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achaoticeternal · 3 years

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the 1 // d. malfoy

DRACO MALFOY X MUGGLEBORN!READER folklore/evermore series masterlist

Summary: he couldn’t see past one thing, and because of that, he left. but it could have been fun, if he could have been the one. Word Count: 2.9k Warning: Blood Prejudice. Angst. Lost love. A/N: it is implied that the reader is not in slytherin but a house is not specifically mentioned.

It’s funny how the simplest things one sees in their everyday life can bring back a spiral of memories - good or bad. Green apples, paper airplanes, and the combination of silver and green were now forever tainted in your mind. It was silly that something as human and simple as blood and family had to be the downfall of what was thought to be a love that would last a lifetime. And however hard you would try to cast away and thoughts or feelings or symbols of him, memories always had a way of persistently reminding you of what was no longer yours and possibly was never yours...

Hogwarts, 4th Year

September welcomed you with the last tastes of summer warmth before winter came stalking back, only to bring the tundra with it. It was the year of the Tri-Wizard Tournament and a year of making new, international acquaintances with the women of Beauxbatons and the men of Durmstrang.

Your summer had been less eventful than that of your peers whom a great majority had attended the Quidditch World Cup and some even experienced the Death Eaters return. Rumors had been around about He-Who-Must-Not-Be-Named returning and which wizarding families would side with him. Of course, house and blood prejudice played a part in it all, but you managed to look past all of the controversies in the wizarding world. Over the summer, you had grown into yourself and blossomed into a beautiful witch who was very bright for her age. Others around the school had noticed as well, including the men from Durmstrang that created competition for the boys of Hogwarts.

However, with it now October, none of them caught your attention yet as you walked back to your seat in the arena with Hermione after leaving the Champions Tent to check in with Harry, whose name had unfortunately spouted for the Goblet of Fire. Today was the first challenge of three, and you had done your best to be supportive of your friend.

“Hermione, please calm down. Harry will figure it out, he always does,” You glided down the steps in front of her, looking for your fellow Gryffindors.

“But a dragon! This challenge is unbelievably foul! And that Daily Prophet woman has made this all so much-” As Hermione rambled on, she paid little attention to her feet and accidentally stepped on the back of your heel.

The misstep along with the shock had caused you to lose your balance and begin to take a tumble down the steps. As you felt gravity pull you down and prepared yourself for the inevitable pain with it, a pair of arms and a masculine frame had caught you before the disaster could occur.

“Careful, (y/l/n), we can’t have you harming that beautiful face. It would be quite a shame if you took a nasty tumble down the stairs,” he spoke, his tone a fine line between flirtatious and condescending.

“Oh, I-” The boy helped you balance yourself on the steps again, and you finally lifted your head to meet the eyes of your savior, “Draco.”

“Are you alright, (y/l/n)? Not to frightened by the dragons, are you?” His grey eyes peered back up into yours as you were slightly taller than him due to the steps of the stairs.

“No, no, of course not,” You shook your head softly and smiled to the boy, “Thank you, Draco.”

As if on cue, Hermione had invaded the private moment between you and the Malfoy boy, “Excuse us, Malfoy, but we would like to go sit with our friends before Harry enters the arena.”

His gaze broke off to glare at Hermione, “Oh yeah, you catch quite a view of him cowering away from the beast. I bet he’ll forfeit the challenge five minutes in.”

Draco’s entire demeanor had changed from a strange kindness to a smug arrogance as he sneered at the Granger girl. You didn’t want anything more to come from the encounter, so you caught Draco's attention again by lightly fixing his hat that had become lopsided, “Thank you again, Draco, but we should really be getting to our seats.”

His eyes flickered back to you and his features softened again, “Well if you feel like joining me in cheering for Krum, there will remain a seat open for you.”

With that, he allows the pair of you the breeze past him as he returns to his seat. A warmth stayed persistent on your cheeks as you made your way next to Ron, who looked quite disgruntled.

“(y/n), what was that back there?” Hermione questioned as the pair of you took your seats,

“What happened? Harry say something?”

Before you could speak, Hermione replied, “I accidentally tripped (y/n), but Draco caught her before she could tumble down the steps. Which I guess is somewhat lucky, but he flirted with her.”

“Malfoy?!? But he-,” Ron looked at you, both quizzical and worried, “Did he do anything? He jinx you?”

“Um... no,” You looked between the two of them, lost in their confusion.

“But Malfoy can’t stand muggle-borns, even if they are kind or pretty as you, (y/n),” Ron wrinkled his nose at the thought.

“That’s just it,” Both yours and Ron’s attention snapped to Hermione, “I don’t think Malfoy knows that you’re muggle-born which probably is in your favor, you saw how he looked and spoke to me.”

A canon erupted, signaling that Harry would enter the arena in only a moment. The shock of it all had left you confused, “it was probably just a one-time encounter. Let’s just watch Harry, and let that just blow over.”

With that, the three of you cheered for the Gryffindor boy and mostly forgot about your encounter with Draco. Sure, the memory of it would continue to puzzle you and keep you up at night to only be lost in thought. Yet, December rolled around quicker than anyone expected and with it, exciting news.

Along with the Tri-Wizard Tournament, the tradition of the Yule Ball would fall on the eve of the winter solstice. Many girls around the school were already gossiping about dates, dress, and dancing even though many of their male colleagues seemed to be quite opposed to the event. That was until the school announced that the Weird Sisters would be playing a set at the ball.

Of course, the main chatter was who the champions were taking to the Yule Ball because every girl wanted Cedric or Viktor to ask them and every boy was lining up to ask Fleur. Yet poor Harry couldn’t seem to catch a break-even in finding a date for the night. But Hermione would be quite the talk of the town once everyone realized that she was Viktor’s date for the ball, and he had taken a further interest in her. The pair of you chatted as you walked towards your classes together - she was going to the astronomy tower and you were going to divinations.

“I still can’t believe you snagged Viktor Krum! I mean I’m not exactly surprised with both your beauty and brains-”

“Oh stop that,” Hermione blushed and tried to quiet you down, “Who are you going with? I know that you’ve been asked at least five times today!”

As she showered you in compliments, you saw the flash of platinum blonde hair breeze past the pair of you with a few followers trickling behind. It was undoubtedly Malfoy and his crew who were also headed to Professor Trelawney’s class.

“I haven’t said yes to anyone yet,” you admitted timidly.

“What?!? You have to be kidding me, (y/n). I know at least half the Durmstrang boys would love to be your escort for the night-”

“I-I know that, Hermione,” you flushed as the pair of you paused on the stairs, “I’m just... waiting for the right person.”

“Alright, just make sure you say yes to him. Or else I fear Harry or Ron will ask you,” You bid each other goodbye and separated to your designated classes.

As you made your way up the north tower to try and make it to class a few minutes early. Even though other students may have found her strange and overbearing, you knew that she was deep down a kind lady who wished the best for everyone she crossed paths with. Yet before you could make it up much further, you felt a light tug on the hood of your robes.

“Oh!” you jumped slightly at the shock.

“I’m sorry, I didn’t mean to frighten you, (y/n),” Michael Corner smiled as he glanced up at you, “do you have just a quick second?”

“I do, but let’s step into the window sill so that we’re out of the way,” you suggested. He stepped over onto it first, before offering his hand out to you, “Thank you.”

Few students passed by the two of you and up into the north tower, there was still 5 minutes till classes started but you still hoped to be early enough to snag a seat in the front.

“Well, how can I help you, Michael? Did you get my notes from Cho? I asked her to pass them onto you, but I can make you an extra copy-”

“No, no, she passed them along to me. Thank you for that. Potions is sadly not my area of expertise,” He smiled as a little blush dusted his cheeks, “I actually was wondering if you had a date to the Yule Ball? And if not-”

“(y/l/n)!” you heard Draco call and quickly hurry up the steps towards you, “Thank Salazar I found you before classes started.”

Draco paused next to you, giving you the kindest eyes before his gaze turned towards Michael. His expression changed into that of one mixed with jealousy and disagreement, “Corner, shouldn’t you be out in the greenhouses. Why don’t you leave (y/n) alone before someone gets the impression that a Ravenclaw is going to skip class.”

Michael glanced at you then over to Draco before disappearing down the stairs. Before he completely vanished from your sight, he looked back up at you with a very apparent look of disappointment in his eyes. Draco now took the spot where Michael was previously and held your right hand in his.

“(y/l/n), I don’t know if you realize but you are quite a wanted woman recently,” Draco smirked, his grey eyes flickering across your face as if gathering information.

“I guess so... I mean with the ball and everything, I have gotten plenty of proposals.”

“So I’ve heard, but you’ve yet to say yes to any of them, or so I’ve heard.”

“Correct again. I haven’t given my word to attend with anyone, but I did promise a dance or two to a few gentlemen,” you tried to analyze the situation as best as you could, but Draco remained unreadable to you. He also knew how to put up a good front.

“Well, (y/n), I am hoping that you’ll give me the pleasure of being my date to the Yule Ball, and hopefully, you will allow me to take you to Hogsmeade in the next few weeks,” his face had softened as he waited for a reply, his smugness and confident stance faltering under your gaze.

“Draco, are you asking me out? As your girlfriend and to the Yule Ball?”

“I figured- you know... two birds with one stone.”

“I would love to be your companion to the Yule Ball,” You beamed at him, “and your girlfriend.”

That day had long passed now. So had the Yule Ball and your entire fourth year. Now you were at the end of your fifth year and Draco no longer treated you like a prized possession, let alone sparing you a glance.

At some point in your relationship, the sweetness of being in love ended as he began expecting behaviors and ideas from you that you never expressed before. He still held Slytherin above every other house and expected you to treat those not in Slytherin's house the same way he did. He wanted your attention and affection at every second, instead of allowing you to be with friends and he rarely ever returned affections either. But the worst behavior that Draco partook of that crossed every line for you was the blood prejudice.

He held being part of the Sacred Twenty Eight to a higher degree than necessary in all aspects. There was a difference in being proud of your bloodline and then being prideful of your bloodline. And the Malfoy family very much fell into the pride of being Pureblooded Wizards.

That was when a puzzle really clicked into place for you. Yes, Draco had loved you for you, but he also needed his parents to love you. He tried to pressure you into a perfect little box that he could wrap up and present to mummy and daddy. You understood why he felt the needed to continue being the perfect Malfoy, but you couldn’t understand why he thought it was okay to pull you into it. His parents would never accept you for one reason.

“I don’t understand this, (y/l/n). we took a break just like you asked and it has done nothing. I know you still love me, so let's stop this ridiculous behavior. My parents want to meet you again. Mother loved you and I’m sure this time father will...”

“No, Draco. I don’t want to go back to the Manor,” You shook your head and took deep breaths.

“Well, that’s odd, but we can go to your estate-”

“No, can’t you listen-”

“The Three Broomsticks then, but please, I need you-”

“No, Draco, you aren’t listening to me,” tears threatened to spill as you felt your heart begin to shatter. You had never lied to Draco, but the truth about your family had never come to the surface.

As far as it concerned the Wizarding World, the (y/l/n) Family was also a part of the Sacred Twenty Eight Pureblood families. You understood the confusion and had to explain it to many of your friends and professors. But now Draco had to know the truth, even if it meant he wouldn’t be yours anymore.

“I’m not whoever you’ve painted me out to be,” your bottom lips quivered as you took a deep breath, “I’m not exactly who you think I am.”

Draco’s whole body dropped, “what do you mean?”

“Yes, I am part of the (y/l/n) bloodline, but I’m also a muggle-born.”

“No, that doesn’t make sense.”

“My grandparents had five children. My two uncles, my father, and my two aunts. All of them great wizards, except for my father who had no magical abilities - the only one in our family. He married my mother, who is a muggle. However, I am a witch.” you confessed it all, praying that he would understand. Maybe he would love you enough to glance over this fatal flaw.

“A squib? Your father is a squib and you never bothered to mention it!”

“It wasn’t that important I thought, because I’m still a member of a Pureblood family! I thought that you would see over it because it’s such a small hiccup.”

“I- no, I can’t just look over it. You know I can’t and you know I won’t,” Draco glared, looking at you with the same disdain that his father had when speaking of muggles.

“Draco, please. We can lie and just paint over this. I’ll even get my family to lie, but I don’t want to lose you. I’ve never felt like this with anyone, ever in my life,” A few stray tears managed to escape your defense as you begged him.

“(y/n), we both know who my parents, who my family, who we are associated with. I can’t risk it and neither can you.”

“I love you, Draco. And everyone knows it.”

“I love you too. And hopefully, you will get it through your head while I can’t love you anymore.”

During your sixth and seventh years, you never spoke to Draco, let alone offered a glance in his general direction. He shattered your heart after you had thought you had found your person, your soulmate if you will. The only thing the shocked you was that he never mentioned or let lose the dirtiest secret of your family. It wouldn’t have changed much but still have hurt you enough in many social circles.

Even after the Battle of Hogwarts had passed, you still hadn’t made up with Draco and even Harry Potter, his schoolyard nemesis, ended up coming to terms. All your friends were engaged, married, or dating. You had also tried, but nothing ever came of anything you attempted to pursue. The spark you once had with who you thought was the love of your life never reappeared with anyone else.

However, you heard from the newlywed Potter’s that Draco had married - an arranged marriage - but married nonetheless. To Astoria Greengrass who was two years your younger back in school. Both purebloods, caring for their family lineage. The news had come to you at the end of another failed relationship and felt like a ton of bricks on your chest.

No, the Malfoy prejudice was in no way your fault. You had done everything you could to salvage the relationships and love him unconditionally. But sometimes you wonder...

if one thing had been different, would everything be different?

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swordsandparasols · 5 years

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Gwanghae: History vs The Crowned Clown

TVN’s much anticipated sageuk, The Crowned Clown has aired and…my feelings are somewhat mixed. It’s good-certainly better than 100 Days Husband, and faster paced than the first episodes of Mr. Sunshine-but there are choices I question. In particular, it’s taking the popular path of using violence against women to show abuses of power. At this point it isn’t gratuitous, but if the show makes it a trend and makes it the main way to show the differences between the strong and weak in society and the palace, it could be a dealbreaker. We’ll see how the next couple weeks go.

The main point of this post, though, is the complicated and interesting history behind Gwanghae. The Crowned Clown is loosely based of Masquerade, a Prince & Pauper type story about Joseon’s fifteenth king, Gwanghae, who is quite the controversial figure, to the point where he’s one of only two of Joseon’s kings who was not given a posthumous title, instead sill being known by his princely title of Gwanhaegun. (The other is Yeonsanggun, who is less controversial and more sraight up reviled.) I have not seen Masquerade (I intended to before the series started, but it didn’t happen) but The Crowned Clown is a “serial numbers filed off” version of history. It sticks closer to history than, say, Grand Prince, or even some sageuks that don’t bother filing off the serial numbers. The biggest divergences (outside of the core premise of the king having a performer who looks just like him temporarily take his place in the palace) are that principle figures are deaged considerably, and the size of the royal family being scaled down. Unfortunately, this means some of the most interesting bits no longer apply.

Gwanghae was the second son of Seonjo, with both he and his older brother being born to one of Seonjo’s consorts. Seonjo had 23 children with 6 consorts, over half of them sons. Unfortunately, not a single one of those 23 children were with his queen. Fast forward some and an alarming number of those sons are reaching adulthood. (Seonjo’s brood had a fairly decent childhood survival rate at this point.) No crown prince has been selected and Queen Uiin unfortunately couldn’t get pregnant and produce a legitimate heir to conveniently solve the problem no matter how many temples she prayed at. Also inconvenient was the fact that Seonjo’s oldest son, Imhae, was generally considered totally incompetent, so that easy route wasn’t a very good idea either.

Fortunately or unfortunately (depending on whether you’re a noble or royal with the means to head for the hills, or a commoner stuck dealing with invading armies) in 1591, the Japanese decided they would just cross over through Joseon in order to attack China, resulting in a full scale invasion. Seonjo promptly sent a “The Japanese are coming!” letter to China and went of the defense. IT didn’t do him much good though and in 1592, he and most of the court fled to the Ming border. Who stayed behind? Second prince Gwanghae, who spent the next seven years as the defacto ruler of Joseon, seeing to defenses and overseeing reconstruction. (This is hat’s going on in the sageuk parts of Live Up To Your Name, and is the basis for the movie Warriors of the Dawn, which also feature Yeo Jin Goo as Gwanghae, but more age appropriate that time.) After the war, making Gwanghae Crown Prince was now the easy and obvious choice. He’d already done the job for over half a decade, after all. Sure, he wasn’t the oldest or legitimate, both of which were generally preferable, but he was the best they had.

Then in 1600, Queen Uiin died and Seonjo married the much much much (as in, younger than some of his kids) Queen Inmok, who promptly gave him two legitimate children in the space of 6 years. Princess Jeongmyung, who was no threat to the established status quo, and Prince Yeongchang, who very much was. “What’s this?” the court asked “A LEGITIMATE heir? And a baby who will probably still be a kid when the king croaks and therefore easier for us to influence than that stubborn and strongwilled Gwanghae? SIRE WE MUST HAVE A DISCUSSION!!!” Suddenly that bit where Gwanghae effectively saved the country and did a good job ruling for seven years when they all ran off with their tails between their legs didn’t seem s important anymore.

For better or worse, Seonjo died in 1608, when Prince Yeongchang was still a baby, and before any changes could be made regarding who the crown prince was. This did not make significant parts of the court stop conspiring to replace Gwanghae with Yeongchang, and eventually Gwanghae was forced to send Yeongchang into exile, where he died the next year at 12 years old. That Gwanghae either had him poisoned or one of his supporters took it upon themselves to have him poisoned on Gwanghae’s behalf Is the generally accepted but, strictly speaking, not proven cause. Somewhere around this time, Queen Inmok and Princess Jeongmyung are sent into exile. As a side note, Jeongmyung was believed dead for a while, prompting the basis for the series Hwajung, which, to my knowledge, is the only show dealing with the period that acknowledges that she existed, though others have been happy to have Yeongchang secretly survive until adulthood. The Dowager Queen and princess were also imprisoned and lived in near-poverty. This part most likely was something forced by dominant court factions that Gwanghae couldn’t prevent, but that didn’t mean he didn’t get the blame. Given that they believed him to be responsible for the little prince’s death, I’m sure they were also pretty happy to blame him for the situation.

Despite the bad handling of some family things, Gwanghae ended up a pretty good king, though not popular. He was a good politician, literary arts thrived under his rule (as long as you didn’t write Hong Gil Dong, that one went badly), he rebuilt multiple palaces that had been destroyed during the wars and redistributed lands to the common people. He reintroduced identification cards, attempted to bring smaller political factions to the fore instead of the court being and endless battle between two dogs fighting over a bone with no other opinions getting a say, and attempted to implement systems to make taxation easier on citizens, but was unable to widely implement it, only successfully doing so in one province. It did eventually spread to the rest of Joseon, but not until decades after he died. Realizing that Korea could not realistically stand on the same ground as some other countries in terms of military might, he sought to strengthen foreign relations, with the Ming Empire, Japan, and the Manchus.

During all this, though, well, he just wasn’t popular. SOMETIMES PEOPLE JUST DON’T LIKE YOU! (And think you had the wrong mom.) Plots were constant, causing paranoia to run high. (Given that he was later overthrown by his nephew-the much weaker King Injo-he was right to be paranoid.) All this leads up to Masquerade, in which the appropriately aged Gwanghae seeks a double to help him avoid being assassinated.

In The Crowned Clown, most, if not all, of this background is gone. Gwanghae became king at 33 years old. Yeo Jin goo is a decade younger and is playing a character the same age. (Jang Hyuk’s Seonjo is also a good 20 or so years younger.) Gone are the military accomplishments. Also gone are all his siblings except for Yeongchang. In addition, Queen Inmok is significantly older, not younger. Yi Hun’s (this version of Gwanghae) paranoia starts almost immediately after he becomes king, including many violent outbursts. With Yi Hun being so much younger and without the other siblings, but still illegitimate, the drama of his being crown prince while others prefer Yeongchang due to legitimacy is much more rote. This isn’t to say it’s badly done or boring or without it’s own drama or problems because it isn’t, it’s just way less interesting and not nearly as charged as the actual history was.

Given that this is a TV series that skews younger (and more female for the audience) than the movie, and that filing the serial numbers off gives them more freedom with the ending, I’m guessing that we’ll eventually learn that Yi Hun’s paranoia and outbursts were at least partly due to being poisoned, and the series will end with him becoming a better king, and the titular clown, Ha Seon, returning to his nomadic life, but with more awareness of how to fight injustice. That or they’ll kill Yi Hun and Ha Seon will become king with only a few people any the wiser. (It also wouldn’t surprise me if they revealed that Yeongchang’s death was faked.) Given that Yeo Jin Goo is a much beloved former child actor-in part because of his many child and teen years spent playing the younger versions of leads in sageuks-who only very recently transitioned into adult roles, I don’t really expect a too-brutal ending.

Incidentally, any time I’m reminded that Yeo Jin Goo is all grown up now, my reaction is along these lines:

“He is what? No he isn’t he’s only 15. YOUNG MAN WHY ARE YOU DOING PHOTOSHOOTS LIKE THIS BUTTON YOUR SHIRT RIGHT NOW!”

This despite the fact that he’s always looked a bit older than his age due to having fairly broad and strong features.

#the crowned clown #kdrama #sageuk #long post #midnight history lessons no one asked for

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ateamymm · 6 years

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What to Expect: Cleaning for Possession Day

A Clean House on Possession Day

This post may seem insignificant, but believe me, cleaning can be key to a stress-free transaction.

Here’s why...

We find that the most common customer service issue that arises during a real estate transaction has to do with cleaning. The reason, as I have come to discover, is that everyone has different standards for what they believe is considered a “clean” house.

For this blog, I’m going to discuss cleaning from both sides of the transaction - a seller’s perspective and a buyer’s perspective.

At the end, I will provide a checklist which is my opinion of what constitutes minimum standards for a move-out clean.

Seller Clients' Perspective

So you have received an offer on your home. Congratulations!

I would say about three-quarters of offers that my clients receive have some sort of cleaning term in the contract. This means that the buyers will want your home cleaned before they take possession. That is reasonable, right?

Right.

If there is no cleaning term, then it usually means the buyers will do the cleaning themselves or your home is vacant and they are already happy with the level of cleanliness.

Usually, the offer will have a cleaning term written in one of two[note]The cleaning term can name cleaners, duct cleaners, carpet cleaners, etc., and could even involve a hold-back term where the buyer reserves the right to hold back funds if they are not satisfied at the time of the walk-through.[/note] ways:

Seller to leave home in a professionally-clean state

Seller to have home professionally cleaned with receipts provided

Let’s look at each of the two main options in turn:

“Professionally Clean State”

This means that you can clean the home yourself OR you can hire someone to clean it for you. If you hire someone to clean for you, then they don’t need to provide you with any type of receipt. This is definitely the more desirable option of the two since it gives you the flexibility to do what you want regarding cleaning. That being said, there is an expectation that certain things will be done. Later on in this blog, you will find the list of “expected” items to be cleaned before the buyer moves in.

Professional Cleaning

With this option, the buyers are looking for a third-party, unbiased opinion of what “clean” means, which is why they want it professionally cleaned. Now I have had some seller clients tell me that they clean better than the professionals, which in many cases, I am sure is true!

The reason why buyers are asking for receipts to be provided isn't necessarily because they don’t trust that the homeowners will do a good job.

Instead, it is usually because they want to be able to have someone to call up afterward if they don’t think it was well done or if something was missed. Or perhaps they want to ensure that everything will be done (in case the homeowner just runs out of time at the end and skips corners).

So you see...if you are selling your home and the buyers put this term in the contract, PLEASE don’t be offended. Rather, if you accept the term, maybe look at it as though you will have less to do at the end of your move since someone else will be coming behind you to clean?! :)

As you will see later, we find that a quality clean seems to be less about the actual act of cleaning than about the list of items that are covered!

If you have a professional clean your home, then remember to leave the receipt for the cleaning on the counter when you move out so the buyers see it when they move in. We suggest you call around to a few cleaning companies as they will charge different rates.

[box] Helpful Hint: It is best to ask for a “move-out clean” since that will include everything that a buyer will expect to be done for possession day. [/box]

You always have the option to counter anything in the offer, including the cleaning term. In other words, if you receive an offer with “professional cleaning”, then you can always counter back with “professionally cleaned state” if you want to do the cleaning yourself. I have had seller clients who owned cleaning companies themselves, so of course, this is reasonable!

I won’t get into the details of negotiations as that is a whole other topic...

Buyer's Perspective

You’ve shopped until you’ve dropped and our buyer’s agent found you the perfect home. With their help, you’ve done your due diligence and you’re ready to offer. Fun times!

When sitting down with our superstar buyer’s specialist to write the offer, you can choose which (if any) cleaning term you want to ask for. Your A-Team buyer’s agent will help you to decide which one is best to ask for. The key here is to make sure to be true to yourself and ask for what really matters to you.

For example, if you are going to clean the home when you move in anyway, then maybe you ask for “professionally cleaned state” and focus on getting other things in your offer that really mean the most to you.

If you are going to feel better knowing that the home was cleaned thoroughly by a professional, then ask for professional cleaning with receipts to be provided. As noted above, you can even ask for a particular cleaning company if there is one that you really trust. This way, the sellers will have to leave a receipt in the home on possession day showing it was done (or it can be passed through the agents to you).

In summary: For many people, what matters most is cleanliness upon key release, whereas, for many others, it’s price. A lot will depend on the current state of the property!

Side note: It is generally not possible to negotiate cleaning terms of any kind with court sales or foreclosures, which make up 12% of inventory and approximately 20% of sales right now.

Personally, I prefer not to clean at the end of a big move, but that is a personal preference. After all, it can be expensive to hire someone else.

What is the Definition of a Professional Move-Out Clean?

Okay, this is the controversial bit, so please don’t shoot the messenger. We are just here to help set expectations in order to reduce the likelihood of you, as our client, being disappointed or stressed unnecessarily. If you have additions or suggestions, please feel free to leave them in the comments below.

Critical notes: We do think that if “professionally clean state” is selected, as a buyer client, you should go into the walk-through with very low expectations, as it is a very weak term that guarantees basically nothing. Under this term, as a seller client, you can likely do much less than a professional move-out clean and get away with it legally, but ethically and for the sake of your own sanity, it can be advisable to stick to the list below.

If you are hiring a cleaner for a full move-out clean, then you can ask to look at their checklist, and hopefully, their list exceeds ours!

Cleanliness is subjective, but here is our attempt at creating a cleaning checklist...

If your cleaner does all of these items, or if you do them yourself, then generally you will avoid too many issues at the walk-through. If professional cleaning is in the contract, it is our opinion that these items should be completed to a minimum standard:

Replace bulbs that are burned out

Dust everything including ledges, above doors & windows, baseboards and above cabinetry

Vacuum and wash floors

Pull out appliances in the kitchen (ie, fridge & stove) and clean behind them and on top of them

Clean inside of windows (you need to open the windows for this)

Wipe down window coverings (especially blinds, which can be very time consuming)

Full clean of bathrooms including tubs & showers and removing film from doors and shower heads

Wipe down fronts and inside cabinetry & drawers

Clean inside appliances including stove

Sweep out the garage and sheds if possible as well as remove any garbage from them (usually, the buyers are happy to receive extra paint for the walls, but you can always ask your agent to check for you)

Remove garbage inside and outside (includes items left under the deck, although sometimes a buyer will ask for this specifically if they are concerned about it not being done)

If furniture is being left behind, then wipe it down

Scrub sink, faucet, and countertops

Clean stove filters (if applicable), which can involve soaking them if quite dirty

Clean window sills

Wipe down fireplace

Clean door knobs

Clean light fixtures

Wash walls & doors

Wipe down laundry areas including inside the machines. Dirt gets stuck inside the lip of the washer (you’ll see!)

Sweep and clean front porch, back deck

Clear the yard of debris

Steam cleaning carpets is only required if the buyer asks for it in the contract

I hope you have found this post helpful! If you need further advice, please feel free to reach out to us. We have a small number of quality cleaners that we can recommend.

Thanks for reading & please share. Stay tuned for a vlog by Aleaha on this topic! :)

What to Expect: Cleaning for Possession Day is republished from https://ateamymm.ca/

#Real estate #Realtors #Talented Realtors

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