Cleaning - a question of decency
The most important issue is that all key points should be discussed in advance with the contracting partner. This is especially true when it comes to cleaning - if the new owner plans as the very first thing extensive renovations, the seller is simply wasting his time and effort with a broom and cleaning aids.
Key aspects in the sales contract
There's no definitive legal basis when it comes to this point. If the buyer absolutely wants to take over the house in a specific condition, or if he determines that certain characteristics are especially important, these must be carefully and explicitly specified in the sales contract.
Standard cleaning
Otherwise, you must also be guided by good common sense. In this regard, says Patrick Zadrazil of the Swiss Homeowners' Association, «I recommend that people clean property thoroughly and to hand it over in the shape they'd like to receive it themselves. It's simply a question of decency.»
Furnishings or fixed installation?
Also, when it comes to pieces of furniture and appliances, the principle applies that the contractual partners should come to a clear agreement between themselves. This addresses, for example, the question of whether the grill on the terrace or a new washing machine in the bathroom is part of the portable furnishings belonging to the current owner or if they're part of the property being purchased.
What's included in the purchased property?
Otherwise the following applies: all components and equipment which are fixed to the structure belong to the property being purchased and are included in the sales price; this includes, for example, fixed installations of washing machines and dryers as well as built-in closets. From the buyer's viewpoint it can make sense to establish the condition of the property, for instance with photographs.