Moving Home? The Cleaning Checklist for Before You Unpack
6 min read · 10 Ten Cleans Editorial Team
Moving into a new home is exciting, but the property you inherit is rarely as clean as the one you left. Cleaning before the boxes arrive is one of the best investments you can make — an empty room takes a fraction of the time a furnished one does, and you start life in the new place on the right foot.
Clean before you unpack
Once furniture and boxes are in, the skirting boards, floors, and cupboard interiors become hard to reach. A pre-move clean of the empty property means every surface is done properly, once.
The priority order
Start with the kitchen — cupboards inside and out, the appliances you will use on day one, and the sink. Then the bathrooms, where limescale and grout need attention before they are in daily use. Follow with floors throughout, then the details: light fittings, skirting boards, window frames, and plug sockets.
Do not forget the cupboard interiors
The inside of kitchen and bathroom cupboards is where previous owners leave the most behind — crumbs, old liners, and dust. Wipe them out before you line them and stack your things.
End of tenancy, in reverse
The checklist for moving in is the mirror image of an end of tenancy clean. If the previous occupant had a professional end of tenancy clean done, you may be starting from a good base — but a quick walk-through with a torch will tell you. If not, a pre-move professional clean is worth every penny. Book ours ahead of your completion date and walk into a home that is ready to live in.
