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Original poster

Unusual items taken/left

86 replies

PPop · 30/08/2022 10:19

What is the strangest thing you have come across during a house move that has either been left or taken?

Our friends completeted last year and the woman they bought from took the ring squat of vinyl in the downstairs toilet along with the toilet seats - she didn't leave any other toilet seats just completely left the loos bare... I found it so odd so wondered what was the strangest thing you found taken or were left?

OP posts:
SoupDragon · 30/08/2022 10:20

What is a ring squat of vinyl?

Diyextension · 30/08/2022 10:36

First house we bought was an empty run down victorian place , the only thing left behind was a tweed Inverness cape coat and matching deerstalker hanging at the top of the stairs 😀. All that was missing was the pipe.

current house ripped out the fireplace and found a card down the back….. it read To ( daughters name ) happy valentine ,lots of love ………..Daddy !!!!!!!! 😳. Creepy !!!!!!

MissKittyCat · 30/08/2022 12:10

It was weeks after I moved into my house that I noticed the sellers had taken the house number plaque. I don't remember it being particularly special such as a hand painted one which might have been a gift, so not sure why they would want it, as not much use unless moving to a house with the same number.

prettyteapotsplease · 30/08/2022 12:20

Weird vendors left a useful garden table which was collected next day. They spent ages faffing about, taking out items individually towards the end of the day with no sense of urgency, even taking rocks from the rockery. And only one light bulb on each floor - mean or what?

MinnieMountain · 30/08/2022 14:54

A colleague had “hedgehog house, may contain hedgehog” on a fittings and contents form she was checking.

Spanielsarepainless · 30/08/2022 18:50

A house my husband viewed had its fireplace taken out as the seller had spent a lot of time building it.
We left a huge garden lawn roller. As had the previous sellers!

Mindymomo · 30/08/2022 19:00

When we arrived at our house all lightbulbs were taken, fortunately it was June so wasn’t too much of a problem. After a few hours we went for a lie down as we’d just finished making up the bed when we heard a key in the front door. The previous owner came back to dig up some plants in the back garden. We let him do that, but when he went to leave we said leave your key on the way out. We thought he was going to protest, but left it in the hallway. I left an old hoover, oven gloves and apron that I left hanging on kitchen door.

Alphabet1spaghetti2 · 30/08/2022 19:02

From mil bungalow - we left an old, wooden lidded box in the attic. Never knew what was in it. It was there when they bought the bungalow and they never opened it. Too big to go through the loft hatch. Total mystery!

Whatsthestoryboringglory · 30/08/2022 19:03

MinnieMountain · 30/08/2022 14:54

A colleague had “hedgehog house, may contain hedgehog” on a fittings and contents form she was checking.

This is actually super cute! I’d have loved this.

I found a 1980s VHS porn tape on a secret shelf in the cupboard under the stairs.

CoolAsACourgette · 30/08/2022 19:12

Vendors took house number plaque, al light bulbs, bedroom cupboard door handles and the dangly ends of the bathroom light switch!

Maireas · 30/08/2022 19:13

SoupDragon · 30/08/2022 10:20

What is a ring squat of vinyl?

Yes, I was about to ask the same!

trevthecat · 30/08/2022 19:18

The house we are in now, bought 3 years ago, was full. As in we could have just turned up with a toothbrush and clean knickers!

MeridianGrey · 30/08/2022 19:37

When we bought our first house we offered about 10% below asking which they felt was insulting, despite the fact it had been on for two years with no other offers.
I presume this is why they took all light bulbs, batteries from the smoke alarms, tore fitted cupboards from the kitchen and left all their freezer contents to defrost in bin bags.
They has to grace to look embarrassed when they had to walk back in a few weeks later to reclaim their cat, who seemed to prefer us.

SpeedyMackechnie · 30/08/2022 20:22

A bearded dragon, in a tank, with fluorescent light left on.

This was the oddest part of it, but in general, they just hadn't moved out.

We owned the ground floor flat and they lived above us in an upper flat over 2 floors. When their property came up for sale, we bought it so we could eventually convert and have the whole house.

As we knew them, my husband said 'don't worry about timings for moving out', meaning that we didn't mind if they weren't quite finished for the midday exchange as long as they were out that afternoon.

Nope. The house was still FULL of their possessions at the end of that day. Washing still over radiators and in the washing machine. Kids schoolwork and laptops, phones, cameras etc all over the kitchen worktops. Couple of mattresses still in the house. Dirty dishes in the sink. Toiletries and towels in the bathrooms.

And the bearded dragon...

It took them a good week or so to collect everything, but we needed to decorate so we could rent it out to pay the mortgage, so we were decorating as they came and went. It was completely bizarre!!

Beebumble2 · 31/08/2022 09:16

At our previous house the vendor left his aviary with Cockatiels and finches in it!

ZealAndArdour · 31/08/2022 09:21

The cat. We got our keys at 4pm, entered to a house with the radio playing, the cat greeting us and a house still full of stuff. We finally got into an empty house at about 9.30pm.

JamesGetIn · 31/08/2022 09:22

Also here for the ring squat of vinyl 🤔

Maireas · 31/08/2022 09:42

JamesGetIn · 31/08/2022 09:22

Also here for the ring squat of vinyl 🤔

It's a puzzler - I even googled it, to no a avail!

Twiglets1 · 31/08/2022 11:01

Come on OP put us out of our misery re the ring squat of vinyl!

Pasqual · 31/08/2022 11:05

A creepy porcelain doll was sitting on our kitchen counter when we got the keys, very strange.

OldTinHat · 31/08/2022 11:10

I accidentally left an expensive air rifle and accessories that I'd bought for my son when I moved. I tucked it away in the loft because I was worried people would view and think I was hiding a shotgun, forgot about it, moved far away and then remembered about it. DS was not happy...

TwoLeftSocksWithHoles · 31/08/2022 11:44

Is the 'ring squat of vinyl' akin to the 'dressing grown of doom' but for when you have a very troublesome stomach? (it's wipe clean, you know.)

beebopper6 · 31/08/2022 12:52

Another one only here for the ring squat of vinyl.

SerotinaPickeler · 31/08/2022 13:35

beebopper6 · 31/08/2022 12:52

Another one only here for the ring squat of vinyl.

Yes, me too!

Moonflower12 · 31/08/2022 13:51

We found pictures of the vendors having a swingers party, hidden in a secret cupboard under the stairs. The others in the photos, were the neighbours across the road!