Moving Etiquette (regarding new owner of the house you sold) (relocate, move)

[frogandtoad]

Originally Posted by Lovehound

I recall some friends who moved, and on their moving day they were delayed because they spent several hours cleaning the house they had just sold and closed on. Huh?

What I'm wondering is if there is any expectation when you move out of a house you just sold?

I've been planning my move in my mind, and I expect to have some stuff here that isn't worth anything, and I intend to move it out to the curb and then call the city and request a pickup. Here in L.A. the city provides free pickup of stuff like this, so it won't be any burden on the new owner.

We also have a large amount of people who drive around neighborhoods and pick up stuff they can maybe yard sale, or perhaps sell metal stuff to scrap recyclers, or maybe use it themselves. It's amazing that anything I don't want I just put it at my curb and it magically disappears within about 1 hour to 1 day. I'm pretty sure many of these people are undocumented immigrants, and this is actually a positive benefit of these people being here.

Then I expect to leave behind some other stuff that I think the new owner might be able to use. I'll just leave it in place and if the new owner doesn't want it they can move it to the curb too.

But what is the deal about cleaning? I thought my friends were crazy! I don't intend to leave any bad messes, but I expect my house is going to look like it usually looks several days after my last housecleaning. Like sinks and toilet need a scrub, mirrors and counters too. I'm sure the rug will need vacuuming although I intend to put in a brand new carpet before I put my house up for sale. I certainly don't expect to spend any time cleaning during my last week because I'll be too busy.

So what is the moving etiquette? Is there any expectation that the departing ex-owner is going to do any house cleaning before they leave? I thought my friends were very nice and considerate, but how often do people do stuff like that?

If you have any moving horror stories related to cleaning you want to share it might add interest to my topic, so go ahead!

In my book, the house should be spotless and NOTHING should be left in the home for them to have to deal with unless they have specifically said they want it. This is how I have left every home and apartment I have ever rented or bought, and with one glaring exception, it is how every home has been left for me. I usually hire a professional cleaning service to come in after I've left just to be sure it's clean, but I have sometimes done it myself.

As an "extra", we always leave a bottle of champagne in the fridge for the new owner. I think it's a "pay it forward" kind of thing. If you do this for the people who move in, they will most likely leave the home clean and leave something to welcome the next owner. That's how we started doing it--it was done for us many years ago, and we've done it for others ever since.

[Mattie]

We've moved 4 times, and each time we hired a cleaning company to come in after the movers left. You don't want anything to throw a wrench into the closing, and the cleaner the house is during the final walk-through, the less likely that will occur.

I've had realtors tell me to be sure to leave the house "broom clean", at the minimum.

[gamarybeth]

When we sold our house in NJ, money was placed to the side as security, after the new owners took possession and our contract was fulfilled, then we got our last two thousand dollars. The new owners liked the massive piano and the dining room sized marble table, which we left with their permission. We left the shelving in the garage with pieces like ductwork and wood molding that were left over from a recent remodel. Also with their blessing. What led to both real agents coming over and me and the new owner fighting in the front yard, was leaving the trash out on the curb. Everything was off the property and trash pickup was two days away. Metal scavengers and other trash pickers were already hitting the pile. The new owner was wanting the sidewalk cleared that night or she wouldn't sign off on the check. I was exhausted and not up to what I thought then was her bullcrap. She did sign over the check, reluctantly. In hindsight, there are things I would do over. Leaving my trash on what was now her sidewalk was so not right. I wouldn't do that again.

[dogmom]

In CA the term was 'broom clean'..having sold and purchased several homes I have cleaned the homes I left, and then before we moved into the new place, a day or so before, I went over and cleaned there, like the bathrooms and vacuum the carpet or have carpet cleaners in. I don't expect for sellers to hire someone to come in and clean before we get there, but it's always nice to walk into your new home and not have disgusting stuff all over. I think it's probably just common sense, treat someone the way you would want to be treated! And one house we bought the sellers did leave it disgusting and we didn't sign final papers until they credited me $400 to hire a cleaning crew, yes it was THAT bad..eww....

[NYMD67]

We have sold 4 homes ,currently living in our 5th... Absolutely ,a house should be cleaned. Not just broom cleaned either,at least not in my opinion. A previous post mentioned treating someone as you would like to be treated.
If I walked into a home that we had just purchased or did our final walk-through prior to a closing and found anything in the home that belonged to the previous owner, I would have either taken it to the closing or asked our realtor to please contact their realtor about them...
It would be unfair to leave something behind that possibly the new owner really doesn't want or need. Now they have to figure out what or how to get rid of it... large or small,it doesn't matter,now it is their "problem".
As far as cleaning... the house needs and should be clean. Of course,I am sure the new owner will clean over again but the house really should be clean.
I have spent several hours cleaning my homes before the new owner's final walk-through. Just as a courtesy to them. I mean base boards,things like that... it just only seems fair.
My husband believes I probably took it to the extreme,but that is how I keep house to begin with.

If you don't have the time to do a good cleaning, I know many people hire someone to do it.
We did have someone come into our new home to help w/some cleaning becasue it was a little crazy getting our daughter registered at her new school and my husband having to travel right after our relo. We don't usually do that though.

[NYMD67]

Originally Posted by frogandtoad

In my book, the house should be spotless and NOTHING should be left in the home for them to have to deal with unless they have specifically said they want it. This is how I have left every home and apartment I have ever rented or bought, and with one glaring exception, it is how every home has been left for me. I usually hire a professional cleaning service to come in after I've left just to be sure it's clean, but I have sometimes done it myself.

As an "extra", we always leave a bottle of champagne in the fridge for the new owner. I think it's a "pay it forward" kind of thing. If you do this for the people who move in, they will most likely leave the home clean and leave something to welcome the next owner. That's how we started doing it--it was done for us many years ago, and we've done it for others ever since.

I wanted to add to my previous post.
We too have left a little "house warming" gift for the new owners. Sometimes just a bottle of wine and I almost always have collected little things about the town we lived in and left them for the new owner as well.
I always make sure that we have a list of all emergency numbers available right away for them too.. a little goes a long way,especially to someone who may be completely new to the state/area.

[Nelly Nomad]

We have always thoroughly scrubbed any place we left. We did way more than "broom-clean", which I feel is just barely adequate. In recent years we've begun hiring a cleaning service to do a move-out, and even then, we still do touch-ups. As far as leaving things, we'll leave touch-up paint and stain as well as moldings or whatever other construction materials we may have used. These are always NEATLY stacked in either the basement or garage.

We even hose out the trash and recycle bins.

We would never, ever leave furniture and whatnot for the new owners to "haul to the curb" if they didn't want it. If it is not on the inclusions list, we either take it with us or dispose of it ourselves. Anything else would be unfair burden to place on the new owners!

We expect a home we move into to be as thoroughly cleaned as the one we left. Since most of our more recent purchases have been new construction, it wasn't an issue. However we're now on a temporary assignment, so we're renting a home that was previously occupied. It was "broom-clean" when we signed the lease. Not good enough.

At our own expense, we had the carpets professionally shampooed (and heavens, did they need it!). We also hired a cleaning service to do a thorough move-in cleaning, sanitizing everything and going through every drawer and cabinet. Even then, it took a good 2 months before we got all that icky dog hair out of every corner.

Heh we sound pretty anal, eh? Well, perhaps we are about this. Perhaps we are . But I think (I hope) those who have moved in after us have appreciated the way we've left the place. And that makes me feel good.

[Nelly Nomad]

Originally Posted by NYMD67

I wanted to add to my previous post.
We too have left a little "house warming" gift for the new owners. Sometimes just a bottle of wine and I almost always have collected little things about the town we lived in and left them for the new owner as well.
I always make sure that we have a list of all emergency numbers available right away for them too.. a little goes a long way,especially to someone who may be completely new to the state/area.

We do that, too! We also leave the names and phone numbers of any services we may have used (landscaping, electricians, painters, dry cleaners, that sort of thing).

[mrpeatie]

I've always been told broom cleaned is the standard. But to be honest- in the middle of a move it is just as easy to call a cleaning person or a service like Merry Maids and spend the $100-200 for a basic cleaning. They usually charge less than the normal rate because they can go through at record speed with the place cleared out.

[crazyma]

I have left 7 homes, since 1994, in immaculate condition upon moving out. That is just the way I am.
But of the 8 homes I have moved into, NONE of them were that clean!
I think the 'industry' standard is pretty much just swept out with a broom.