The Ultimate Moving Out Cleaning Checklist

Guest blog post by David Smith, owner of Cleaning Services Group

Moving to a new home is, of course, a busy time as you try to ensure that you’ve taken everything with you and completed all the necessary (and cumbersome) paperwork. However, you still need to find the time to clean your former abode if you’re to have any hope of getting your deposit back and obtaining a positive reference from your landlord for future moves.

Don’t just dive straight into the cleaning duties, though. Go through each room to assess what needs to be done and speak with your landlord to clarify what is expected from you cleaning-wise. Also, define which jobs you’d be able to complete and which would need to be left to professionals.

There’s a good chance that you will be capable of performing many of the cleaning tasks involved in moving out. Floors and other surfaces will need to be swept and washed, with dust cleared from all objects. Don’t forget to wash the windows, either; the front windows especially will form an impression of the entire building in the eyes of prospective buyers or renters.

Some of the work is not going to be particularly appealing – cleaning the inside of an oven or scrubbing a bathtub comprehensively is not quite the stuff of dreams for most people. If you can motivate yourself to do it as best as you can, though, you’ll leave a gleaming residence for the next residents. It also gives you a good excuse to stick on a lengthy playlist of your favourite music; the energy of some feel-good tunes will naturally incentivise you to work that bit harder.

If you’d like a few more tips on performing those all-important moving out cleaning duties, check out the infographic below.