Moving house etiquette

[TheCatsHaveLostTheirMittens]

Hi all, moving house soon and getting myself into a bit of state over the smallest things. I woke up in the middle of the night, wondering about what the done thing is on things like:

• getting ovens and bathroom professionally cleaned for the new people. Do carpets need to be done properly or just a quick hoover?
• If I wanted professional cleaners in at the new house before moving day, would the current owner be offended if we asked for early access (they move out a few days before exchange day)?
• leaving rubbish in the normal outside bin for collection day (which will be collected on the day after moving and exchange day)
• buying refreshments for removal men?

any advice for this overtired brain would be much appreciated!

I wouldn't bother tbh, I also worried and spent ages and nearly killed myself cleaning and vaccuming etc, we did a housing exchange and when we got to the new place it was a filthy disgusting mess and I to do it all over again🙄

If you are keen to leave it nice and clean, because maybe you are staying in the same village, you could organise a deep clean a few weeks before you complete. That way you ld
get the benefit, you won’t make that much dirt in the interim, then just give a once over before you leave.

Clean, but not professionally cleaned would be my suggestion. Once the furniture is out, it is actually pretty easy to clean.

I think you shouldn't ask for cleaners to access the house before you move in. That would have been toomuch for me to cope with coordinating when moving.

Bin - please don't leave it full to the brim. It's an absolute pain. One bag of rubbish in the bottom, no issue. I'm never quite sure what the clause about no rubbish means tho.

We supplied our removal guys with drinks from the fridge, and ice creams - it was baking hot, and the kids wanted them, so I sent the kids to the shop for a multipack and offered the removal men the rest. They seemed to enjoy them. Its not compulsory, but I couldn't have had a cold drink in front of them and not have offered.

Easiest one first - yes yes yes to refreshments for removal men, keep a plastic box in your own car with the kettle, mugs, teaspoons, tea/coffee, maybe squash or water bottles if it's hot. And biscuits, many many biscuits.

We had a multi day move and bought bacon sandwiches for the guys on day 2.

Oven clean is a nice touch, depending how grubby/well used yours is

Professional bathroom clean probably unnecessary - just normal cleaning should be fine

If you can get access to the new place between Exchange and completion to get a professional clean/ carpet clean it will save you a lot of work BUT you will need to think about insurance/contractual liability in case of damage by the cleaners

Rubbish I would say is fine, nice to make sure the new owners know when bin collection day is. If you have loads and can manage a tip run beforehand, great but not strictly necessary if the bins will be emptied the next day

Good luck with your move

I've moved house quite a few times and never got professional cleaners in, or had the impression the places we moved into had been professionally cleaned. It's polite just to leave everything neat and tidy and the oven not too grimy.

Doubt the current owners would give you early access. They will give you access when your money hits their account and not normally before then.

Yes our rubbish bin is normally full by the day we leave, not much can be done about that as you do find rubbish as you are emptying rooms/cupboards/fridges etc. We put the bins out before we leave the property and a note re bin day.

We offer refreshments to the removal men throughout the day, normally just drinks and snacks but bought them a pub lunch once when our move was delayed by a few hours as we felt bad for them. We also tip them at the end of the day, cash.

The suggestion of the box with tea, kettle and biscuits is a great idea as then you’ve got it for the new house for when you arrive and everything has been unloaded and you just need a minute.
I’ve never been that organised though and went to the nearest take out drinks place and bought us all them including for removal guys.
Leave it clean but not professionally cleaned.
The bin being full sounds fine if the next day is collection day.

We booked a professional clean for the house we were vacating but our buyers said we could cancel it as they were arranging one themselves. We also paid for one at the new house (which was filthy!) so the standard does seem to be that you clean the one you are moving into not out of.

We bought enough takeaway pizza for everyone who was at the new house when we got there - us, some family helping us with packing and childcare, and the removal team. Plus loads of cans of soft drinks.

Asking people to move out early so you can clean?

Never heard of such a thing, and would never do it.

I’ve moved a few times and each time had to clean new house myself. Generally when moving out one of us took kids out while movers were in and the other one ran around with hoover/damp cloth to wipe things down.

Getting ovens and bathroom professionally cleaned for the new people. Do carpets need to be done properly or just a quick hoover?

It's nice to clean for the new people but no need to have it done professionally.

If I wanted professional cleaners in at the new house before moving day, would the current owner be offended if we asked for early access (they move out a few days before exchange day)?

Realistically there is not a hope in hell of them agreeing to this and their solicitor will tell them not to. Far too much could go wrong.

leaving rubbish in the normal outside bin for collection day (which will be collected on the day after moving and exchange day)

Fine.

Buying refreshments for removal men?

For your removal men? By all means.

I've never encountered anyone leaving things for the buyer's removal men but I'm sure it would go down well. Not necessary though.

We’ve done the same. One rushes ahead to collect the keys and sort the new house while the other stays behind to finish supervising the removals and hoover & clean each room as it empties.