To Clean Or Not To Clean?

djlester_2

When I moved in it took weeks to get rid of the smell of dogs, and a stiff broom to shift the dog hairs. In the garden there was an old coat, wrecked furniture, fish tank tipped into the green pond, and dog hair that you could pick up on a shovel.

So yes, it is nice to have a clean house to move into, but don't expect everyone to play the game!!

On the plus side - I bought my house for a bargain most probably because it looked so bad!! :cool:

dora37

Surely it is about pride? Not about whether if you clean your old house, will someone have cleaned your new house.

Just because someone else may not do the right thing,does that mean we should stoop to their level?

As I was always told when I was little - Two wrongs don't make a right!

Bumpers_2

Im not sure you should clean it from top to bottom with a fine tooth comb, just a quick wipe down and hoover through..
Everyone always cleans the house when they first move in anyway! :rolleyes:

So yes, clean it so its tidy for those to move in, but not so it passes a health inspection!!
:wave:
Good Luck with the move!
We're just looking into moving and buying our first home x
Hope everything moves swiftly and smoothly for you x
Bumpers x

clairehi

well I havent had any choice in the matter as the letting agent gave us precise instructions, so we have done the following in preparation for the big move tomorrow-

-mowed lawn
-weeded all flowerbeds
-cleaned oven - now as new
-washed and ironed all curtains
-cleaned all windows

and tomorrow I will be cleaning kitchen and bathrooms (3), wiping down all paintwork and hoovering in preparation for the carpets to be steam cleaned (which is costing us £70).

so Id better get my deposit back or else...

mistdemon

budgetflyer wrote:

We left our last house spotless and also flowers and champagne for the new owners.
Im not a bible basher but
"do unto others what you'd like done to you"
NOT
"what others do to you"

Couldn't agree more...it's common courtesy. Yes, there are people who don't do it...but the only way to change their attitudes is to lead by example.

Added to that, just about everybody cleans their home when potential buyers are coming round, so when an offer is made its on the basis of the state the property was in when they saw it...if its a total pigsty when they move in they do have a case for compensation....I know because i successfully got £200 out of my last seller for cleaning costs I incurred when i moved in!

Declutter_Queen

I think it should be in the contract when you sell a house to ensure it is cleaned from top to bottom - in fact I think estate agents should enforce it. That way we all move into a clean home. I realise standards of cleanliness are different from person to person and therefore suggest a company be employed

You would not believe the amount of times I have seen people leave homes in a filthy condition and full of rubbish. I have to admit I am ex Royal Navy and as such used to certain conditions on leaving a MOD property, if it was not cleaned you were charged the cleaning costs of a company to come in and do it, whether it be for general cleanliness or the cooker etc etc.

I think one of the worst things about moving home is being confronted at the other end with 'somebody else's dirt', there is nothing quite so disgusting. The last thing most people want to do when they get to their new home is start cleaning!!

kateymac

I am moving next week and intend to clean the house. I am only moving up the street so I will see the new people and don't want them to think I'm a dirty hussy!! I will also leave a bottle of wine and a card- always nice to do something for someone else.

Doozergirl

This has got to be one of the only threads on this board to make it to to 100 posts without being about house prices!

Wow! :T

emma_b_4

wow long thread

i never even thought about cleaning when i moved into first house, well current house still! i was only 19 though and was moving in with other half, literally got keys and loaded van and moved in! luckily mum was thinking and turned up with cleaning things and gave it a clean as i unpacked! we did it all in a day.
it was probably a mess compared to my standards now, altho bit embarassed to say that as i look around me at the sh*thole... never seem to find the time lately and we are decorating so it just kinda gets left.....

the ppl who sold us this house left local takeaway menus, taxi card local paper and a welcome to your new home card which i thought was lovely (and always forwarded on their mail, well for the first YEAR neway after than i "recycled it")

vote ; CLEAN!

podsbird

I always cleaned the properties I left because it seemed grim and scummer not too - unfortunately 2 houses I moved into did not feel the need to do anything more than empty the bin for me.
One had an oven so foul I am not sure how they escaped major food poisoning, and the other left me an interesting present in the gas meter box - not sure I should reveal what is was as this is a fmily site, but everyone I tell cringes!!