Moving House - How to leave currently owned property for new occupants

[ecksmen]

About to complete; currently owner of a new build (5 years old). We've made a few alterations over the years, speaker stands, TVs mounted to the walls etc... nothing structural. The owners are not expecting any of this to remain but there will clearly be some substantial holes in the walls. What is the expectation on the finish of the plaster / walls? I've used "gripits" which if removed will leave a £2 coin sized hole in the wall, then there's picture frame hooks which are small easy to fill. Am I expected to fix all of this, or is it the new owners problem?

 

[SGWills]

Always look at it from the other point of view. Would you expect the owner of your new home to sort it out before you moved in?

personally I would do it as the jobs are not massive

 

[Rroff]

Most reasonable people will expect the odd hook/screw or the odd small hole from where pictures were put up etc. but generally if you are pulling something out that would leave £2 size holes it would be good form to fill those before leaving.

Main thing is don't leave a lot of rubbish around when you leave, etc. and atleast a cursory vacuum clean and so on - we had to drag my mum out by her heels almost last move as she was trying to go around and deep clean everything on the day with time running out.

 

[tom_e]

Ask @Clov!s he'd love a £2 coin sized hole.

 

[Steampunk]

I'd just leave all the fixings in the wall and leave the new owners to sort it out themselves if they don't want to use them. If you take that stuff out and leave holes in the walls, then I would feel like I should fill them, but then you're not going to sand, paint or paper over them, and quite frankly who's got time for that when you're in the middle of moving?

 

[Tee Hee Johnson]

Leave it as is, they can sort them or use them.

They should be expecting stuff like that in the home they move into.

 

[Semple]

I think a few small holes in the walls are to be expected. I'd imagine most people would be decorating as soon as they move in anyway.

 

[rhysduck]

As Steampunk said really... I've used gripits for handing my tv on the wall also and won't be removing them if we ever move.

I look at it as if the new owners would want to do the same and i've already taken them out and filled the holes in, where the new grip its or plugs will be go may very well be on the filled holes or near to causing more trouble than it's worth.

Once you've moved out it's not your concern. Leave it as best you can (re-iterate the cleaning comments). When I bought my place the previous owners had painted their daughters bedroom cream (previously pink) as they thought we didn't want a pink bedroom, that was nice of them. However they did go over all the upstairs door frame with the same paint and ruined the look of said frames!

Get everything out and a quick hoover. Job done.

 

[Steampunk]

Get everything out and a quick hoover. Job done.

Yeah, they are going to have a clean and (maybe) decorate pretty soon anyway. The only other thing I'd say is if you've got a load of crap that needs to go to the dump, then take it there yourself. Don't leave it for the new owners to find you've left it all in the shed/garage/attic and now they have to get it into the back of a car and to the local tip.

Just leave the place reasonably clean (run the hoover around) and empty, that's all that's really expected.

 

[Rroff]

Yeah, they are going to have a clean and (maybe) decorate pretty soon anyway. The only other thing I'd say is if you've got a load of crap that needs to go to the dump, then take it there yourself. Don't leave it for the new owners to find you've left it all in the shed/garage/attic and now they have to get it into the back of a car and to the local tip.

Just leave the place reasonably clean (run the hoover around) and empty, that's all that's really expected.

Yeah most people on moving day will want to dump a load of boxes in the garage and fairly quickly move stuff they need out the way to get organised into any loft/attic.

 

[samcat]

Don't leave it for the new owners to find you've left it all in the shed/garage/attic and now they have to get it into the back of a car and to the local tip.

Few years ago we bought and moved into our current home... House was immaculate and spotless on move in, which was amazing. Until I went into the garage and found this... its 5m x 6m, so quite large.







When challenged through the estate agent (who I sent the pictures too, EA was very unimpressed!!) the seller said they were off on holiday in a few days and we can sort. Essentially tough luck... Told the EA I would take it up with my solicitor, who got in touch with their solicitor and read them the riot act.. about an hour later they were on site pulling everything into their cars and taking to the tip.

And yes, in the last few photos that is a pit in the garage... Best thing ever (I am a petrol head and work on classic cars)

 

[Dalandius]

After helping a friend move I would say leave the light bulbs.

 

[Steampunk]

Few years ago we bought and moved into our current home... House was immaculate and spotless on move in, which was amazing. Until I went into the garage and found this... its 5m x 6m, so quite large.

That's why the house was so tidy - they just dumped everything into the garage! At least you got them to get it sorted.

 

[Rroff]

Until I went into the garage and found this...

Not totally uncommon apparently in cases where people have moved due to divorces i.e. where the relationship has become completely dysfunctional and one of the parties has basically cut ties and the other just leaves their mess.

 

[Captain]

Ask @Clov!s he'd love a £2 coin sized hole.

Haha absolutely, instead I’m left with a 2ft hole

 

[MikeB]

Main thing is to leave a bottle of wine and an enjoy your new home card!, Odd holes etc will be overlooked

 

[Regy53]

when i sold my first house my mum said that all holes should be filled and painted etc. Jeez so i did so as best i could.

I looked at one of our buyers facebooks a while ago (curious to see) anyhow a few pictures of the house and they had stuck up pictures etc in exact same spots. Shouldn't had bothered.

£2 coil size holes though i believe are slightly different.

 

[a1ex2001]

I wouldn't fill any of them just leave the place clean and tidy with a bottle of wine on the work surface and two pints of milk in the fridge.

 

[divuk83]

I have heard of people removing light bulbs, curtain rails from the walls, taking carpets with them etc. I would say don't leave any junk - or anything much for that matter! Leave it tidy and leave the fittings on the walls such as curtain rails etc. If you can sort the holes I would, but I would just make sure it's clean and there is no rubbish or stuff left in the house or garages/loft. I left a few tins of paint in the back of the garage and labelled them up as which room they has been used to paint, but that was all I left.

Dave

 

[The_Abyss]

Main thing is to leave a bottle of wine and an enjoy your new home card!, Odd holes etc will be overlooked

This.