Getting your home ready for its final inspection

With so many things to consider when moving to a new home, it’s always easy to let something slip through the net.

But failing to leave your house or flat in a proper state will only ever lead to problems further down the line, and the cost of a full professional clean (and usually an admin fee levied on top) being taken out of your deposit as a result.

Instead, ensure that your property is properly cleaned for the next tenants, and make your move safe in the knowledge that you’ll be getting your full deposit to spend on your new home. Here are some insider tips to ensure that you and your landlord are both happy come moving day:

Read your contract carefully

Your contract should contain provisions for what state your property must be left in come time for your final inspection. So go over it carefully, looking for both a general idea of what level of cleaning is expected from your landlord and whether there are any extra stipulations from your landlord or letting agent.

Some contracts will ask for a professional clean, and require that you supply a receipt as proof. Others may state that the oven or windows must be specially cleaned, or curtains dry cleaned. If you take care of everything in your contract, then there should be nothing stopping you from reclaiming your deposit in full.

Talk to your landlord/letting agent

Your letting agent or landlord isn’t looking to take as much cash off you as possible, and will be just as happy as you if they don’t have to do any work on the flat once you’ve moved out. So it’s always worth getting on the phone and asking what they are going to be looking out for in your final inspection.

Going in with as much knowledge of what’s required will make your clean much easier – and if your property is going to get professionally cleaned whatever you do you can know that there’s no cleaning for you to do!

Plan well ahead

Once you’ve researched what you’re going to need to achieve, make a plan of action and get everything written down so nothing gets missed. Do you have all of the cleaning products that are needed to get the job done? Will you need to enlist extra help? Work everything out with a plan of action, it’ll make everything much smoother on the day.

Take care of the details

Vacuum cleaning and wiping down all of your surfaces might constitute a vigorous clean for you, but it won’t be where a professional letting agent will be looking during your final inspection. Instead, it’s the little details that you need to take extra time over. The hood over your hob (housing your extractor fan, most probably) is a magnet for grease and is always a quick way for a letting agent to ascertain whether you’ve cleaned thoroughly enough.

Similarly, making sure that your oven and fridge are cleaned completely thoroughly (inside and out) is a must. Your letting agent will check these with extra scrutiny, so make sure they hold up. If you need help cleaning anything in your home, seek some professional advice.