What do you have to clean when moving house?
What constitutes fair wear and tear when you leave a rental property, and what damage will you have to fix?
When leaving your home after sale, what fixtures must you leave behind, and what can you take?
In this blog, we’re going to answer those questions for you.
Whether you are vacating a rental property or leaving your home after sale, one thing you must do is give the place a through spring clean. We’ve created a handy Spring Clean Checklist to guide you in that.
Then there are some additional things you need to know beyond cleaning when moving house, to ensure you meet the requirements of your lease and ensure the speedy return of your rental bond, or to prevent any last-minute issues with the settlement of your house sale.
Additional Requirements When Leaving A Rental Property
In order to receive your bond back, you’ll need to leave your rental in tip-top condition. Your lease will allow for general wear and tear. This could be things such as:
- Carpet wear in high traffic areas.
- Cracked plaster or paint due to movement in the house walls.
- Worn benchtops or bathtub enamel due to standard use.
However, you’ll be responsible for rectifying damage such as:
- Broken blinds.
- Stains from dropping food on the carpet.
- Holes in walls from picture hooks
- Marks left by furniture on walls.
You should also check whether the conditions of your lease require a professional steam clean of the carpets, professional window cleaning, or a whole house professional ‘vacate clean’.
If there are things to be fixed or professionally cleaned, it is worth talking to your real estate agent to find out whether this is a service they provide (at your expense), or whether you’ll need to organise it yourself.
Requirements When You’ve Sold Your Home
It is a legal requirement that you hand over your house in the same condition as it was when sold. As well as making sure the house is thoroughly cleaned, (insert link to blog part 1) you’ll also need to fix anything that has been broken or altered since the sale.
You also need to leave behind any ‘fixtures’, as they are considered part of the property. Fixtures are something that cannot be easily removed. They include:
- Wired-in light fixtures (but not necessarily the removable light covers)
- Overhead fans
- Fitted blinds (but not curtains)
- Installed air conditioners and heaters
- Ovens
- Under-bench dishwashers (as opposed to a plug-in dishwasher that sits on the bench).
Generally speaking, your washing machine and fridge are not considered fixtures, as they are plugged in and easy to remove.
The buyers of your house are entitled to do a pre-settlement inspection a few days before settlement occurs. While your house doesn’t need to be perfectly clean at this point (you may be in the throws of packing!), you should make sure any damage has been rectified, and that the garden is reasonably tidy, or you risk stalling settlement.
Hiring In Help For The Big Clean When Moving House
It is an enormous job packing, moving and cleaning when moving, all by yourself! And it is especially difficult returning to your previous abode to do that final clean at the time when you’re most exhausted. So plan in advance to get some help – whether that be from friends, or in hiring a professional cleaner, packer or removalist.
If that’s not in your budget, consider whether there are things you can sell on Facebook marketplace before you move, to raise the funds. Not only does it give you cash, you’ll have less to pack by getting rid of your extra stuff before moving.
Don’t forget, you can also reduce your workload by hiring professional packers and removalists. If you’re in Melbourne, Pinder Tower Movers can help with that. With over 30 years of removals experience, and a full suite of moving services, including packing, they will reduce your moving stress significantly.
Love to read Part 1 of How To Spring Clean When Moving House? Click the link to read.