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Original poster

Moving out etiquette

26 replies

Forestgate · 09/06/2022 13:38

When you sell and move out do you organise a professional clean (obviously intend to leave it clean and empty, asking about whether need to pay for professional clean)

What is normal?

Do I need to arrange cleaners for the house I'm moving into or will sellers have done that?

Last time I moved I had work done immediately so not been in this situation before

Thanks

OP posts:
TokyoSushi · 09/06/2022 13:42

We left ours very, very clean, did the equivalent of a deep clean in each room. Fortunately our new home sellers did the same for us. Usually I don't think people actually get a professional clean, just do a really good job themselves. There are no rules though, some people just walk out and leave it filthy.

LIZS · 09/06/2022 13:44

Professional cleans are not the norm. You may prefer to have your new property cleaned but that is your choice and it may be fine regardless.

sotired2 · 09/06/2022 13:44

I would just clean each room as you empty it and do cupboards as clear them. Unless oven really bad just do that yourself.

Sliceofpi · 09/06/2022 13:45

The right thing to do is to leave it clean, and to leave on time. You’ve reminded me of a thread on here a while ago started by someone who overstayed in their old house and was eating fish and chips whilst the new owners were trying to move in.

JudgeRindersMinder · 09/06/2022 13:46

I cleaned as the removers emptied each room. Because the room was empty it was dead easy and really quick to do a thorough job

Bear2014 · 09/06/2022 13:48

Well on completion/moving day, once the movers had loaded our boxes out of our old flat we hoovered, mopped, wiped down surfaces etc, then we went to collect the keys for our next house. We waited outside for ages and they finally finished moving stuff out of the house at about 6pm, not a single minute of cleaning as they then had to go to their next place etc and we had to very quickly try and feed our DD and put her to bed in the travel cot. Essentially I think it depends what you have time for??

We left a bottle of champagne for our buyers.

hauntedvagina · 09/06/2022 13:50

No professional clean here, just cleaned as I went along. Once a cupboard was packed up, I gave it a wipe over. Once a room was empty, I'd hoover it. Last thing on the van was the vacuum!

eurochick · 09/06/2022 13:52

Like others we just did a good clean as each room or cupboard was cleared.

princessalexandra · 09/06/2022 13:56

Like most others I cleaned as each room was emptied and it was spotless when I locked up on the way out.

Unfortunately our onward purchase hadn't even cleaned the skid marks off the toilet... had to deep clean before the vans started unloading, luckily we got there a couple of hours before they did.

MrsMoastyToasty · 09/06/2022 13:56

I recommend taking your vacuum in the car with you to the new house and hoover the empty rooms at the new place before the removals people start unloading.

DeanStockwelll · 09/06/2022 14:00

I agree with pp , I would not get or expect the house I am moving in to to be professionally cleaned but I would clean each room as it got emptied.
Don't try yo clean while there is still stuff in there it takes much longer.

Depending on whether you want to go to the effort or not but in the past I have left a note with local services , milkman , window cleaner, nearest PayPoint to top up gas and electric, days the bins go out , local taxi services, decent take away nobody wants to cook on their first day of moving in !

HesDeadBenYouCanStopNow · 09/06/2022 14:08

Leave yours as you would want to find it.

Assume the one you move into will be dirty and then if it's clean you'll have a good surprise.

Professional cleaning is pretty rare as there's little time between move out and next person in. I've never heard of it in sales, only rentals because there is a deposit hinging on the cleanliness when you leave. The same doesn't apply for sakes

lassof · 09/06/2022 14:18

I get the oven professionally cleaned

Emelene · 09/06/2022 14:20

We had 2 very young kids and couldn’t do it ourselves so paid as part of our moving package to have a cleaner (and behind the furniture etc is always grubby!). If you can leave the rooms reasonably clean I think that’s more than enough.

TheNoodlesIncident · 09/06/2022 17:19

Just leave it reasonably clean or as HesDeadBenYouCanStopNow says, as you'd wish to find it. We also left a bottle of champagne and flowers for our buyer as she'd been a decent buyer and we appreciated that. Plus a list of info like bin day, where to find the drain-down valve (which was useful I bet as she did building work on it before moving in), good takeaway places, etc.

I left ours spotless for new owner, but I did have the time to do that as we had moved out already. The previous owners of the house we'd moved to hadn't really cleaned, although it wasn't disgusting or anything I'd complain about. Just a bit dusty/cobwebby/greasy in places.

PigletJohn · 09/06/2022 18:09

even if you think your house is clean, the day is furniture is taken there will be dust and cobwebs behind and under where the furniture used to be.

at the very least, somebody needs to vac it, and preferably sponge down the paintwork with Flash or something.

i would do hard floors as well.

Original poster
Forestgate · 09/06/2022 20:18

Thanks everyone

OP posts:
redandwhite1 · 09/06/2022 20:26

I cleaned but not professionally, i don't think there's a rule but obviously leaving it a shit hole isn't on

Crikeyalmighty · 09/06/2022 20:28

I've only owned twice in last 25 years as have rented rest of time but had completely different experiences from molly maids just leaving as we moved in to trails of oil along a kitchen floor and every lightbulb removed!! It's all a lot easier if there's a bit of a crossover so I've factored that in usually - even with rentals

SausageAndCash · 09/06/2022 20:29

I have always left the property clean - but not had professionals in, just hoovered and wiped as each room is emptied. Cleaned cupboards after stuff was packed.

Your new house should be left clean, mostly the places I have moved into have been very clean or at least clean enough, but not all.

SausageAndCash · 09/06/2022 20:30

Crikeyalmighty · 09/06/2022 20:28

I've only owned twice in last 25 years as have rented rest of time but had completely different experiences from molly maids just leaving as we moved in to trails of oil along a kitchen floor and every lightbulb removed!! It's all a lot easier if there's a bit of a crossover so I've factored that in usually - even with rentals

Yes, but if you are selling and buying there is no crossover at all.

ShadowPuppets · 09/06/2022 20:34

The last time we moved we had a 4 month old going through her sleep regression and I just couldn’t cope with the idea of even a basic clean, so I asked on a local FB group and got a lovely team of cleaners to do it as a one-off - not an official end of tenancy style clean but like a spring clean sort of thing. £150 for 3 of them to do 3 hours (our movers knew the timings and cleaners followed them around, we were done and out by 1pm). Probably the best £150 I spent, we’d also booked the packing service through the movers so all I had to worry about was packing up as if for a holiday and a bit of decluttering in advance. I don’t think we could have moved with a little one without throwing money at it!!

Original poster
Forestgate · 09/06/2022 22:18

Yes this is it I've got 3 kids one only 6m hence the panic! Moving about an hour away sell and buy on same day so hardly any time

OP posts:
Crikeyalmighty · 09/06/2022 23:14

@SausageAndCash Yes I know- as I said , I had two polar opposite experiences when buying.

Catspyjamas01 · 10/06/2022 07:00

There isn’t a lot to clean when the rooms are empty. We just hoovered and went round skirtings with the crevice tool as there is a dust when the furniture is gone. I cleaned the bathrooms pretty well the week of the move then just wiped around on the moving day and bleached toilets. Didn’t bother with oven clean etc as it wasn’t too bad and just wiped out cupboards in the kitchen as they were emptied. Most people will clean when they move in.

If I were to invest in a cleaner it would be for the new house! As PP said pack the vacuum and cleaning supplies in the car, so you can hoover before furniture goes in. The house we bought was filthy and took a few days to sort, don’t presume everyone is as meticulous as you.