When you’re moving to a new place, the last thing you’ll probably be thinking about is cleaning up your old one. However, move-out cleaning is an essential part of the moving process. It’s just as important as packing up and bringing all your belongings. If you didn’t know that, well, now you know. And in the rest of this article, we’ll learn why move-out cleaning is essential and how it can benefit you.
Your Deposit Is Guaranteed
Although it’s not fair, many landlords will look for any reason not to give you your security deposit back. Believe it or not, the tidiness of the apartment can play a huge role here. If you don’t clean, sanitize, and disinfect the apartment or house after you move out, the landlord can argue that you left the place a mess and use a part of your security deposit to hire a cleaning service.
On the other hand, your landlord will be more likely to give you a favorable recommendation if you want to rent an apartment again if you leave your unit in the same (or better) condition than when you moved in.
Sometimes, the move-out cleaning is even covered in the renter’s agreement. In cases like that, it can even include a deep clean and a new coat of paint on all the walls so the space can look fresh for the new tenants.
You Can Sell The Home Faster
First impressions matter. When potential buyers see a dirty home, they might look at it as a fixer-upper and demand a lower price. If you’re moving out of your old house and putting it on the market, you must ensure it’s in the best possible condition. That, of course, includes a deep clean after you move out.
Furthermore, to sell the home more quickly, you can also try to stage the house in a way that appeals to potential future buyers. That includes decluttering the space, neutralizing it, and removing all your belongings. Doing this will help potential buyers envision themselves living in the room more easily.
It’s a Polite Thing to Do
While we’re not arguing, you must do a deep cleaning of your apartment before moving out (unless specified in your renter’s agreement). Leaving a dirty apartment behind you as you move out is inconsiderate of other people. It will give you bad karma.
Although most new tenants will clean the place before moving in, it would probably mean a lot to them if it is still somewhat clean. That means there are no mud tracks on the carpets for the future tenants to scrub. Or leaving your dog’s hair everywhere in case they’re allergic.
Be Sure You Didn’t Leave Anything Behind
By coming to your old apartment after moving out just to clean it, you can once again check if you left anything there by mistake. For example, you may have forgotten to pack a few things from the back of your closet. Coming back to clean is a chance to go through the apartment again to triple-check if you left anything behind. In most cases, people don’t tend to forget things, but you can never be sure if you’re the exception to this.
It will also allow you to say goodbye to your old apartment and life. Getting closure is essential when you finish a chapter of your life. So, when the time comes, you can say goodbye to your old apartment. In addition, you can take a few minutes to remember all the good things that happened to you there. After you finish, you can move on and never look back.
You Don’t Have to Do It by Yourself
If you don’t have time or are too stressed by the move to go back and clean, you don’t have to do it yourself. Or even if you just don’t like cleaning, you don’t have to do it on your own. You can hire a professional cleaning service to do your dirty work. Cleaning the bathtub, shower, and toilets, wiping all the baseboards and cupboards, sanitizing sinks and counters, vacuuming, and sweeping all the floors are some of the duties included in a move-out cleaning checklist.
However, a thorough cleaning like this is mostly possible when the furniture is already hauled out. Additionally, a professional cleaning service has the necessary cleaning supplies and instruments to do the task perfectly. As a result, they leave your home, apartment, or condo sterilized and immaculate for the subsequent tenants.
Moving Out
Moving out of one place into another is, as we already said, very stressful. It’s not enough that you have to go through the trouble of packing all your belongings and then unpacking them in your new place; you also have to think about transferring them in the most convenient, cost-effective way.
One of the best ways to achieve that and save time and money is to hire professional movers. Look for reputable movers from your area who have excellent online reviews. This way, you’ll get the help you need so you can focus on other parts of this process without worrying about the safety of your belongings. For example, if you have kids or pets, you can spend the moving day together while movers do everything else.
Final Thoughts
Your chances of getting your security deposit back are lower if you leave a mess in your old apartment. That is one of the main reasons why move-out cleaning is so important. Moreover, it’s also a decent thing to do. Leaving your mess for others to clean up is inconsiderate and rude and may even cost you. However, the good news is you don’t have to clean if you don’t want to or don’t have the time. You can always hire professional cleaners to care for the mess and leave the place cleaner and shinier than before. Believe it or not, this might help you score a letter of recommendation from your past landlord.
Meta: Everybody knows why you need to clean before moving in. However, move-out cleaning is just as important, if not more!
Photo: https://www.pexels.com/photo/woman-sitting-on-floor-beside-packed-boxes-7218512/