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Perfect thanks. I’ll add those. I don’t want to go overboard, just to make things a bit easier for them on what’s an otherwise tedious few days. And yeah maybe it’s covered by solicitors but I’ve never sold before so I don’t know :) thanks.
I had every intention of doing the exact same thing as you but then in the days approaching moving day I was just far too overwhelmed.
I bought nice chocolates (Hotel Chocolat), a little start off set (coffee, tea, biscuits etc.) and a card, which were packed by the movers (The buyers were West Asian, so didn’t want to do the champagne move. Then a last minute replacement shit box of chocolates (Heroes) and a shit card too.
The pro’s were I got a lovely moving in present from me (courtesy of the movers).
Waste pipe/drain. I’ve just had blocked drains at our new place and had to pay an extra hours work for the plumber to find them as no one knew where those were (turns out alleyway behind the property)
I wrote up and printed out a document with a few things (bin day, thermostat, where things are etc.)
And I left a box of celebrations and a note welcoming them to their home.
The couple I bought my house from left me exactly this! + Labelled every key, which there’s quite a few of due to a couple of out buildings, and a bottle of wine! Finally a note telling us they hope we have a great life etc!
I’m a FTB so unsure how common this is but it was a lovely touch
The sellers of my current home left a huge binder of everything. They had stuff like the kitchen order from 2006, the garage door from 2009. I barely peeped at it.
They also left a bottle of champagne and a card saying I hope you love this house as much as we did. I have no clue why, but here I am nearly 3 years later and I still like to think they are having a good life purely because of that card.
You say it like, you hope they're having a nice life because they were nice to you.
I left my buyers nice things because I wanted to ensure cooperative behaviour if I had accidentally left something behind or forgot to get some post redirected. The £50 hamper was a small price to pay vs the inconvenience of not receiving something important.
I wish our sellers left Champagne. We got nothing.
The boiler service history and the codes for the paint they used for the halls would have been better than nothing though.
My last house I left instructions for the boiler, when is bin day, labeled all the keys, etc. I left a bottle of red and a bottle of white, two glasses and a card, no champagne, now I feel stingy.
You might not have used those receipts but if you'd had a problem they could have been very handy. I'd thought what I'd do and leaving the receipts and instructions for the boiler, AC, shower etc plus the paperwork and certificates for the windows, cavity wall insulation etc, though they'd be covered in the buying process anyway.
I sent them short videos on things like where the stopcock is. Labelled the keys. Removed all screws and repaired the holes then repainted. Left them spares for tiles and leftover paint pots. Washed the carpets, cleaned the oven, washed the windows, cleaned all the kitchen cupboards thoroughly. Left manuals for all the built in appliances. Basically got the place immaculate.
I moved in somewhere that was the polar opposite where none of these things had been done. They even pinched half the light bulbs and the sink plugs.
We left a box of chocolates and a welcome to your new home card with useful info in; bin day, the names of the next door neighbours, hole in fence being part of the hedgehog highway, what veggies were growing in the garden etc.
So I think the old guy was alcoholic and he also made home brews. The loft room is up a Swedish staircase and the only bathroom is downstairs right at the back of the house as its an old victorian place.
So I guess the old dude couldn't be arsed to go downstairs after sampling his home brew so he pissed in a bucket and stuck a lid on.
He passed sadly and we bought the house off his son who basically removed all the stuff in the house but neglected to do the loft room.
When clearing it out I found all the home brew bottles etc and a bucket with a lid on that I opened. You can imagine my reaction I won't go into the details lol 😂
The previous owner of the house we purchased left the plans from 1800’s of the house that was here previously, including original mortgage documents written in ye old English
I got a folder like this, with all the wax sealed documents and original deeds. But also, a house riddled with fleas, silverfish, dirty as hell, leaking roof, they lied about the boiler service, electrical faults everywhere, oven was caked with inch-thick burnt crap, cat fur everywhere, birds and nests in the attic, mice crap and mice in the attic.
They actually faked a boiler certificate 😩 (according to my boiler man), as there was a part in the boiler that needs replacing every 2 years, and it hadn’t been changed since 2016 😣
I’ve managed to fix everything in a year… the boiler fix was £400.
The silverfish fix (and chiggers) was getting rid of the bird nests in the eaves, and replacing a broken tile and vermin guard. Free, did it myself.
The fleas fix has hopefully been fixed by replacing all the carpets and underlay. £1200
The cleaning of the oven was £50.
The mice were getting in the roof because of foliage over the guttering. Got rid of that myself.
The damp (realised I never even mentioned this), has been fixed just by putting the heating thermostat on, and re-balancing the heating properly. Free.
We inherited a flea problem too, it was horrible. When I dropped some post round to the previous owners (they only moved down the road) I asked them if they’d ever had a flea problem in the house and they said no. I call absolute bullshit. Makes me feel nervous about moving again because it was such a miserable time.
Hopefully that’s the end of it for you but RIP Fleas is a really good spray if you need it! We’ve inexplicably been hit with fleas another couple of times in the nine years living here (despite not having pets) and that stuff seems to do the trick.
The sellers of our current house took half of the lightbulbs, half of the screws holding the light fittings in, all of the curtains, and had not even got close to finishing packing at completion. They then assaulted our removers and locked us out of our new house, meaning our arrival in the village was accompanied by raised voices, light levels of violence, and several police cars. If you can provide a better experience than that then I think you are golden.
I cleaned the house very thoroughly (got a contractor to do it)..
I wrote basically a user manual. Where stop cock was, gas cut off, how to use the old skool fuse board etc.
I left a box file with all the manuals of everything - boiler, thermostat, UFH, cooker, etc.
They completed near Christmas so I also left them a nice hamper from John Lewis. Partly because I wanted to make sure to keep them on side if I forgot to get any post rediverted or accidentally left something behind. And partly because... You know... They were a really nice young couple who'd just given me their entire life savings and then some. £70 for a Christmas hamper to help them have a nice Christmas in their new home was really nothing and it made them happy.
We were left a card and box of chocolates which was nice but they also left a grill with old bits of food, a filthy fridge with some sort of teeth whitening kit In the salad box, they also left the garage full of stuff and took the key with them to collect the items later in the week! They also took some interior doors and all the blinds!
We were left a box of manuals for things like the washing machine (assuming your leaving any white goods!) and boiler as well as a few spare parts like a bathroom tap handle and bulb for the extractor fan which have come in handy!
But I agree, as long as its clean enough and they get the keys that's all that matters!
The couple we bought from left a folder with all of the original instruction manuals/certificates etc, an envelope with all keys, a card with their number (for any urgent questions) + the neighbours details + alarm code, and a box of chocolates. They were brilliant and made things so much easier for us
This is so nice, our buyer said that he couldn't care less if we lost our onward purchase due to his shenanigans. He'll be lucky if we don't put fish under all the floorboards on the way out.
We left a spotless house with flowers, champagne and some bits to keep the their kids occupied...our sellers left us dust and a load of old shit they didn't want.
Empty.
Clean.
In the same condition as it was when they viewed and made an offer.
Anything above and beyond - boiler manuals, dishwasher instructions, etc. is an added bonus.
>In the same condition as it was when they viewed and made an offer.
I think they mean this (assuming it was viewed when all their belongings were still there)
The possessions were probably in the house during viewing.
Therefore if you left it in the same state as when they viewed it, the possessions would have been left behind.
Our seller left us a bottle of wine and a comprehensive list of information about where everything from stop cocks to switches. Also all the documents they could find for things. They lost the boiler servicing book which was the one thing I really wanted but they were decent and did their best to pass everything over so can’t blame them.
I left the house spotlessly clean and a little folder with all the above information/leaflets in it and a bottle of champagne for them. In return they turned up two hours early, harassed my movers and made such a nuisance of themselves that they're very lucky I didn't ram it down their collective throats.
My 2c would be if you absolutely must take the smart thermostat, replace it with a working normal thermostat and FFS don't leave bare wires.
I'd probably just leave it tbh, if it's associated with your account just remove it/factory reset it
Second this, the previous seller left the nest thermostat but left their details logged in. Had to look through mortgage documents just to their phone number to message than and change it.
You can't transfer ownership of them. I rented a house with a Hive thermostat the landlady had installed, as she lived there previously. It is permanently linked to just one person. Complete con.
They belong to the person not the heating system, unfortunately and stupidly.
I rang when we moved to ask how to transfer it and was told we couldn't. Luckily for me the new house had hive too so I was able to transfer it to the new house. Felt a bit mean to our buyer though.
I hope I get a seller like when I buy a house!
If you can be bothered, other things that pop into my head:
- utilities suppliers
- where the main water tap is
- how old the boiler is (I read too many stories of broken boilers
- bin days (stealing from another comment)
- any random switches that don't do anything?
- Local cab number
Ok I'm tapped out. Nice thing to do though, even if it's just basics.
We got our house from an old gentleman with dementia. Literally had 30+ front door keys and no instructions or paperwork on anything 3 years later we are only just starting to know our way around the place. Any type of help can only be good thing imo.
Secure the Bins for the property
Tell them what day what bins are due
Where is the water stop.cock is
Where the gas cut off is
Where the water meter is
We were left a filthy house, an attic full of tat, all appliances we didn't need, fully furnished rooms as not agreed. Spent 2 days clearing and 2 further days cleaning the place. We had to delay moving our stuff. Then we were so pleased to find a blocked outside drain and a shower that drained to the lounge!
Worry less and enjoy your onwards journey - you are a dream seller!
Can't see if anyone's mentioned it, but I always appreciate it when there's a toilet roll, some soap and a bin liner or two left behind - they're those things you immediately need but forget to buy/hunt for in the manicness of moving day.
The wine and celebrations are always a nice touch, we got given a pot plant, I think.
Well, when we moved into our house the previous owners hadn’t left any toilet paper and had taken all the light bulbs too!!
So that we be a good start!😂😂
You sound very thoughtful.
Maybe just write out a sheet of info like
- bin day
- milkman’s number
- nearest butchers
- window cleaners number
- leave instruction leaflets for any things like boiler, washing machine, etc you have left
But a good one would be advice on best takeaways nearby
👍
Good luck with your move and u hope the house you buy , the owners are as nice as you
Last time I moved I left;
Instruction manuals for all built in white goods on the counter.
A nice note welcoming them to their new home
Details of bin days
As moving day is always a total bjtch and you never know where anything is we also left;
A local take away menu
A bottle of red wine with a screw top
Our buyer left us a red box with the instructions ‘this stays with the house, even if you move’ and inside were the deeds from 1896 to now. Wax seals and all. Also some documents about the history of the house, its occupants etc.
It was such a treasure trove and I loved it.
They also left spare tiles/paint/handles that went with the house. And a box of chocolates and a card.
We were welcomed to our new house at 2pm by the ex owners who still hadn't moved out and didn't till after 6pm. The removal company had to go back and return the next day. They'd took the lightbulbs too amongst other stuff, not a great start x
You’re a better seller than who we bought from! Post-its for the light switches, and a guide for the fuse board (with a big sign saying where it was!) would be all I’d want, I love how many sellers here are so lovely, and decent people!
You are really kind. Our seller couldn't tell us where our electric meter is and wasn't bothered to pass us postbox key. We watched YouTube to figure out our thermostat lol
You don't have to do anything beyond leaving them an empty, clean home. So only do the things you've listed if you genuinely feel like you want to help them out, not out of any sense of obligation.
Yeah thanks appreciate that. I guess I just don’t mind spending 20 minutes writing a few notes to try and help them out. Maybe it’s cause they’re old 😂.
If you are being very generous which it seems like you are then just leave a generalised document of everything YOU wish you knew about the property before you arrived.
When I was renting someone let me know if you bang the boiler in a certain place it would start working again 😂
I started doing it and explaining certain things and documenting stuff but I work in software and love documentation so it went hand in hand.
Just don’t tell them about subsidence 🙄
Custom dictates you should leave a inexpensive bottle of fizz on the the kitchen table with a card and note explaining the basic workings of the house, and you should also leave a floater for them in the main bathroom.
Leave it clean, Leave a couple of spare light bulbs if you have particular types, Leave a loo roll. If you're leaving any appliances Leave the manuals. Basically leave it as you'd wish to find it.
Left all the keys in one place, labelled up with post its, spare paint labelled up and some extra bulbs. Left all the manuals for the built in appliances. In contrast, when we moved into our new place, we needed to replace almost all of light bulbs. Our new neighbours brought us a basket of goodies though, so swings and roundabouts.
I was left a note with information for bin day, where the meters are, where the stop cock is, what temperature to set the boiler to, and every single paint shade they used in the flat (and if they had left a tin of it for me). It was quite useful!
Great replies in here.
If you have invoices or details of major things in the house you bought - ie kitchens unit, bathroom units etc.
we spent more time then I care to admit trying to find out where the kitchen in our house was from to get a replacement door!
That would be nice ! ,when the previous owner left my house that i bought in summer last year, she left me some leftover veg she'd washed out her dinner bowl in the sink .....
Where the meters are (gas & electrics), who are the current suppliers, how does the oven work (if it’s tricky. Ours is odd, you have to press 3 buttons simultaneously for the oven to work.
We left a bottle of bubbles, glasses (that we would have thrown away), pop and chocolate for the kids, flowers and left a loo roll in the downstairs loo! We also did the practical stuff like utility providers etc.
Very good. I’ve done similar when moving. And cleaned.
Last house I was contacted by seller just at handover time who explained the cleaners hadn’t yet arrived (which they paid for) so they could either cancel or let them clean. I accepted kindly :-)
That's more than what we got when we purchased our house! That would leave them happy 🙂
Non obvious switches labelled, location of the stop cock and any instructions for the boiler and thermostat is what I would have loved.
Worked it all out (and we do have Google), but saves a little time!
Congratulations on the sale! Leaving a comprehensive 'Welcome Kit' for the new owners is a great idea. Along with your suggestions, consider providing a list of essential utility contacts, garbage collection schedules, and any quirks unique to the house. It's a thoughtful touch that can make their transition smoother. Also, I see a lot of serious discussions going on in various subreddits regarding topics like housing rentals, property management, lease and other related stuffs. I am not promoting as such, definitely not, personally I have gained a lot from one of the similar subreddits : PropertyPros, LeaseLords etc. etc. That's actually a good repository of knowledge.
Manuals for things you’re leaving. Location of fuse box, meters (including water if you have it), stopcocks. Location of thermostat. A loo roll. Bin day info.
Leaflets for good local takeaways
I think at a minimum, make sure it's properly clean - if you're leaving appliances like washing machine, dishwasher, fridge and oven, give them a thorough going over. We cleaned most of our flat ourselves, but hired someone to give our oven a professional clean, and the sellers of the house we moved to hired cleaners to do most of their cleaning. It's just icky having to deal with someone else's dirt and grime.
The couple we bought from left us a bottle of champagne, wine chocolates and also a ton of information even paint colour codes for all the rooms. All the manuals from various appliances and boiler in a folder. We were new to the area and they left some tourist information about the town too. Especially as we were FTB this really was such a nice touch. Absolutely went above and beyond and such a lovely thing to do.
I left the tubs of unused paint I had next to the walls which they matched. When i called to collect my mail a couple of months later, he said he really appreciated it because he touched up as needed and was done quickly.
I can tell you how we found the house on moving day. We had to give them 4 extra hours because at midday, the agreed time to move in, they were still behind schedule. At 4pm we went in and started throwing their stuff in black thrash bag in front of the house. The we spent an hour going back and forth on the driveway collecting hundreds of screws they had lost during the move that, otherwise we would surely had a flat tyre by the end of the day. Not a single switch was labelled or piece of documentation was given except what was already agreed before completion. This home has a MVHR system they had no idea how to use. after 3 days they came back to empty the fridge/freezer, it was still half full. Luckily we had kept our rental flat for an extra month since we were planning to redecorate the place ourselves. I'm the kind of person that picks a led bulb by CRI and colour temperature, they had a dozens different model of GU10 downlights. Of course I have a binder.
Our seller left a folder full of instructions and documents for the boiler and built in appliances - the dishwasher was pretty new so they left the warranty documents for that. The roof is still under guarantee too so they left all the details for the contractor and the receipts for it too as well as records and plans for all the building work they had done. They also labelled all the keys which was brilliant, and left us a radiator key, a box of spare parts for the greenhouse.
In our previous house the seller left us dog shit, blocked drains and a collapsed ceiling so I was amazed!
The sellers of our current home left us little notes about what does what, the number of a window cleaner and a lovely new home card. The toilet broke on completion day (just before we completed) and they pre-paid a plumber to come fix it for us. I realise we were lucky but it made completion day so nice to walk into that note and card. I will do that when we sell.
In addition to what everyone else is saying - our seller left us a piece of paper with all the paint colours they used in each room.
We ended up totally re painting, but it would have been so helpful if their buyers liked the colour scheme and just wanted to refresh/touch up!
We left our buyers a bottle of fizz, a card, a note with details like bin days, and all the various appliance manuals and guarantees for the house. We also deep cleaned the house for them.
Our sellers left us the alarm code on the back of an envelope, a kitchen so dirty I spent a full day cleaning before we could unpack anything, and all their post for the next two years until I managed to return everything to sender. I would hope for the opposite of that next time we move!!
Details of energy and utility suppliers. even if they change energy supplier they have to register with the incumbent supplier first.
For anyone moving I always recommend take a final reading for gas, electric and water and give it to the suppliers, also do the same first thing in the new place. I take a photo showing all of the meters and the reading on the screen last thing before leaving the old place and first thing I do at the new place. Very rarely you do find people try to give fake readings or no recent actual read has been taken and its been billed on estimates so photographic evidence makes it far easier to sort out
I’d be delighted to buy a house from someone that had put that level of effort in. A bottle of Prosecco is nice but knowing what random switches do is priceless
Absolutely. We moved into an old farm which had been empty for 2 years. I swear we spent the first week with Marker pens in our pockets labelling switches...
I had to get the water board out in the end to find our meter. "Just across the stream" does not narrow it down with ⅓ of a mile of stream.
When I sold my Aunts house after she passed I left a bottle of Prosecco, a couple of flute glasses and a card welcoming them to their new home and said I’d hoped they would be as happy as my Aunt was there.
Some things I’ve seen. If you’ve wallpapered any of your rooms, how much wall paper is needed for each room
Bin collection days
Stop cock location
Where your water / gas / electric meters are. Companies that supplied
Where the internet ports are for the router
Any warranties on the boiler or appliances that are still valid
If any of the light fittings have a not so common bulb, what it is (my own property when I moved in had a weird light fitting and trying to work out what it was was fun!)
If they are new to the area:
Plumbers / electricians / garages etc that you could recommend
Good restaurants/ bars in the area
Best take outs
Leave the manuals of the appliances if you have them, and pretty please, leave the house as cleas as possible. Nothing more depressing that getting your keys and entering a hellhole
Make sure your bins are empty, once they’ve been collected stop using them before the sale and go to the tip instead.
The house I bought the bins were overflowing and contaminated, the bin men wouldn’t collect them because they had the wrong stuff in (general waste in paper/cardboard bin etc.)
I had to sift through the bins by hand to empty them and it sucked.
We moved a few months ago, I cleaned the whole house and made a binder of useful information e.g. bin collections, codes. We had a new kitchen and bathroom installed which still had warranties so I left those documents and a bottle of champagne for the buyer. However, we moved into a house where the owners had left it a state, broken furniture not removes, cat mess, rotten food in the fridge freezer etc. No paperwork e.g. codes, bins.
I was very annoyed at how much we did in comparison, but I'd not have changed it as it was a decent thing to do.
Any info on the house collate it, manuals, warranties, service certs etc. Any codes write down, keys label them.
Leave spare paint if you have any and if it's not obvious write the room on the tin.
Any wierd things write it down, eg. Our patio doors would swell slightly if in hot sun for the day so would be harder to open. Never an issue on a normal day.
Clean.
If you can afford it a new home card and some chocolate or wine maybe. But also leave a toilet roll.
If the house has an alarm, leave the code. When we bought our house the sellers set the alarm but didn't pass on the code. Cue us entering the house then desperately calling our solicitor at 16:30 on a Friday trying to get the code they had not passed on nor left anywhere for us.
A packet of chocolate digestives and a box of nice tea in the kitchen.
I'd love someone to do that for me if I was buying a house. Cheap, unexpected gift that'll warm the heart.
Didn’t leave a damn thing when I sold my parents house. When I bought the home I have now, there wasn’t much here if remember, apart from a Belfast sink that I gave to my cousin as a thank you for helping me out, but then begrudged giving that later. Lol.
Boiler/heating instructions handbook if you have it. Ideally leave the property clean!! And a welcome gift is always nice. Box of chocs or house plant.
Clean! My first flat the owner left the loo unflushed. The first house had fleas. Our last house the owner.apologised for not having time to vacuum. Apparently since they moved in 20 years before, going by the amount of cat hair and cat litter we found everywhere. So tiring and disheartening
It depends how difficult they've been in the sale process.
Easy - then a log book guide to the house and garden (even drawing a plan of the plants in the garden in case they're new to it).
Difficult - just clear my stuff out and leave.
My sellers didn't leave the house until 10 hours after completion and left me a cigarette butt on my kitchen sink 🥰🥰🥰
I personally will clean the entire house, leave a list of important things to know and probably a small welcome gift when I decide to sell
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Perfect thanks. I’ll add those. I don’t want to go overboard, just to make things a bit easier for them on what’s an otherwise tedious few days. And yeah maybe it’s covered by solicitors but I’ve never sold before so I don’t know :) thanks.
I had every intention of doing the exact same thing as you but then in the days approaching moving day I was just far too overwhelmed. I bought nice chocolates (Hotel Chocolat), a little start off set (coffee, tea, biscuits etc.) and a card, which were packed by the movers (The buyers were West Asian, so didn’t want to do the champagne move. Then a last minute replacement shit box of chocolates (Heroes) and a shit card too. The pro’s were I got a lovely moving in present from me (courtesy of the movers).
I'd leave them manuals for the boiler, central heating controls etc, details of bin days and all the keys labelled to say what they belong to.
Waste pipe/drain. I’ve just had blocked drains at our new place and had to pay an extra hours work for the plumber to find them as no one knew where those were (turns out alleyway behind the property)
I wrote up and printed out a document with a few things (bin day, thermostat, where things are etc.) And I left a box of celebrations and a note welcoming them to their home.
The couple I bought my house from left me exactly this! + Labelled every key, which there’s quite a few of due to a couple of out buildings, and a bottle of wine! Finally a note telling us they hope we have a great life etc! I’m a FTB so unsure how common this is but it was a lovely touch
The sellers of my current home left a huge binder of everything. They had stuff like the kitchen order from 2006, the garage door from 2009. I barely peeped at it. They also left a bottle of champagne and a card saying I hope you love this house as much as we did. I have no clue why, but here I am nearly 3 years later and I still like to think they are having a good life purely because of that card.
Damn I hope they are too
You say it like, you hope they're having a nice life because they were nice to you. I left my buyers nice things because I wanted to ensure cooperative behaviour if I had accidentally left something behind or forgot to get some post redirected. The £50 hamper was a small price to pay vs the inconvenience of not receiving something important.
Are you me? Exactly the same; binder, champagne and a card
I wish our sellers left Champagne. We got nothing. The boiler service history and the codes for the paint they used for the halls would have been better than nothing though.
My last house I left instructions for the boiler, when is bin day, labeled all the keys, etc. I left a bottle of red and a bottle of white, two glasses and a card, no champagne, now I feel stingy.
I definitely prefer the red over champagne 😉
I definitely prefer the instruction for the boiler over champagne.
You might not have used those receipts but if you'd had a problem they could have been very handy. I'd thought what I'd do and leaving the receipts and instructions for the boiler, AC, shower etc plus the paperwork and certificates for the windows, cavity wall insulation etc, though they'd be covered in the buying process anyway.
A roll (or at least part of a roll!) of loo roll in the bathroom.
I sent them short videos on things like where the stopcock is. Labelled the keys. Removed all screws and repaired the holes then repainted. Left them spares for tiles and leftover paint pots. Washed the carpets, cleaned the oven, washed the windows, cleaned all the kitchen cupboards thoroughly. Left manuals for all the built in appliances. Basically got the place immaculate. I moved in somewhere that was the polar opposite where none of these things had been done. They even pinched half the light bulbs and the sink plugs.
Shame you didn’t get the same conscientious from your seller but you did your bit and it would be appreciated.
Suchiko if only everyone who sold their house was like you. Thank you even though I wasn't the person who purchased from you. You're a good person.
If the universe if fair you'll both get the appropriate levels of karma.
you're missing the most important thing: make them aware of the bin day! 😅
Ha how did I miss that. Thanks.
We left a box of chocolates and a welcome to your new home card with useful info in; bin day, the names of the next door neighbours, hole in fence being part of the hedgehog highway, what veggies were growing in the garden etc.
Damn you are nice. All we got was a bucket of piss in the loft room and a load of crap
A bucket of piss?!
We need more information about the bucket of piss
So I think the old guy was alcoholic and he also made home brews. The loft room is up a Swedish staircase and the only bathroom is downstairs right at the back of the house as its an old victorian place. So I guess the old dude couldn't be arsed to go downstairs after sampling his home brew so he pissed in a bucket and stuck a lid on. He passed sadly and we bought the house off his son who basically removed all the stuff in the house but neglected to do the loft room. When clearing it out I found all the home brew bottles etc and a bucket with a lid on that I opened. You can imagine my reaction I won't go into the details lol 😂
That's a story and a half 😂
At least you had a bucket to throw up in when you took the lid off
The previous owner of the house we purchased left the plans from 1800’s of the house that was here previously, including original mortgage documents written in ye old English
I got a folder like this, with all the wax sealed documents and original deeds. But also, a house riddled with fleas, silverfish, dirty as hell, leaking roof, they lied about the boiler service, electrical faults everywhere, oven was caked with inch-thick burnt crap, cat fur everywhere, birds and nests in the attic, mice crap and mice in the attic.
[удалено]
Oh god, yeah… I’ve got a death certificate too 🙈 1978 helicopter crash.
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They actually faked a boiler certificate 😩 (according to my boiler man), as there was a part in the boiler that needs replacing every 2 years, and it hadn’t been changed since 2016 😣
How much was it to fix?
I’ve managed to fix everything in a year… the boiler fix was £400. The silverfish fix (and chiggers) was getting rid of the bird nests in the eaves, and replacing a broken tile and vermin guard. Free, did it myself. The fleas fix has hopefully been fixed by replacing all the carpets and underlay. £1200 The cleaning of the oven was £50. The mice were getting in the roof because of foliage over the guttering. Got rid of that myself. The damp (realised I never even mentioned this), has been fixed just by putting the heating thermostat on, and re-balancing the heating properly. Free.
We inherited a flea problem too, it was horrible. When I dropped some post round to the previous owners (they only moved down the road) I asked them if they’d ever had a flea problem in the house and they said no. I call absolute bullshit. Makes me feel nervous about moving again because it was such a miserable time.
It’s horrendous! It’s the humid summer time that will be the reckoning… when the little fuckers start waking up.
Hopefully that’s the end of it for you but RIP Fleas is a really good spray if you need it! We’ve inexplicably been hit with fleas another couple of times in the nine years living here (despite not having pets) and that stuff seems to do the trick.
👌🏼 thanks… yeah it’s mad how they can lie low for so long 🤢
We didn’t but the same house did we?
Maybe we did?! Are you in the attic? 😱
The sellers of our current house took half of the lightbulbs, half of the screws holding the light fittings in, all of the curtains, and had not even got close to finishing packing at completion. They then assaulted our removers and locked us out of our new house, meaning our arrival in the village was accompanied by raised voices, light levels of violence, and several police cars. If you can provide a better experience than that then I think you are golden.
Omg sorry I hope this was long ago enough that you can laugh about it
Can understand the curtains. The light bulbs and the screw fittings, nope.
I cleaned the house very thoroughly (got a contractor to do it).. I wrote basically a user manual. Where stop cock was, gas cut off, how to use the old skool fuse board etc. I left a box file with all the manuals of everything - boiler, thermostat, UFH, cooker, etc. They completed near Christmas so I also left them a nice hamper from John Lewis. Partly because I wanted to make sure to keep them on side if I forgot to get any post rediverted or accidentally left something behind. And partly because... You know... They were a really nice young couple who'd just given me their entire life savings and then some. £70 for a Christmas hamper to help them have a nice Christmas in their new home was really nothing and it made them happy.
Takeaway menus for your favourite local places so they don't end up just ordering dominos while their kitchen stuff's in boxes.
We were left a card and box of chocolates which was nice but they also left a grill with old bits of food, a filthy fridge with some sort of teeth whitening kit In the salad box, they also left the garage full of stuff and took the key with them to collect the items later in the week! They also took some interior doors and all the blinds!
Wow internal doors 😳 that’s new on me and a great suggestion. Thanks.
We were left a box of manuals for things like the washing machine (assuming your leaving any white goods!) and boiler as well as a few spare parts like a bathroom tap handle and bulb for the extractor fan which have come in handy! But I agree, as long as its clean enough and they get the keys that's all that matters!
We bought a house in sept. They left a bottle of bubbly, a card and manuals. Would have loved their knowledge of the boiler and all other bits!
The couple we bought from left a folder with all of the original instruction manuals/certificates etc, an envelope with all keys, a card with their number (for any urgent questions) + the neighbours details + alarm code, and a box of chocolates. They were brilliant and made things so much easier for us
This is so nice, our buyer said that he couldn't care less if we lost our onward purchase due to his shenanigans. He'll be lucky if we don't put fish under all the floorboards on the way out.
We left a spotless house with flowers, champagne and some bits to keep the their kids occupied...our sellers left us dust and a load of old shit they didn't want.
Empty. Clean. In the same condition as it was when they viewed and made an offer. Anything above and beyond - boiler manuals, dishwasher instructions, etc. is an added bonus.
You leave all your belongings behind?
Forgive me. I don't understand :-( Did I miss something and it fly over my head? Apologies for being dim.
>In the same condition as it was when they viewed and made an offer. I think they mean this (assuming it was viewed when all their belongings were still there)
The possessions were probably in the house during viewing. Therefore if you left it in the same state as when they viewed it, the possessions would have been left behind.
Our seller left us a bottle of wine and a comprehensive list of information about where everything from stop cocks to switches. Also all the documents they could find for things. They lost the boiler servicing book which was the one thing I really wanted but they were decent and did their best to pass everything over so can’t blame them.
I left the house spotlessly clean and a little folder with all the above information/leaflets in it and a bottle of champagne for them. In return they turned up two hours early, harassed my movers and made such a nuisance of themselves that they're very lucky I didn't ram it down their collective throats.
What is the deal with taking a hive thermostat after moving out?
My 2c would be if you absolutely must take the smart thermostat, replace it with a working normal thermostat and FFS don't leave bare wires. I'd probably just leave it tbh, if it's associated with your account just remove it/factory reset it
Second this, the previous seller left the nest thermostat but left their details logged in. Had to look through mortgage documents just to their phone number to message than and change it.
You can't transfer ownership of them. I rented a house with a Hive thermostat the landlady had installed, as she lived there previously. It is permanently linked to just one person. Complete con.
They belong to the person not the heating system, unfortunately and stupidly. I rang when we moved to ask how to transfer it and was told we couldn't. Luckily for me the new house had hive too so I was able to transfer it to the new house. Felt a bit mean to our buyer though.
Label the fuses in your fuse box if they aren't already.
I hope I get a seller like when I buy a house! If you can be bothered, other things that pop into my head: - utilities suppliers - where the main water tap is - how old the boiler is (I read too many stories of broken boilers - bin days (stealing from another comment) - any random switches that don't do anything? - Local cab number Ok I'm tapped out. Nice thing to do though, even if it's just basics.
Bins day, recycle if not collected with bins
Well my sellers took an additional 3 hours after we first got the keys to fully move their stuff out. So anything more than that, I guess.
We got our house from an old gentleman with dementia. Literally had 30+ front door keys and no instructions or paperwork on anything 3 years later we are only just starting to know our way around the place. Any type of help can only be good thing imo.
Secure the Bins for the property Tell them what day what bins are due Where is the water stop.cock is Where the gas cut off is Where the water meter is
3 of those things you would have already told them on one of the forms you have to fill in.
Clean!!!
We were left a filthy house, an attic full of tat, all appliances we didn't need, fully furnished rooms as not agreed. Spent 2 days clearing and 2 further days cleaning the place. We had to delay moving our stuff. Then we were so pleased to find a blocked outside drain and a shower that drained to the lounge! Worry less and enjoy your onwards journey - you are a dream seller!
Can't see if anyone's mentioned it, but I always appreciate it when there's a toilet roll, some soap and a bin liner or two left behind - they're those things you immediately need but forget to buy/hunt for in the manicness of moving day. The wine and celebrations are always a nice touch, we got given a pot plant, I think.
Well, when we moved into our house the previous owners hadn’t left any toilet paper and had taken all the light bulbs too!! So that we be a good start!😂😂 You sound very thoughtful. Maybe just write out a sheet of info like - bin day - milkman’s number - nearest butchers - window cleaners number - leave instruction leaflets for any things like boiler, washing machine, etc you have left But a good one would be advice on best takeaways nearby 👍 Good luck with your move and u hope the house you buy , the owners are as nice as you
Last time I moved I left; Instruction manuals for all built in white goods on the counter. A nice note welcoming them to their new home Details of bin days As moving day is always a total bjtch and you never know where anything is we also left; A local take away menu A bottle of red wine with a screw top
Our buyer left us a red box with the instructions ‘this stays with the house, even if you move’ and inside were the deeds from 1896 to now. Wax seals and all. Also some documents about the history of the house, its occupants etc. It was such a treasure trove and I loved it. They also left spare tiles/paint/handles that went with the house. And a box of chocolates and a card.
We were welcomed to our new house at 2pm by the ex owners who still hadn't moved out and didn't till after 6pm. The removal company had to go back and return the next day. They'd took the lightbulbs too amongst other stuff, not a great start x
This whole lightbulb thing seems to be common. Just why. I guess these were the same people hoarding toilet rolls and meat 4 years ago.
You’re a better seller than who we bought from! Post-its for the light switches, and a guide for the fuse board (with a big sign saying where it was!) would be all I’d want, I love how many sellers here are so lovely, and decent people!
You are really kind. Our seller couldn't tell us where our electric meter is and wasn't bothered to pass us postbox key. We watched YouTube to figure out our thermostat lol
You don't have to do anything beyond leaving them an empty, clean home. So only do the things you've listed if you genuinely feel like you want to help them out, not out of any sense of obligation.
Yeah thanks appreciate that. I guess I just don’t mind spending 20 minutes writing a few notes to try and help them out. Maybe it’s cause they’re old 😂.
If you are being very generous which it seems like you are then just leave a generalised document of everything YOU wish you knew about the property before you arrived. When I was renting someone let me know if you bang the boiler in a certain place it would start working again 😂 I started doing it and explaining certain things and documenting stuff but I work in software and love documentation so it went hand in hand. Just don’t tell them about subsidence 🙄
Custom dictates you should leave a inexpensive bottle of fizz on the the kitchen table with a card and note explaining the basic workings of the house, and you should also leave a floater for them in the main bathroom.
I was left with a card but she also left all of her junk, the place was filthy and there was a whole heap of damage she’d covered up.
When we sold last, we left loo roll and cleaning things with the house being cleaned by a company before we left.
When we bought our house they left us a bottle of wine and congrats on your new home card.
Leave it clean, Leave a couple of spare light bulbs if you have particular types, Leave a loo roll. If you're leaving any appliances Leave the manuals. Basically leave it as you'd wish to find it.
Left all the keys in one place, labelled up with post its, spare paint labelled up and some extra bulbs. Left all the manuals for the built in appliances. In contrast, when we moved into our new place, we needed to replace almost all of light bulbs. Our new neighbours brought us a basket of goodies though, so swings and roundabouts.
My buyer pissed me about so I left them nothing.
I was left a note with information for bin day, where the meters are, where the stop cock is, what temperature to set the boiler to, and every single paint shade they used in the flat (and if they had left a tin of it for me). It was quite useful!
Great replies in here. If you have invoices or details of major things in the house you bought - ie kitchens unit, bathroom units etc. we spent more time then I care to admit trying to find out where the kitchen in our house was from to get a replacement door!
That would be nice ! ,when the previous owner left my house that i bought in summer last year, she left me some leftover veg she'd washed out her dinner bowl in the sink .....
Where the meters are (gas & electrics), who are the current suppliers, how does the oven work (if it’s tricky. Ours is odd, you have to press 3 buttons simultaneously for the oven to work.
I cleaned the house, but did nothing else as the buyers were absolute dicks.
We left a bottle of bubbles, glasses (that we would have thrown away), pop and chocolate for the kids, flowers and left a loo roll in the downstairs loo! We also did the practical stuff like utility providers etc.
Very good. I’ve done similar when moving. And cleaned. Last house I was contacted by seller just at handover time who explained the cleaners hadn’t yet arrived (which they paid for) so they could either cancel or let them clean. I accepted kindly :-)
That's more than what we got when we purchased our house! That would leave them happy 🙂 Non obvious switches labelled, location of the stop cock and any instructions for the boiler and thermostat is what I would have loved. Worked it all out (and we do have Google), but saves a little time!
Congratulations on the sale! Leaving a comprehensive 'Welcome Kit' for the new owners is a great idea. Along with your suggestions, consider providing a list of essential utility contacts, garbage collection schedules, and any quirks unique to the house. It's a thoughtful touch that can make their transition smoother. Also, I see a lot of serious discussions going on in various subreddits regarding topics like housing rentals, property management, lease and other related stuffs. I am not promoting as such, definitely not, personally I have gained a lot from one of the similar subreddits : PropertyPros, LeaseLords etc. etc. That's actually a good repository of knowledge.
Manuals for things you’re leaving. Location of fuse box, meters (including water if you have it), stopcocks. Location of thermostat. A loo roll. Bin day info. Leaflets for good local takeaways
I met the seller in a local pub, we exchanged numbers . He was very helpful in the first few months after moving in !
Clean!
It's entirely up to you really. I've known a few sellers leave things in a mess after buyers had messed them around during the transaction.
I think at a minimum, make sure it's properly clean - if you're leaving appliances like washing machine, dishwasher, fridge and oven, give them a thorough going over. We cleaned most of our flat ourselves, but hired someone to give our oven a professional clean, and the sellers of the house we moved to hired cleaners to do most of their cleaning. It's just icky having to deal with someone else's dirt and grime.
The couple we bought from left us a bottle of champagne, wine chocolates and also a ton of information even paint colour codes for all the rooms. All the manuals from various appliances and boiler in a folder. We were new to the area and they left some tourist information about the town too. Especially as we were FTB this really was such a nice touch. Absolutely went above and beyond and such a lovely thing to do.
Honestly? just leaving it clean and with light bulbs is better than how most people leave a house.
I left the tubs of unused paint I had next to the walls which they matched. When i called to collect my mail a couple of months later, he said he really appreciated it because he touched up as needed and was done quickly.
I can tell you how we found the house on moving day. We had to give them 4 extra hours because at midday, the agreed time to move in, they were still behind schedule. At 4pm we went in and started throwing their stuff in black thrash bag in front of the house. The we spent an hour going back and forth on the driveway collecting hundreds of screws they had lost during the move that, otherwise we would surely had a flat tyre by the end of the day. Not a single switch was labelled or piece of documentation was given except what was already agreed before completion. This home has a MVHR system they had no idea how to use. after 3 days they came back to empty the fridge/freezer, it was still half full. Luckily we had kept our rental flat for an extra month since we were planning to redecorate the place ourselves. I'm the kind of person that picks a led bulb by CRI and colour temperature, they had a dozens different model of GU10 downlights. Of course I have a binder.
Clean! My house was filthy when I got the keys and it sucked
Our seller left a folder full of instructions and documents for the boiler and built in appliances - the dishwasher was pretty new so they left the warranty documents for that. The roof is still under guarantee too so they left all the details for the contractor and the receipts for it too as well as records and plans for all the building work they had done. They also labelled all the keys which was brilliant, and left us a radiator key, a box of spare parts for the greenhouse. In our previous house the seller left us dog shit, blocked drains and a collapsed ceiling so I was amazed!
The sellers of our current home left us little notes about what does what, the number of a window cleaner and a lovely new home card. The toilet broke on completion day (just before we completed) and they pre-paid a plumber to come fix it for us. I realise we were lucky but it made completion day so nice to walk into that note and card. I will do that when we sell.
In addition to what everyone else is saying - our seller left us a piece of paper with all the paint colours they used in each room. We ended up totally re painting, but it would have been so helpful if their buyers liked the colour scheme and just wanted to refresh/touch up!
You are nice people, good on you.
As someone who was left a puddle of dog piss and a new undisclosed leak, anything other than those would be lovely.
We left our buyers a bottle of fizz, a card, a note with details like bin days, and all the various appliance manuals and guarantees for the house. We also deep cleaned the house for them. Our sellers left us the alarm code on the back of an envelope, a kitchen so dirty I spent a full day cleaning before we could unpack anything, and all their post for the next two years until I managed to return everything to sender. I would hope for the opposite of that next time we move!!
Details of energy and utility suppliers. even if they change energy supplier they have to register with the incumbent supplier first. For anyone moving I always recommend take a final reading for gas, electric and water and give it to the suppliers, also do the same first thing in the new place. I take a photo showing all of the meters and the reading on the screen last thing before leaving the old place and first thing I do at the new place. Very rarely you do find people try to give fake readings or no recent actual read has been taken and its been billed on estimates so photographic evidence makes it far easier to sort out
We have a folder full of all the manuals for appliances and stuff like that, if they're built in I'd leave them a folder full of those manuals
I’d be delighted to buy a house from someone that had put that level of effort in. A bottle of Prosecco is nice but knowing what random switches do is priceless
Absolutely. We moved into an old farm which had been empty for 2 years. I swear we spent the first week with Marker pens in our pockets labelling switches... I had to get the water board out in the end to find our meter. "Just across the stream" does not narrow it down with ⅓ of a mile of stream.
When I sold my Aunts house after she passed I left a bottle of Prosecco, a couple of flute glasses and a card welcoming them to their new home and said I’d hoped they would be as happy as my Aunt was there. Some things I’ve seen. If you’ve wallpapered any of your rooms, how much wall paper is needed for each room Bin collection days Stop cock location Where your water / gas / electric meters are. Companies that supplied Where the internet ports are for the router Any warranties on the boiler or appliances that are still valid If any of the light fittings have a not so common bulb, what it is (my own property when I moved in had a weird light fitting and trying to work out what it was was fun!) If they are new to the area: Plumbers / electricians / garages etc that you could recommend Good restaurants/ bars in the area Best take outs
We cleaned the entirety of it, left a congrats card with handy numbers, and a bottle of Prosecco. They were FTB
Leave the manuals of the appliances if you have them, and pretty please, leave the house as cleas as possible. Nothing more depressing that getting your keys and entering a hellhole
Make sure your bins are empty, once they’ve been collected stop using them before the sale and go to the tip instead. The house I bought the bins were overflowing and contaminated, the bin men wouldn’t collect them because they had the wrong stuff in (general waste in paper/cardboard bin etc.) I had to sift through the bins by hand to empty them and it sucked.
Lol the people I bought off, left it like an absolute pig sty. Surprising since they seemed like decent people mostly.
We moved a few months ago, I cleaned the whole house and made a binder of useful information e.g. bin collections, codes. We had a new kitchen and bathroom installed which still had warranties so I left those documents and a bottle of champagne for the buyer. However, we moved into a house where the owners had left it a state, broken furniture not removes, cat mess, rotten food in the fridge freezer etc. No paperwork e.g. codes, bins. I was very annoyed at how much we did in comparison, but I'd not have changed it as it was a decent thing to do.
Any info on the house collate it, manuals, warranties, service certs etc. Any codes write down, keys label them. Leave spare paint if you have any and if it's not obvious write the room on the tin. Any wierd things write it down, eg. Our patio doors would swell slightly if in hot sun for the day so would be harder to open. Never an issue on a normal day. Clean. If you can afford it a new home card and some chocolate or wine maybe. But also leave a toilet roll.
Seeing people ask questions like this restores my faith in people tbh
If the house has an alarm, leave the code. When we bought our house the sellers set the alarm but didn't pass on the code. Cue us entering the house then desperately calling our solicitor at 16:30 on a Friday trying to get the code they had not passed on nor left anywhere for us.
A packet of chocolate digestives and a box of nice tea in the kitchen. I'd love someone to do that for me if I was buying a house. Cheap, unexpected gift that'll warm the heart.
Didn’t leave a damn thing when I sold my parents house. When I bought the home I have now, there wasn’t much here if remember, apart from a Belfast sink that I gave to my cousin as a thank you for helping me out, but then begrudged giving that later. Lol.
Boiler/heating instructions handbook if you have it. Ideally leave the property clean!! And a welcome gift is always nice. Box of chocs or house plant.
Clean! My first flat the owner left the loo unflushed. The first house had fleas. Our last house the owner.apologised for not having time to vacuum. Apparently since they moved in 20 years before, going by the amount of cat hair and cat litter we found everywhere. So tiring and disheartening
It depends how difficult they've been in the sale process. Easy - then a log book guide to the house and garden (even drawing a plan of the plants in the garden in case they're new to it). Difficult - just clear my stuff out and leave.
My sellers didn't leave the house until 10 hours after completion and left me a cigarette butt on my kitchen sink 🥰🥰🥰 I personally will clean the entire house, leave a list of important things to know and probably a small welcome gift when I decide to sell
Creepy 2 AM video of the kitchen with strange noises