at a house once where the owner had died a few years previously. They had clearly been very ill in the bathroom and no one had thought to clean it either immediately after or before the house was put on the market.

@Slub the description of the poo made me howl!

Shocked me too OP, I went to a lot of effort to ensure my house was pristine when I had viewings. Some of the houses we saw were really untidy & dirty too, why would you present your property like this when you are wanted to sell, I just don’t get it. It’s not a matter of looking past it, but it makes you think the property is poorly maintained and uncared for. Who wants to buy a grubby house.

I'd view houses like this with delight - the perfect opportunity to negotiate thousands off the price, with no other offers on the horizon... and yes, it might be minging, but you can always pay a couple of hundred for a professional clean before you move in.

I went in a few where I had to keep my shoes on
I've been glad of masks too to shield me from the stench.

It’s amazing just how much standards of
cleanliness vary amongst people, even those who seem in all other ways entirely reasonable, capable and “switched on” for want of a better phrase.

I went to see a dear, dear friend of mine last week and her house was absolutely disgusting. A proper bio-hazard, complete with shit-encrusted toilet. I was absolutely horrified and in all honesty will probably just invite her out or to mine for future meet ups. I cannot go back there. There is no reason on earth why she can’t/won’t clean, no MH or mobility issues, does she just not see it? Maybe it doesn’t bother her. My mind boggles and I can’t stop wondering how anyone could live like that.

but for the love of Christ, run a Flash wipe over the kitchen counter & rinse the bath pubes away.

If that’s all they need to do they aren’t minging houses.

@ThisIsStartingToBoreMe

Look past the dirt, that will wash off. It's the structure and location you need to worry about.

But a filthy house is unlikely to have been well maintained.

Nothing quite as bad as some of these, but we did see one place where a) they seemed to have about half a dozen visitors over during the viewing, there was laundry drying on every radiator, and we couldn't see one of the bedrooms because someone was asleep in there. We said to the agent they may want to have a word with owners...