Help with moving house

[HFR]

I'm about to buy and move into a new house - is it rude to ask the owner if she has organised a cleaner before I move in? I'm worried I get there and it's a mess (also I am pregnant so don't want the stress) so would rather book a cleaner before I move in with all my stuff if she hasn't done it.

On a side note, the seller charged us 600 quid for the fitted blinds in the kitchen and charged us for all the white goods - is this the done thing?

You can decline to buy the white goods and blinds, or counter offer her price. But yes, you can offer to sell stuff to the new owners. You don't have to accept.

I wouldn't ask about the cleaner, personally. Are you moving with a bit of overlap, so you will have both houses for a bit? If so, just book a cleaner for the day after you have the keys.

The guys we bought off had done a pretty good clean, but there was still loads more we wanted to do - and had a couple of days before furniture arrived. Cleaning a completely empty house is fairly easy tho - just not necessarily when pregnant - so I'm sure someone would want the job.

Is there any overlap or are you all completing and moving on the same day?

We are completing and moving within a week! I didn’t accept the blinds or white goods as we don’t need them, I was just wondering if that was the done thing from the seller.

Not the done thing, you should have told them to bugger off! I’m going to guess someone like that is not going to organise a cleaner (most people don’t)

Tell them you want them gone cos you don’t need them. You might want to check to see if these are on the inventory though?

It’s not necessarily the done thing to charge for blinds and white goods but it is fairly common for a price to be negotiated. For the Seller to suggest £600 is ok but it was also ok for you to say No thanks I want them gone.

It’s not the done thing for the Buyer to request a property be professionally cleaned before they move in. Normally you just hope for the best when you move into a new property. It may be very clean & tidy when you take possession of the property, or it may not be. Sometimes Sellers have good intentions but then run out of time or energy.

It’s not the done thing for the Buyer to request a property be professionally cleaned before they move in. Normally you just hope for the best when you move into a new property. It may be very clean & tidy when you take possession of the property, or it may not be. Sometimes Sellers have good intentions but then run out of time or energy.

This.
Also, some people will have cleaned to a very high standard before handing over the keys, without it being a "professional clean".

We are completing and moving within a week

I suspect @TheHorneSection meant will you be moving your stuff in on the day they move their stuff out - which is normal if you are selling, in that you have to vacate your house and want to put all your stuff into the house you have bought with the money from the sale. Whereas if you are moving from rented, or moving from parents' home then you will often not move in on the day you pick up the keys. At that point, you can hire cleaners if you want, or decorate or do building work or whatever you want.

It is perfectly normal to offer things that aren't part of the property, to people buying your house. Totally up to them if they accept the offer, negotiate on price, or turn the things down altogether.

Our sellers offered us all sorts of stuff at exorbitant prices. Said no to it all. Also this house was filthy, especially in the kitchen cupboards, and I left my old one spotless. Not an uncommon experience on MN, from other threads. Previous owners lived on ground coffee, tomatoes, lentils and olive oil from the spillages. Dishwasher filters were grim. I shall never buy another houses with built in appliances.

Thank you for your comments! I wasn’t going to request a clean, I was thinking of asking the seller if she wanted me to book one or words to that effect, I really don’t want to be rude I just know I will get stressed if I have to move into a dirty house as I won’t want to unpack. Normally I would just get stressed but since I’m pregnant I need to avoid it.

the seller has also charged us 600 pounds each for four stones that go in the garden… obviously we said no we don’t want them but I’m worried this type of person won’t leave the house in the best state and I’m just trying to preempt.

Confused by you saying she has charged you? Did she offer and you declined ? Not sure how else she can charge you

This is the Fixtures and Fittings Form or whatever it's called, isn't it?
I think you're slightly overthinking the seller's intentions/motivations. The form lists basically everything in a house and gives the option of included, not included or negotiable by a price suggested by the seller. It makes sense for the seller to offer things like blinds/garden ornaments established in the garden/white goods at a price- you may want them, you may not!

Ps if you're moving in from rented, arrange a deep clean the day after you get the keys and before your stuff arrives, if you want to. It's not reasonable to expect early access from the seller for a clean, they'll have enough to do moving themselves!
And they are probably decent people who will leave it clean. If you're worried, plan to sort it once the house is yours.

Keep in mind that people will post on here if there is a problem.

I've moved into 3 properties that I have bought, and, prior to that 3 when I lived with my parents. I've recently supported 4 different ftbs with their moves, and in all of the house moves I've known anything about, the houses have all been cleaned by the people moving out.

People don't tend to start a thread to say "I moved house today and the people moving out left it in lovely condition", as that is the norm.

I too am confused about you saying the seller has also charged us 600 pounds each for four stones that go in the garden

I mean, if you didn't want them, presumably you said "no thanks" when offered ? In which case they haven't charged you anything.

obviously we said no we don’t want them but I’m worried this type of person won’t leave the house in the best state and I’m just trying to preempt.

That's just completely made up thinking. There is no correlation between someone hoping to sell something they no longer want, and how clean they will leave their house

So, are you moving in on the day you pick up your keys or not ?

If you have time between owning the house and moving in then it’s no bad idea to arrange a cleaner, but if you’re moving in on the day the seller moves out then it could be difficult to arrange a time, moving day doesn’t always go exactly to plan.

And if you don’t want the stuff she’s charging for, just say no!

Moving is stressful and there is no way to avoid that, pregnant or not.

I think you need to accept that some things are out of your control. Do you have a partner who can help with cleaning? It's hard to organise a professional clean for the day you move as you don't know exactly what time you will get the keys as that often gets delayed. You could organise one for the following day of course.

Sorry I meant she said we could have the blinds for 600 pounds, I was just surprised as they are fitted blinds. Personally if I was selling I would give them as part of the house but maybe I’m weird.

We are moving in on the 5th September and that’s the day we exchange. Yes hopefully I am being paranoid!

I would do that too.
But some people do try their luck with trying to get money for things like blinds.
If you’re lucky they may leave the blinds behind anyway as they won’t fit another space. But that’s up to them of course.

You don't move in on exchange day (that's when the deposit is transferred and completion date is set in stone). You move on or after completion date.

Sometimes people exchange and complete on the same day, presumably that's what the OP is doing?