Has your tenancy lease come to an end and is it time to pack up and move to new accommodation? The stress of moving can be overwhelming along with check out fees that you may have agreed to in your contract with your landlord or estate agent. The terms of nearly every contract will include an end of tenancy cleaning, which when using professional cleaners can be really expensive! Appreciating everyone’s need to save a penny here or there, we’ve compiled a Do-It-Yourself guide so you can take care of your own end of lease cleaning. If you follow every step you can be sure to leave your old rented accommodation spotless!
An end of tenancy cleaning is by no means a simple task, which is why so many tenants forfeit doing the job themselves and just agree to pay a cleaning agency. You’ll need to consider all aspects that must be properly cleaned, from the skirting boards, to the microwave and even the blinds, window frames and lighting fixtures! When handing over your keys you must be sure you’ve covered every area of cleaning, otherwise you may have to incur the charges of professional cleaning and your efforts will be wasted!
If you’ve fixed paintings or pictures to the walls by putting in new nails or screws, you must remove these and make sure you fill the holes with polyfilla and also paint them too so there are no visible markings. Landlords and estate agents are very particular when it comes to any wall damage, so this is one really vital point to remember! If there are any other marks or fingerprints on walls you’ll need to scrub these clean. My advice is to use a moist sponge and this should effectively remove any dirt from walls. Don’t forget to also clean skirting boards and radiators thoroughly as this is an area where dust and grime can collect!
A clean kitchen can often make all the difference to a property and it is actually the most frequently used room in any flat or house. The landlord is sure to scrutinise the state of the kitchen so you’ll really need to get stuck into giving all your surfaces a deep clean! Make sure you buy the right cleaning equipment and clean all your countertops, inside and outside all cupboards and drawers, the sink, the microwave (if you have one), the fridge/freezer and most importantly make sure you tackle over cleaning! You also need to clean the washing machine, both internally as well as externally and get rid of any residue that’s been left to build up in your detergent compartments!
Another area of rented accommodation that’s inspected in great deal by estate agents or a landlord is the bathroom and toilet! Be thorough when cleaning the bathtub, toilet, basin and tiles. Invest in a good bathroom stain remover and use only the best quality bath and toilet cleaners. You may need to use some grout removal product for in between bathroom tiles that can easily become marked and dirty over time. A good tip is to remember to remove all your personal belongings from a bathroom before inspection time! This will immediately make the bathroom appear cleaner!
Carpets can get really grubby so if you’re rented property is carpeted, you’ll need to try and restore it to its original state. First give the carpets a good once over with the vacuum and then try to remove any stains with home carpet stain removers. If this doesn’t work, then you may have to call in the professional carpet cleaners!
Hopefully this step-by-step guide to moving out cleaning has proved helpful and will leave your landlord more than satisfied with the state of their property! Good luck!