Should Home Sellers Leave Garbage Cans Full?

Should home sellers leave garbage cans full? Well, the contract specifically states the seller shall remove all debris. If we really think about it the seller stops paying the garbage bill when we close escrow. The buyer is responsible for the ongoing garbage bill. I doubt any buyer is happy to push the garbage cans to the curb full of someone else’s garbage.

Another consideration is when buyers move in, they are going to produce packing paper galore and their own garbage from moving in. They really need the garbage cans empty, so they can throw away their own stuff. This is one of the seller’s last steps to close escrow.

From now on, this is something I’m going to carefully review with clients — that they need to haul their own garbage to the dump when they move out. Another issue seen here is all the extra garbage on the ground so the can lids won’t even close. I guess the buyer was supposed to take the seller’s extra garbage to the dump?

Should home sellers leave garbage cans full? What do you think? Ask yourself how you would feel if you bought a home and you’re so excited to get your keys, then you drive up and see all this trash? Well, our home seller is paying a hauler to haul away all of this stuff and other items left in the garage. She didn’t know it was left like this. Her movers were supposed to clean up.

Our seller full-service plan included us going over to the property and checking everything out before the buyer obtained the keys. When I sent the seller the pictures, she happily agreed to pay for the cleanup. She was surprised it was left like this. She is a delightful person and was amazingly kind throughout the buying and selling experience.

The best outcome for sellers is have happy buyers that they will never hear from again. No news is good news, as dear old dad used to say. To ensure you have happy buyers when you close escrow, call Weintraub & Wallace Realtors with RE/MAX Gold. We can be reached at 916-233-6759.

— JaCi Wallace