Neither Fixit or I really like this house. It is revoltingly hot in summer. May as well live in a tent. It's got a poky, foul bathroom which I resent every time I use it. The grouting is shoddy; cleaning it is a nightmare and never repays the effort. The carpets are scungy (rental standard carpets, you know the sort) and look crappy even straight after I've vacuumed. The tiles in the living area are cracked & pale coloured and show every speck of dirt. I have to be a complete tyrant apres-mop if I don't want it ruined again an hour later. Which is no fun for anyone.
Of course it's not all bad. We have great neighbours. (Sadly the Crafty mob are moving soon, we are trying not to think about this). And we have a fantastic backyard. The location is not bad for shops, tranport and such. None of this really helps though, when I have to do the cleaning and I. Don't. Want. To.
The reason for my grumble is I just know they are going to put the rent up the second they finish the inspection, clean house or no, so the effort is even less appealing than usual. If that's possible.And if any of you know where the stick/tube part of my vacuum cleaner is, let me know because I AM VACUUMING ON MY HANDS AND KNEES.
You have my FULL moral support...we rented in Perth last year and there was nothing I hated more than the property inspections (EVERY THREE MONTHS!!) Especially after I had spent the whole morning scrubbing the house I hated anyway to within an inch of its life, only to have the agent walk in the door, say, "you do realise this is just a formality" have a quick glance around and leave. Grrrr.
ReplyDeleteFingers crossed there is no rent increase.
that sucks...no two ways about it...it will be nice to live in a clean house for the half hour it will last (which is no reflection on you I hasten to add, just how it is with kids)
ReplyDeleteYou echo my thoughts. I don't have rent to worry about, but I've come to realize that there's no point in cleaning, no point in even trying. Five seconds after something's clean, it's dirty again. Isn't there supposed to be more to life than this?
ReplyDeleteTo hell with it, I say. Let the mold and mildew grow all over the grout in the bathroom - maybe I'll just claim it's black grout and it's supposed to be that way. Maybe I'll claim it's a genetic engineering experiment and it's special mildew that secretes chocolate. Are you in with me?
Property Inspections suck.
ReplyDeleteThe one I had when I rented privately ( the once and ONLY time - agents always thereafter !! ) when they let themselves into my home UNANNOUNCED, and then called me AT WORK from INSIDE MY HOME to ask if I was going to clean the oven before I left ?
FFS, the bed was unmade and there were knickers on the floor etc etc. I unleashed, angrily. They replied, blandly. Care factor - 0.
And then they persued me for MONTHS later, as apparently I stole their plastic $2 cutlery divider ( I didn't, but I damn well should have, for the drama that ensued in 'getting it back' )
I also can't believe Fairlie got inspected every 3months ? Was she on probation from gaol or something !??!?!
Oh - and - why clean if they're going to put up the rent ? When/if they do, you can whine about the festering mould and etc if you don't clean.... JMO ... ;)
Sorry about the 'me' rant.
ReplyDeleteAgain.
I'm a firstborn - all about me - you know the drill ....
kiss kiss
xx
Urg. First, my back is sore in sympathy for you vacuuming on yours hands and knees.
ReplyDeleteSecond, that whole cleaning for inspection thing is awful, so I feel for you.
Though, of course, now that I own and quite like my bathroom and my kitchen tiles aren't cracked, I still have absolutely no desire to clean. None at all.
Dear Mrs Stomper Begrudging Girl
ReplyDeleteSending you lots of moral support as requested.
Because it is all just too horrible!
First off, the extremely high cuteness factor in those pictures was kinda disctracting me from your post.
ReplyDeleteHOWEVER - can they do that, just raise the rent like that?! How about if you make it look really yucky - would that help? I can see that they could raise it in line with inflation, but above that?
It blows, regardless.
Heidi
Few things have stressed me out more than cleaning a house for a rental inspection. Poor poor Stomper :(
ReplyDelete*blowing kisses*
I didn't even bother to vacuum or clean the bathroom for my last inspection. I just 'tidied'. No dramas. I get my inspections every six months so just can't be bothered with pre inspection anxiety cleaning.
ReplyDeleteAs far as the vacuum pipe goes, have you asked the didgeridoo (?) players - or whoever rearranged the spare room/store room ?
PS lots of moral support + you should point out all the faults to the agents...
ReplyDeleteOh my goodness, I think you could have described my house just there - except we have a wobbly patch in the living room where one of the boards has just about gone through. Nice. The skanky grey carpets and teeny bathroom (with apricot - puke - vanity) annoy me no end, but like you, we are happy with the location ... and we pray the landlord doesn't increase the rent. Fingers crossed for you too!
ReplyDeletethey only do inspections here after you move out so we hire professional cleaners to come in and blitz the place because, lets face it, with kids about you can clean and clean and unless you nail them to the floor children are just going to undo all the hard work you just put in.
ReplyDeleteCan you dispute the rent increase because of the general knackeredness of the property?
It is horrible to clean a rental that you don't love. I used to resent the hell out of every minute of it! And that was before having kids, so I can imagine the state of the carpets!! Hopefully you know the verdict now, and it's positive. Love, L
ReplyDeleteWe had property inspections in our last rental property every three months. Yuck. AND the owners used to accompany the real estate agents. AND I used to scrub within an inch of my life only to have the owners remark on the extra mark on the stairway wall. I could go on but I won't. Just LOVE not having to do that anymore.
ReplyDeleteIs the vacuum cleaner hose behind the cushions on the couch? That place is a gold mine. Found four dollars and a red m&m down there the other day.
ReplyDeleteThat sucks. We never get inspected, even with the dogs. However we DID get a rent increase about 4 months ago, which was NOT welcome. I pointed out if we were going to pay "market rent" then we wanted a "market standard" house and could someone come and clean the gutters and fix the hot water cylinder and check the gas heater for leaks? Within three days? Got stumbling apologies and the rent increase halved. And I'm shy too! Honestly!
ReplyDeleteHere's hoping Tracey didn't eat that M&M. My Abby would have gobbled it down regardless of age or couch history.
ReplyDeleteI've never heard of this rent inspection thing! Here, you pay a $500 deposit before signing a lease, if the place is junk when you leave, you don't get the deposit back. You do have to sign a new lease every year, but the deposit is a one time thing.
O.k. I'll stop moaning about the mortgage payments then.
ReplyDeleteWhen we did rent they deducted zillions from out deposit. This was because the yard was about the same size as a handkerchief and I was a very keen gardener so I filled every nook and cranny with breathtakingly fabulous plants. [easy it's California] After three years, the flower bed was full of organic soil, the kind that makes green fingered people green eyed with envy. So anyway, the charged for the removal and disposal of all that lovely soil! Dimwits.
Cheers
p.s. I have the vacuum pipe with me. I plan to puff poison darts at your landlord but you're a long way away.
Oh, noooooo! I hope you found that vacuum pipe straight after posting!!
ReplyDeleteI hate cleaning too, hence our house gets very dusty. You have my deepest empathy.
The thing I most detested about renting was those dreaded inspections. I hated that they had the right to come & inspect my life.
ReplyDeleteI hope you dont have a rent increase!
well if they are going to put the rent up anyway, DON'T CLEAN!
ReplyDeletejust tell me one thing...has the bleeding pipe turned up?
ReplyDeleteJenny
I reckon it's rolled under the lounge.
ReplyDeleteNo, I checked behind the lounge and the pipe is NOWHERE!! Must remember to question the kids about it, some time before the next inspection...
ReplyDeleteTry under the bed.. or in the shed...or the cubby house, or behind the shelves in the porch. It will probably turn up the day after the inspection.
ReplyDeleteMaybe for Christmas you need one of these sickening magic electric dusters advertised by an insanely smiling Stepford wife on the pay TV. But don't expect it from me.
Yes inspections are hideous....and they can legally increase the rent every 6 months...arrgh!
ReplyDeletesome owners appreciate good tenants and maybe remember their rental nightmares..but they are rare indeed..more are just plain awful... and greedy in todays tight rental market..good luck with the inspection...but don't forget to point out the problems...it can only help to make them think twice before raising your rent..
The part of you are missing is probably with all the attachment bits I am missing!!!
ReplyDeleteMy Motto: Housework makes you Ugly!!
.....I am drop dead gorgeous!!!!!
ReplyDeletefull moral support for here too. We also have dire rental carpet. But after 18 years, I no longer do a big clean for the inspection (ours are twice a year) just the most superficial things (like maybe sweeping the floor and doing the dishes). If we can be bothered. We don't even hide the cat anymore, because this house is unliveable without one. Because like you say, all they are going to do is put the rent up.
ReplyDeleteI love ShellyC's quote - I should be Giselle Bundchen's twin (or whatever her name is?) in that case. My vacuum cleaner stopped working - I'm sure from lack of use! Hope your inspection went well and you didn't waste too much time on it - don't want you losing all that red-headed loveliness and start looking like Donatella Versace!!!!!!
ReplyDeleteI've said it before, when we're all lying on our deathbeds looking back at our lives, I'm pretty sure we won't be wishing we did more housework! Good luck with the inspection, hope you don't get a rent increase.
ReplyDeleteGoodness, that post struck a nerve, didn't it? Lots of comments.
ReplyDeleteI hope they didn't put up your rent. What a pain it all sounds. On the other hand, the rest of your life sounds great!
I never had a formal inspection from my landlords, but both times I was living in part of their houses, so they did get to see what I was doing to their room from time to time. (And one of them charged me to get the carpet cleaned when I left, which I thought was totally unnecessary).
ReplyDeleteOn the other hand, they could also hear me hoovering.
The inspections do sound like a massive pain. I hope all survived.
Is "lounge" Australian for "sofa", then? Is that why you call the living room the lounge room? (Maybe you don't, but I've noticed others do!)