Third viewing has left me worried about completing on this house

[Goldengamer]

We’ve been to view the house we are well on the way to completing on , surveys done, searches done etc .
It’s a 3rd viewing , we viewed for the 1st and 2nd time a couple of months back, this time was really to have a closer look. My goodness, it was filthy , cupboards dirty , floors not cleaned or swept . Unfinished DIY we hadn’t noticed first time round etc etc . The kitchen although newish has been very badly fitted and we are going to have to rip it all out . The survey picked up a few things but not the standard of work or cleanliness of the place . We are nearing retirement and it’s really daunting knowing we will have to start working on the house when we move in . Surely she will have to leave it clean and tidy when she moves out ? …. I’m sure when I filled in my forms for the sale of my house one of the questions was that it had to be left in a clean state . when my buyers dropped in to do a last viewing of our house it was spotless . I’m really having second thoughts but husband said don’t worry we can get a cleaner in to give it the once over before we move in but it’s the cost of renewing everything is bothering me . I’m 62 and really don’t want to be having to start again when I’m leaving a lovely house that’s been looked after. Can’t believe I didn’t notice it first time round . What do others think I should do ?

Yes in your shoes I’d be very worried!!

so this is all a world away from when previously viewed?

That fact you put an offer in without giving the kitchen a good one over is on you

It's the price you have to concentrate on. Have you looked at all the things that need fixing or replacing and did your offer take all that into account. I dont think a seller is obliged to do a deep clean before they leave but many do. And do you want the bother of the upheaval of having a new kitchen fitted? If not then maybe think about pulling out rather than regretting buying it.

When we viewed before it was cold , dark and dingy outside , it was nice and tidy inside and although a family house and lived in , we overlooked that as we remember when our kids were little and the the mess it used to get into . It’s just like she’s done nothing at all and that mixed with the badly fitted wardrobes, kitchen, flooring is going to be an expensive task . If I’d known I’d def have offered less . I’m going to speak to out solicitor and see if they can drop a few k as there’s questionable wall ties anyway

As pp said you need to reflect on the price now, how much is refitting the kitchen going to cost, and is it worth it? Your dh is right that you could employ a cleaner to do a deep clean when the owner moves out, could you stay somewhere else overnight to let the cleaner do their thing?

Yeah I know, hold my hands up to that one but didn’t want to look inside the cupboard, also the kitchen is only 3 years old so wasn’t expecting it to be that bad

Bit odd to focus so much on the cleaning. Surely you would want and expect to do a thorough house clean too to bottom before you move in? You’re buying a house not a state of cleanliness. Do you honestly think moving into a pristine house is part of the deal?

’ It’s like she’s done nothing at all’… are you buying from a single parent. ? In which case maybe looking after kids, working and general life looking after a big house is too much ?
if buying from a couple .. then you need to check your misogynist metre ..

It won't be any cleaner when you move in I'm afraid. And I imagine that they'll leave you some rubbish to clear too. Sorry.

@Goldengamer a survey isn't for cleanliness or cosmetic defects. And what do you mean by badly fitted wardrobes/kitchen/flooring? Presumably they are functional but will be expensive and disruptive to replace, aside from the cleaning which is an easier one to address once the house is empty although again at a cost.
If all these things make you question wanting the house, walk away. You've lost money already and it's pointless to throw good money after bad as you won't get enough of a reduction to cover all the things you want to put right.
The red flag for me would be the seller clearly not caring that you saw the house in a poor state and having made no effort at all in this regard. I'd be inclined to assume that there would also be hidden nasties that might be even more significant than what you've now spotted.

They kept it cleaner before viewings in hopes of getting an offer. Expect it to be much dirtier by the time you get there- if it isnt itll be a pleasant surprise.
The rest of it you should have already been aware of from viewings / surveys.
Sounds to me like you're just having a little bit of buyers remorse... go back to the reasons you wanted it and if they are still there and valid then just budget for a deep clean. No biggie.

If you don't feel like they're taking care of the visible things, then yes you're right to be concerned that there are other bodged jobs that you haven't noticed yet. Unless you've opened and closed every door, flushed every toilet, ran the taps, shower etc then it's all on trust. And at the moment, you don't trust them to get jobs done properly and to ensure any problems are rectified.

What's it look like in the estate agents photos online?

How is that relevant?! We all know estate agent photos show homes in the best possible light.

We sold our house a couple of months ago and I’ve tried to keep it in a decent state incase the sale falls through and we need to find new buyers. There’s a bit more clutter about now but the house is kept really clean apart from what we use day to day. I wouldn’t dream of letting anyone who was potentially going to buy it see it looking dirty. I always think if it looks like you can’t be arsed to do the basics, it doesn’t look like you’ve looked after the rest of the property. We’re having the same problem with the house we’re meant to be buying and are going for a viewing at a neighbouring property next week. 😬 We work too hard for our money to waste it correcting other people’s hidden fuck ups. Good luck.

If th kitchen is poorly fitted, I’d be worried. It may be because the walls Ed a not sound, so it was a quick bodged job by non-professionals. Many years ago, when much younger (20s), I bought a house and all the walls needed replastering. It took a year. I don’t think I could tolerate that now

I’m sure when you first viewed it, your perception of ‘lived in’ was the very best it has ever looked. And no, I wouldn’t expect it to be any better when you get in, in fact probably worse. I bet they’ll be the sort who take all the lightbulbs. I bought a house years ago and they’d removed the curtain poles; a friend found her vendor had removed the loft ladder. Make sure you scrutinise the fixtures and fittings form for EVERYTHING.

We bought a house we thought needed nothing much doing to it, and have spent a fortune on quite a lot of things. Cleaning was the least of it, though that wasn’t too bad tbh.

If you’ve gone off the idea then dropping your offer would be one way to get out of the deal?

If you haven't exchanged contracts yet, I would seriously consider pulling out. Sounds awful especially as you're leaving a pristine property that has been well looked after.

I don’t know what you really want from this thread. But if you’re having second thoughts- you can pull out.

I know it makes you feel awful, as I’ve done it in the past. But it’s not right to buy a house you have changed your mind about. It’s too expensive a purchase to not be sure.

Ignore the cleanliness to a large extent. You can get a professional clean done on moving day if you like - so it will be gleaming. No house I've moved into is spotless. Often there are crumbs in cupboards and bits of damage from the move, can't really be helped.

If you can afford a new kitchen, just enjoy choosing it 😊 I'm sure you can live with the current one for a couple of months.

Focus on the location, layout etc. Surely that's what appeals? No the current cleanliness or fixtures and fittings which can be replaced.

@Goldengamer You really don’t want to be saddled with regret if you buy it.

I would be concerned about finding far worse things when moving in.

You can pull out. Yes, you would lose a bit of money but would it save you one heck of a lot of regret and further cost down the line?

wolferstans.com/blog/pulling-out-before-exchange-what-buyers-and-sellers-need-to-know/

We bought off a divorcing couple.

We viewed in Jan and completed in august. They didn't do a THING after the offer. 7 months of dirt... The garden was a jungle and the dirt and limescale was out of control.

We wanted the house but it was a pain in the ass.
We had to hire professional industrial carpet cleaners (they normally did schools!!!)
The dirt that came out was unreal

We also found several other "bad surprises"

You can pull out if you want to.

So you didn’t notice first time round and now you have

If it doesn’t suit your needs pull out.

but next time check inside those cupboards etc.

Why are you moving OP ? I think if there are strong reasons then buckle in for a bit of work, if it was just for a change not sure I would bother

Tbh I’m not sure it’s usual to have three viewings - maybe they cleaned and tidied a lot for the first two and just couldn’t face it for the third viewing? It can’t have got so much worse that it can’t be greatly improved by a thorough clean when you move in, which most people do anyway. At least you’re prepared now and it won’t be a surprise the day you move in.

There’s no requirement to leave the place clean and tidy. Yes of course people should do, but it’s well known plenty don’t.
Probably it will look a lot better when it’s been cleaned up - you’ve looked round and liked it twice before, surely?