Whether you’re moving out because your lease is over or simply selling your old home, it’s essential to leave the place in good condition.
Now, the best way to achieve that, as well as save time and ensure you don’t miss anything, is to create and execute an effective plan.
Read on to find out how to best approach all that!
Before you start
Making a plan is the first step towards an easy and effective move-out cleaning.
Why?
Because solid and thorough planning can significantly reduce the time spent on the task, reduce your moving anxiety and increase your effectiveness.
So, where do you start?
If you rent your home, the best place for that would be to check your lease.
Now, landlords most often state in the lease that the property must be cleaned before moving out.
Yet, there’s no general consensus on “how clean is clean”, as everyone’s standards are different. Usually, tenants are expected to leave a property in the same state as it was when they moved in.
That makes proper cleaning a vital requirement for you to be able to get your security deposit back. Taking your time to do the task properly also allows you to avoid disputes and get good references.
If you’ve sold your home, then it’s simply customary to leave it in pristine condition for the new owners.
Whichever the reason, to carry out the task effectively, one thing is sure–you need a plan.
The planning stage
Developing a clear plan on how to proceed is crucial when it comes to effectiveness, as well as saving time.
Here’s a quick checklist:
- Decide whether you’re going to clean a little bit every day or whether you’re going to do it all at once. Usually, people who work from a list and do a little bit every day can ensure they don’t If you plan to avoid feeling like you’re stuck in one endless cleaning cycle before moving out, it’s best to set aside time to clean everything at once. miss anything and generally find this approach reduces anxiety by giving you a sense of progress.
- Gather your cleaning tools and equipment in one place. By having everything prepared beforehand, you won’t waste time looking for a specific tool, nor will you pause only to find a tool or a missing cleaning agent, which can derail the whole process.
- Write a checklist of everything that needs to be cleaned, room by room.
- Next, decide where to start cleaning by order of priority. Usually, you want to start with low-traffic areas first and leave the most used areas (such as the wet areas) for last.
- Make an inventory of everything you need to move and ensure you don’t forget any of your stuff when you move out. If you do, then the landlord will be forced to hire someone to remove it and can deduct the fee from your security deposit.
- You also want to plan some time for any last-minute cleaning.
Remember, the more thorough you are with your plan, the better the likelihood you will miss nothing.
How to do move-out cleaning effectively
First, do some kind of general cleaning before you proceed with the moving-out cleaning.
This includes:
- Removing all nails from the walls and patching holes;
- Cleaning the windows;
- Dusting ceiling fixtures and fans;
- Emptying out all cabinets and cleaning them;
- Wiping down doors and doorknobs;
- Removing any cobwebs.
Next comes the deep cleaning phase, where you want to be really thorough.
It’s also highly recommended that you perform deep cleaning after removing all the furniture and personal items.
You want to start cleaning top to bottom and clean low-traffic areas first.
The bedroom should be the most effortless room to clean, while most of the effort will be spent on the kitchen and bathroom.
A clean kitchen can make a great impression on your landlord, so you must concentrate much effort there. Ensure all appliances are clean (including the inside of the oven and the fridge), the walls are degreased, the sink is scrubbed clean, and any mineral deposits off of the faucet.
The bathroom is the other room in your home, which can make the most difference during a landlord inspection. Clean the walls and the mirror spotless, and remove any soap scum from the tiles. Don’t forget the shower curtain as well. Make sure the bathroom drawers are entirely empty.
Next, focus your efforts on the living room. You want to dust all surfaces and vacuum all carpets and area rugs. Clean all mirrors, vacuum, and mop hard surfaces as well. Ensure you also clean closet fronts and insides, as well as all doors, doorframes, and doorknobs.
Don’t forget to take care of the outdoors as well. Sweep the area outside your front door and remove any cobwebs. If you have a shed or a garage, ensure they’re also completely empty and swept.
Cleaning tips & general advice
One of the best tips before moving out is to clean everything thoroughly, take pictures as proof, and arrange for a landlord inspection. Ask the landlord if he thinks the cleanliness is satisfactory and whether he thinks there’s something else to be done.
That can establish a good tone and increase the likelihood of you getting back your security deposit in full.
Here are some answers to the most common questions regarding moving out cleaning.
Do you have to repair anything?
It’s recommended that you don’t go overboard with this and only carry out minor repairs yourself or hire a handyman instead.
Things that fall within that area are:
- patching up holes;
- replacing lightbulbs and batteries;
- re-painting rooms back to their original colour.
Also, don’t fix anything that came broken. No one will deduct money from your security deposit to repair it, nor should you spend anything to improve another’s personal property.
Which things do landlords most often charge for cleaning?
Usually, ordinary wear and tear are taken care of by the landlord, while damage (or excessive filth) is the tenant’s responsibility.
Pinning down which is which can be difficult, but anything that goes above and beyond normal usage will result in cleaning fees. For example, landlords can deduct money for cigarette burns on carpets or curtains but not for curtains faded by the sun.
How to ensure you get your security deposit back?
Most frequently, landlords deduct money from your security deposit for an unclean microwave, dirty oven, fridge, or external windows.
That’s why it’s important to deep clean those to ensure you get your money back.
In the end, moving out and relocating to a new home is a significant life event, and it’s always stressful. That’s why if you’re low on time and energy, sometimes hiring end of tenancy cleaners to clean your property makes much more sense.
That way, you will not only take some of the pressure off your back, but you will receive a thorough and professional service that will most surely result in your landlord returning your security deposit back in full.
Conclusion
When it’s time to relocate, it’s also time to clean.
However, when you go about it strategically, the process doesn’t have to be so daunting, and you can achieve much faster and more efficiently.
And when you finally move out and start your new life, and all your hard work results in getting your security deposit back in full, it’d be just the icing on the cake.