Bond cleans, why do they cost so much? What actually gets done and why its great to hire a professional.
So You're moving house...
Moving out of your rental, leasing your home to tenants, selling your home and leaving it fresh for the new owners. This type of clean has many different names and not every person has experienced just how much work it takes to complete the final clean. Often called an End of lease clean, Exit clean, Bond clean or Move out clean the end result requires the property to be clean from ceiling to floor ready for the next occupier. This style of clean is often the hardest part of your move and causes the biggest headaches. Fear not! I'm here to break down exactly what happens during your exit clean and why they can become costly.
What is usually included in an Exit Clean?
Think of the last time you moved into a new home, everything is (usually) freshly cleaned and ready for your belongings right?
During the course of an Exit clean every window, window track, cupboard, light fitting, fan and vent is cleaned inside and out. Walls are cobwebbed, washed and cleaned of scuff marks (where possible) in every room. The oven is cleaned including the racks and trays so they are as sparkling as they can get, even the oven door is often pulled apart to remove any drips or residue. Your Kitchen is cleaned inside and out of all cupboards, shelving and sinks. Bathrooms are scrubbed top to bottom, including the pesky grout lines that often get those little mould spots. Every wardrobe is dusted and scrubbed of marks.
Light switches and power points are cleaned of finger prints and dust. Mirrors are polished, skirting boards are cleaned and every single door, door frame and door handle is cleaned. Finally the floors! All flooring is then vacuumed and mopped. Carpet cleaning usually occurs however this is not generally included in the standard exit clean rates (Pest treatments are usually required if you own a pet).
Its a lot of things to remember Isn't it! When was the last time you remembered or even had the spare hour (or more!) to give the oven a deep clean? Cleaning all your windows and tracks alone can take more than a few hours.
What the average household cleans on a regular basis (Bathroom, Kitchen surfaces, dusting and floors). Compare that to an exit clean and then add in the stress of moving your entire household, often in a short timeframe its easy to see why it can turn into a headache. An exit clean can take a professional, with the knowledge and tools to complete the task, anywhere between 4hrs for a single bedroom apartment to over 20hrs of work for much larger homes. Not everyone has the time or energy to fit this in.
Why its worth hiring a professional.
Having someone complete your exit clean takes away some of the stress of juggling your daily life with the added pressure of moving properties. For larger homes unless you have some great friends and family willing to lend a hand it can take days to clean a property back to the standard your agent requires. Then the call backs! After handing your keys back and hoping to relax and enjoy setting up your new home your agent emails you a list of things still to be cleaned.....
Hiring a service to complete your exit clean means the clean is (often) completed within one day. If your agent sends any additional cleaning tasks, a good service includes these touch ups, you simply forward the email on. Give yourself a break, you don't have to do it all by yourself.
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