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I have bought a property. Is it reasonable to expect it to be clean?

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  • Gwhiz
    Gwhiz Posts: 2,322 Forumite
    Part of the Furniture Combo Breaker
    It's not that people are lazy,

    Agreed. It's because some people are inconsiderate, selfish AND lazy :)
  • irenee
    irenee Posts: 122 Forumite
    It very much depends on the previous occupant

    My nextdoor neighbour was moved to a nursing home as (despite carers/neighbours helping) she was patently unable to look after herself never mind her home - alas she lasted just four weeks in the home before slipping away

    The house was put on the market exactly as it was when she was moved to the home (only family in Australia) - by the time it was sold the condition had deteriorated substantially

    In those circumstances just who would you expect to clean the place??
  • googler
    googler Posts: 16,103 Forumite
    Part of the Furniture 10,000 Posts Name Dropper Combo Breaker
    irenee wrote: »
    It very much depends on the previous occupant

    My nextdoor neighbour was moved to a nursing home ......

    In those circumstances just who would you expect to clean the place??

    The family could hire a professional cleaning company, possibly via their (British) solicitor or agent?
  • poppysarah
    poppysarah Posts: 11,522 Forumite
    Gwhiz wrote: »
    Agreed. It's because some people are inconsiderate, selfish AND lazy :)


    And also cos they don't realise how much post will end up at their old address.

    :)

    Revenge is a dish best served with a "not known at this address" on the envelope
    :)
  • Gwhiz
    Gwhiz Posts: 2,322 Forumite
    Part of the Furniture Combo Breaker
    poppysarah wrote: »
    And also cos they don't realise how much post will end up at their old address.

    :)

    Revenge is a dish best served with a "not known at this address" on the envelope
    :)

    I could not possibly comment ;)
  • CLAPTON
    CLAPTON Posts: 41,865 Forumite
    10,000 Posts Combo Breaker
    one assumes that the effort or cost of cleaning the property will be the same if done before completion as after completion
  • PasturesNew
    PasturesNew Posts: 70,698 Forumite
    Part of the Furniture 10,000 Posts Name Dropper Photogenic
    edited 25 June 2011 at 5:30PM
    Gwhiz wrote: »
    Agreed. It's because some people are inconsiderate, selfish AND lazy :)
    Not always. One person, moving out, unaided, can't really also stick a broom up their 4rse. I know as I had to completely clear an entire huge house, alone, when all my well laid plans of getting it cleared turned to dust.

    Sale of goods: Nobody came
    eBay sales: Sold 6 items
    Charity shop promise: turned up to say they couldn't take anything as they were full
    Final clearance/removal man to remove everything left over the day before completion: no show, took 3-4 hours to get through to him and he said "van's broken down, can you leave it all outside and I'll pick it up when I've got another van".

    So, day before completion and I had a WHOLE big house to completely and utterly clear.

    While it was clean/vacuumed.... it certainly wasn't show house condition :)

    It was mental!!

    2 days between exchange/completion, so I daren't do it sooner in case they pulled out - and I daren't change the completion date from the preferred initial one, as dates were slipping, in case they pulled out.

    I should add, there was no removals, no removing, no storage, I was getting rid of everything I owned ... everything. To set off for PasturesNew :)
  • Gwhiz
    Gwhiz Posts: 2,322 Forumite
    Part of the Furniture Combo Breaker
    Sorry - no excuse EVER for leaving a house a mess in my mind.
  • ceridwen
    ceridwen Posts: 11,547 Forumite
    10,000 Posts Combo Breaker
    Not quite a straightforward situation in some ways.

    My house was dirty when I moved in :mad: - and there was two of them that could have cleaned it (ie husband and wife) and I felt this was an awful thing to do to a first-time buyer (as I was) and I had had help in the rented flat I came from to clean it up for the next occupant.

    It is a bit difficult if one has assessed the owner of a house one is moving to as someone who is going to leave it dirty (ie you need to be the one to clean it) - because if you cleaned out the house you were moving from AND the one you were moving to - then you would end up cleaning 2 houses. So - I must admit that I intend to leave my house clean when I leave it - but if I have assessed the one I am going to as likely to be dirty when I move in - then one of the houses will have to go uncleaned (as it wouldnt be fair for me to have to do 2). With that - the one I am leaving would be the one that wouldnt get cleaned.

    Fingers crossed though that I am able to move at some point and, if I do, I will have assessed the "go to" house as one that will be clean for me and therefore will be able to leave the "move from" house clean iyswim.
  • BitterAndTwisted
    BitterAndTwisted Posts: 22,492 Forumite
    10,000 Posts Combo Breaker
    Ceridwen, you are daft. Just because you "assess" that your vendor might be going to leave their property dirty does not mean that it's fair to make your buyer clean up your dirt when you've gone.
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