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If you are about to move, you may be struggling with whether or not to get the property professionally cleaned or DIY.

It is normal to have doubts since professional end of lease cleaning can be somewhat costly. Everything depends on your personal situation and how bad a condition your home is in.

If you have no time and it’s looking pretty awful, then you should go for a professional service. Often you need to spend a little to save more and this is definitely the case when it comes to receiving your bond back at 100%.

If it’s not too unacceptable, it could be an achievable goal for you to do it in a day or two. Organisation is the key.

DIY cleaning

Be careful not to underestimate the hard work required. Keep in mind that regardless of what the landlord wants you are only required to clean to the standard it was when you moved in.

In most residential tenancy agreements a steam cleaning of carpets is required. This is one area where you are helpless.

Leaving aside carpets, there are lots of things you can clean on your own.

Start your move out cleaning with these valuable tips:

  • Make a list of all the activities and places you have to clean
  • Have a master plan and clean the rooms one by one, don’t get stuck on one thing for hours
  • Place a time limit on each room so that you’re working against the clock
  • It’s easier and quicker when you have all your things already moved out
  • See if you can get some help from neighbours or friends

Benefits Of Professional End Of Lease Cleaning

End of lease cleaning is much more demanding than your typical clean.

You’re often dealing with fixtures and appliances that have never been cleaned. Some real estate agents need proof that the place is cleaned professionally so make sure your cleaning company provides you with a tax receipt.

It is a good idea to ask your householder/real estate agent if they have a preferred company, as this can make getting your bond back a lot easier.

If you are on a tight budget and perhaps can’t afford to engage a company which, provides an expert level of end of lease cleaning. An option could be to share this issue with your occupier. You can explain to him/her you would like the bond back so you can hire a cleaning service. They might be more likely to release the bond if experts will clean the property.

End of lease cleaners work smarter. They are familiar with what real estate agents and landlords are looking for and make sure they deliver on this.

Some householders can refuse to return your full bond back if not satisfied with the condition of the property.  The good news is, most cleaning companies will come back to fix the problem free of charge.

A professional end of lease clean lets you concentrate on your move and new home without being dragged back to your old one to clean it.

A blend of your own effort and a professional cleaning company is also a good option for end of lease cleaning.

It depends on the property – for carpeted areas professional cleaning will be a must, but for the other areas – it’s up to you whether to work on your own cleaning check list, or employ someone to do it for you.

Do you have any tips for end of lease cleaning; feel free to share your experiences below.

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  • Do it yourself. Who’s got the money to pay someone to do it? I’ve done this so many times and always get the full bond back

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  • Make sure you polish bathrooms and kitchens. They are the areas they notice most. Old t-shirts are fab for quick cleaning and polishing of rooms

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  • I’ve DIY and paid for this service, I think my clean was much better than the professionals.

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  • I’ve never had people in to clean during my renting days.. If your house is usually kept clean anyway, it shouldn’t be that big a job..

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  • We organised an end of lease clean on the day we moved out simply because we were so exhausted. They came within 48 hours, it was actually through the “Jims” group. The whole house was cleaned for $330 and it took the guy on his own, 8 hours. He did a really fantastic job.

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  • We got an end of lease clean once and we they didn’t do a very good job so if Iwas ever renting again I’d do it myself.

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  • We even bought a steam cleaner and do the lot ourselves.

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  • I got a professional cleaner for the new house so we can move in without hassle. it was the worst money I have ever spent. Not knowing the average charge, we paid 400 dollars for a new house to be cleaned.

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  • I love the line, “A professional end of lease clean lets you concentrate on your move and new home without being dragged back to your old one to clean it.”

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  • I do a better job than most cleaners I print a cleaning.plan for each room with what has to be done from skirting boards to tops of doors made.my last house easy to do we knew exactly where we were up to.

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  • i have only ever gotten a professional cleaner once and i always get my bond back. cleaning yourself isn’t to hard especially if you have a few friends your willing to shout pizza and drinks for help.

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  • sure is personal preference but i don’t see why you couldn’t do a great job by yourself!

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  • Some people clean better than others and some cleaning companies are not up to scratch either. Sometimes you have to go over what professional cleaners miss.

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  • My tip is to get organised and make sure you have the funds and the booking to have the property professionally cleaned, moving is a stressful time and there is enough to do moving from one place to another without having the added pressure of making sure that the old place is up to scratch. I think outsourcing this is the most important thing, also if simply selling a home, why make your life more stressful.

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  • I have never gotten a bond back, no matter how it is cleaned, leading to a firm dislike of real estate agents. One tried to charge me for carpet cleaning in a flat that only had floorboards.

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  • I always used to do it all myself, except for the carpets.

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  • i am a professional cleaner and do bond cleans, the best advise i can give is try to do the majority of the work yourself,like 1 night wipe off dirty marks from the walls, next night move washing machine and fridge clean behind, next night clean your rangehood and oven, the are some good oven cleaners out there that don’t smell and you only have to leave on for 30mins,next night if you have carpets get a good stiff broom and go around the wall edges to release the carpet balls, clean the overhead fans if you have any, then vacum,next night empty cupboads and clean, so when you get a quote from the pro you point out what you have done the less time they have to spend doing your place the less you have to pay


    • This is really practical advice! Thank you!

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  • We are moving in a few weeks, was debating on what to do if we clean or get someone else to clean. I guess it could be a fair few hundred by the time they spend a good day or 2 here. Thinking about getting a gardener also just to neaten it all up before the final inspection. It depends how hot it’s going to be as we are moving in Jan


    • it is safer with cleaners, most of them offer free re-clean within the first 48 hours, so your bond is safe! With you doing the cleaning there is always a chance your landlord will notice and hold back a huge chunk of your bond money!

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  • I would much prefer to pay for someone to clean it and I just go with the landlord’s preferred cleaner.as long as they are price competitive.

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  • I have learnt it is better to hire someone the estate agents use themselves, then it is someone they like and know. We have been lucky in that the last two times we have just told the agent they clean it and take it out of the bond. Less stress on myself and things are done the way they want and I do not have to find the money to pay the professionals.

    Reply

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