Introduction to Bond Cleaning
Firstly, it is crucial to understand what bond cleaning exactly is. IYou may also find people referring to it as bond back cleaning, end of lease cleaning, or move out cleaning. Bond cleaning refers to the house cleaning that is done after a renters moves out of their rented space. House owners usually state in their rental agreement about the house condition they expect after the lease is over. They usually expect the house to be in a similar condition as it was when rented. They also expect the house to be clean and free from any pests or other issues.
If the rental conditions are not met, the tenants’ security deposit is affected. This means that if you are a tenant, you need to ensure that the move out cleaning is done well. This further ensures that you will get the complete security deposit back.
Many people prefer to do their own bond cleaning. However, cleaning companies can be hired for the same. Fortunately, large cities such as Melbourne have plenty of bond cleaning services.
6 Secrets to Help You Hire a Good Bond Cleaning Company
The purpose of end of lease cleaning should not be forgotten – to get your money back in time. It also means that there are no hassles in getting it back. The idea is to do the bond back cleaning so well that the landlord releases the money immediately.
SECRET 1: Avoid discounted cleaning companies
The average cost of end of lease cleaning differs from city to city. In Melbourne, your bond cleaning can cost up to $30 an hour. You need to be educated about the pricing of the move out cleaning before you hire an outfit. This helps you ensure that the quality of service is not compromised.
Overly cheap cleaning companies usually have a catch. Either the quality is abysmal or they skip on some of the essentials. They will charge you later for it making it even more expensive for you.
The key to avoiding this problem is, of course, making sure that you have a good idea about the industry’s standard pricing. You may also need to do a little bit of research online to achieve this.
SECRET 2: Get multiple estimates
To get a fair idea about the pricing, you can also request quotes from multiple companies. You can do this by contacting them directly or going through your real estate agent. Many realtors can help you get good cleaning companies as well.
Having multiple estimates helps you get a larger picture of the whole situation. You can compare the quotes and if the quality of service is comparable, you can go for the cheapest option. Again, make sure that you avoid overly discounted bond cleaning companies.
SECRET 3: Seasoned companies can help you get the security back quickly (H3)
The reason why experienced companies perform better here is that they are aware of what house owners expect of you. Experienced end of lease companies pay extra attention to those areas where there is a maximum chance for security deduction. This helps you get the money back quickly and without any altercations.
Whenever there is a question between pricing and experience, the latter should always take precedence. This is true for multiple reasons:
- Bond cleaning is charged at an hourly rate. You want faster services and experience helps in that.
- Experienced move out cleaners also take care that no extra damage occurs to the property.
- They know how to use the best equipment and supplies.
- They are easier to work with and will answer your questions better.
- They know exactly what the house owner expects and do a good job at solving that.
SECRET 4: Pay attention to the core services
Bond cleaning is a thorough cleanup of the entire property. This carefully executed service depends a lot on some important cleaning ‘verticals’ or ‘areas’. This may include vacuuming, steam cleaning carpets, upholstery cleaning, furniture cleaning, sanitising, etc. Identify the core services included in any general bond cleaning offering. Make sure that the company you hire excels in those.
From a general perspective, some of these include:
- Steam carpet cleaning.
- Kitchen cleaning.
- Tile and grout cleaning.
- Power vacuuming.
- Furniture upholstery laundering.
- Outdoor cleaning.
- Stain and odour removing service, and more.
SECRET 5: Expect the cleaning to take a chunk out of time
There are plenty of factors that decide how long your house cleaning should take. The most important one is how dirty your rented property is. It is just common sense, right? However, what exactly is dirty also plays a role. Carpets take longer to clean and if they require steam and stain treatments, they may take a few days to get back to you. Carpeted floors in general are hard to deal with. Stain treatments on any surface may also require overnight attention. To add to this, the number of cleaners the company employs to your project also plays a role. These factors and a few more intangible ones can decide how long the bond cleaning will take.
The moral here is to allocate some time for this house cleaning. Rushing into it may lead to unsatisfactory results.
SECRET 6: Get the bond cleaning done after you move out
One of the best ways to ensure that maximum efficiency is achieved is to start the end of lease cleaning after you have moved out. Packing and moving creates a lot of mess. If you start your cleaning beforehand and then start packing and loading, the entire purpose of cleaning will be lost. The movers or other helpers will use the house and its bathrooms and dirty it up again. The idea is to leave the cleaning to the very last. An empty house is also easier to clean.