Cost of house clearance and deep clean

paddy's_mum

I wonder whether you would get better responses on the House buying and renting thread - many of the regulars on there are either landlords themselves or have had to hire a cleaning company to come in and clean up behind grubby tenants.

I'd be interested to have some idea of professional charges having just got roped in to pack up, move and tenant clean a two bedroom house for some elderly and partially disabled neighbours. They had, literally, nobody else to ask having outlived almost their entire family. I do know that it has taken hubby and me well over a week to do and we still have two large rooms to clear, wash down and sanitise! It was certainly bad enough to have provided another weekly episode for Kim and Aggie.

A generous thank you is in the offing but I am sure that it will work out at about 20p per hour of grotty slog so I don't think the tax man will be interested and we won't be jetting off to tropical climes any time soon.

Where is your house, since now that we have had to deal with the results of a past mouse infestation and the laying down of poison, mummified birds under the beds that the cat had brought in still alive and let go, as well as ten years of general grot - and survived it! - we're wondering whether to go back into business.

Assuming that the plan is to clean the house and then sell it, I'd be getting a firm in to clear and then clean, and write a formal letter to mother telling her that the entire cost will be deducted from her share of the sale proceeds. If she squawks, tell her that she's welcome to come back to the house and do the job herself ...!

I don't envy you and I too am mystified as to why people choose to live like this. Is it laziness or some kind of mental aberration? What do others think?