How did you manage the cleaning bit of moving day?

[winewolfhowls]

Good morning.

We are hoping to move from our tiny two bed terrace to a small three bed. I am a bit confused about the cleaning aspect of moving, as I would like to leave the place clean for the next owner who seems to be lovely.

Obviously I can clean windows and do the garden type of thing in the week previously, but in such a small house with a lot of stuff (2 kids) we don't have the space for building up a stock of boxes to leave room for cleaning. We also have no garage. I'm imagining hours of cleaning around the removal people on completion day at the minute.

Any tips gratefully received.

Dh left after the boxes were gone and took the kids with. I stayed behind and cleaned.

Also, we have decluttered already, and lots of non necessary stuff already at relatives houses, like big box of toys.

Attic is small and already full of camping stuff neatly waiting to go.

The weather is very changeable so I haven't felt able to get rid of summer clothes to storage yet
We are hoping to move by end of October.

It's bit how long is a piece of string, but did it take hours, and was there a deadline to take the keys to estate agents?

I moved out the day before. I spent the day cleaning and then my cleaner came in and helped me finish off.

Honestly, don't stress too much about it. Only on MN are you expected to be wiping down skirting boards as you walk out the door. And any realistic buyer will want to give everything at a least a wipe down when they move in. Imo, it starts to make the house smell like "mine"

If your house is generally clean and tidy, then it'll only be a bit of dust that you disturb moving furniture. I assume your movers will work in rooms, so as they complete one, just whip over it with the hoover to catch the dust bunnies. Then stick your hoover in the back of the car as you leave the house. Afterall, you'll probably want it (along with your other cleaning gear in the new house asap!)

An empty house will always look a bit sad and like it needs a "spruce", especially as you've probably marked the walls a little moving your stuff around

I was originally hoping to hire a cleaner but we did get one in for a clean before we put the house on the market in Feb and they didn't clean! It's a whole story in itself but she just wiped over surfaces when we had paid for a deep clean, there were still cobwebs, marks on walls etc. It cost quite a lot and now I'm a bit wary. Otherwise I think this would be money well spent.

Depends a bit how far you're going and what you can fit in your car! We were moving 200 miles so booked "end of tenancy" cleaners to do it after our stuff had gone - but our stuff was going earlier because of the distance.

Or clean a room at a time as the removers empty it. If you book the packing service too that means you're not living with boxes for weeks beforehand - they'll pack the day before the move.

Also think about what it might be like at the other end. Not every seller cleans before handing the keys in so you might need to rush over there with your cleaning kit!

I have always cleaned the house the day before to the best of my ability, then hoovered each room as it is emptied. There is another thread about people
moving into filthy houses. Don’t be one of those vendors.

Are you moving out of rented accommodation or selling?

If rented you'll need to do a full deep clean. If it's selling, obviously leave it presentable and not filthy but the new owners will be moving in and making a mess!

We were moving in the midst of the summer hols and long distance. We got rid of all the boxes then I took the kids away out the way while we had cleaners in and DH locked up. Was the only way it was going to get done for 12 o'clock.

Thanks, this does reassure me a bit. When I lived alone my house was relatively clean and tidy but with the kids, you turn around and there's mess. I think I feel worse because the house is ready for a makeover and decor is very tired, although we lowered our price accordingly for this, I just feel like when empty the buyer is going to be like wtf have I bought!

I can't remember what we did when we left our old house (it was 25 years ago!) but I do remember arriving at the new house before the removal men turned up and asking them to take their lunch while I ran the vacuum cleaner around the empty rooms. I had packed the vacuum in my car.

We emptied the upstairs first so I cleaned that as dh and his dad loaded the van.
As they emptied the rooms downstairs I cleaned behind them. Mop and bucket was the last thing to leave the house.
We were packed in advance so I could clean all the cupboard insides before moving day.

Do the big jobs in advance so good bathroom clean, kitchen including oven etc then after the movers go you whip around with the vacuum and run cloths over bathroom and kitchen

I got a cleaner to come in. Best £60 I spent and took the pressure off as even though I was packed and had movers I didn't stop all day.

Good luck

As long as you do the kitchen and bathroom in advance, there really isn’t much cleaning to do in an empty house other than whizz the hoover around and run a cloth over worktops and built in shelves.

Also, don't let that other thread make you feel that the house should look spotless.

Most empty houses look rubbish as you see all the scuffs etc and of course dirt is revealed when you move the furniture out.

Every house I've moved into has looked very tired when I got the keys (and that includes rentals that have presumably had an end of tenancy clean)

Cleaning it is part of making it your own

We had done what we could before hand eg inside cupboards , oven etc and got cleaners to come in once the furniture and boxes were out.

Thanks everyone, I feel a lot better now, especially the reassurance that it's ok to look a bit scruffy.
I think I might get the kids to stop over at a relatives house so me and dp can do the cleaning as we go around the moving people.

The whole packing and cleaning malarkey feels like organising a polar expedition!

Your house will look dirtier when empty as there'll be differences between carpet exposed and walked on and that which has been hidden. Wallpaper behind furniture will also look different!

Unless you've stopped cleaning altogether it won't be horrendous.

You could clean kitchen surfaces behind everything in the week or so before you move.

Continue to clean the bathroom as usual.

We didn't, it was hideous and 18 months on I still feel embarrassed by it!

We had it all planned out - 3 adults there to clean as the removal company took everything out. Cleaning box put together in advance etc. Should have been easy!

How wrong were we. We expected the removal chaps to clear a room at a time, so we could then clean that room - but they didn't. The only plan of the house meant we thought they'd cleared a room, then they'd walk back through a room to get to another room (if that makes sense!) and due to the weather left muddy footprints/leaves through the whole house.

We decided not to panic, surely we'd have a bit of time to clear once the house was empty - Wrong! The agent was on the phone asking when we'd be out, plus the removal lorry wasn't big enough, so any time we had left, was shoe horning our remaining belongings into our 3 cars.

So no, really frustratingly, we left the house less clean than I would have liked.

Made worse, by the fact our new house was beautiful. The previous owners had moved out a day early so they could spend the moving day cleaning instead!

The carpets look worn and discoloured as it is, I'm sure when we move wardrobes it will be a shocking contrast!

I ran the Hoover around as we walked out the door but that was it. I was 5 weeks post c section and knew I’d have my new house to clean on arrival. The house was clean anyway as I don’t live like a pig but I’m sure there were dusty skirtings and the inside of the kitchen cupboards could have done with a wipe. New owners responsibility like it was for me in my new home!

The last few times we moved the removal company came the day before, packed and took most stuff just leaving the essentials - bed, some kitchen stuff etc. That meant it was easy to have everywhere cleaned the day before, then I just quickly run the hoover round, and cleanthe shower / kitchen etc on the day.

I cleaned the bathroom the day before l, I cleaned out the cupboards as I packed them up. I vacuumed the rooms as the movers emptied them. That's the best I could do.