Moving Out Cleaning Checklist

Last Updated: November 5, 2024Categories: Moving tips5.2 min read

Before you move out of your current place and move into a new one, there are things you have to do. Whether you are renting an apartment or selling your house, you should make sure that the next family who will move into your place will not find any fault. For people renting their place, this certainly means your landlord will probably hold your deposit hostage, and that’s if you’ll ever get it back. And for people selling their home, you don’t want the new homeowners to have a bad memory of the place as soon as they move in.

Moving Out Cleaning Checklist

But don’t feel intimidated. We’ve compiled the checklist that can serve as your guideline before you finally leave your place.

Before you start…

Make sure that you have everything you need. An all-purpose cleaner for your bathroom and kitchen, a vacuum that can reach corners, a duster to easily remove dust, and a lot of patience for all the effort. Cleaning your house can take days and even a week or two to finish. You have to set aside a schedule for this. You can start cleaning while packing some of the things that you will move to your new home. Make sure that you are not wearing something that you don’t want stains to ruin. Also, make sure you have a towel always near you so you can easily wipe off any dirt that clings to you. For people who need to repaint their place, make sure that you have enough paint and have prepared all the tools.

If you’ve checked all of that off, then it’s time to start cleaning.

Kitchen Cleaning

The kitchen should be the cleanest part of the house but it’s also the easiest one to get dirty. Make sure that there are no grimes or grease in all the appliances you will leave behind. Defrost the kitchen and throw away all the food in it. Then remove each rack and use a disinfecting spray to remove any dirt by wiping it off. Do the same for your kitchen oven. For a stronger spray, you can use baking soda with vinegar to instantly remove any stubborn stains.



Move Out Your Things

If you haven’t already, now is the time to remove anything that is yours. The easiest things to move out are your clothes, then follow that with any big furniture that you own. Finally, move out anything else that is left behind, from kitchen tools to bathroom supplies. If moving all your things is too much for you then you can hire a moving company that will do this job quickly and you’ll have the time for next steps.

Moving Out Cleaning Checklist - boxes

Take Out All Nails And Screws

When you have removed all of your paintings and pictures hanging, then it’s time to take out all of the nails and screws you’ve installed. For a good measure, you can also apply putty to smoothen the walls.

Dust Your Ceilings

Now that the place is almost bare, you can start dusting off the ceilings. There might be cobwebs or dust accumulations that needs to be removed to make sure that everything is clean.

Dust The Furniture Then Vacuum

Now that you have dusted your ceilings, you can start working on your furniture. Start dusting from the high shelves then go down, so that you don’t have to redo everything when the dust settles. Finally, vacuum the floor until you’re sure that there is no speck of dust left behind. There are areas that are sometimes hard to reach so make sure you have a special vacuum that can reach corners.

Repaint

There are certain walls in your home that may look very old because of exposure. You don’t have to repaint every wall, especially if most of your rooms are still in good condition. But if it’s a little dirty or needs to be recoated, then you should definitely paint it over.

Make Sure Your Windows Are Spotless

You may not notice it at first but the windows usually have a lot of fingerprints and specks of dust since the time you have moved in. You can easily wipe it off with all-purpose liquid cleaning spray to make sure that all of your windows are spotless.

Clean The Bathroom

You can use an all-purpose cleaner and spray it on the tiles of the bathroom. There are also stronger liquid cleaners that can remove any dark stains easily. After cleaning, you can pour water all over your bathroom. If there are stains left behind, you can use soap and a brush to scrub it off.

Clear Out The Garage And Storage

A lot of people forget about how messy their garage can be. Make sure that there is nothing there that can cause problems for the new owners. You have to double-check if you left anything in the storage area of your place. Then, you should make sure that you dust the ceilings and vacuum the floor.

Garden Care

While it seems like it’s no longer your problem to tend the garden, you should at least do a little bit of work before moving. Weed the tall grasses to make the house more inviting. You should also remove dead plants or trees in your garden. For extra measure, you can also mop and scrub the porch so that it will look brand new.

Consider Hiring A Cleaning Service

Perhaps cleaning your home before saying goodbye to it can be too much work, especially if you’re busy moving into your new home. Don’t worry, a move out cleaning service can help you with all your moving out cleaning needs! They come with complete equipment and tools that will make cleaning out your home a breeze for their own expert cleaners. They can also be booked online so you don’t have to go out just to hire some cleaners before you go home. A cleaning service can make your life convenient!

Nobody said that cleaning is easy but it’s very important before you leave a home. But after you’ve checked out all the list above, you’ll be ready to move on to a new place!


Share This Tip With Your Friends!

About the author

Handyman tips logo

The Handyman Tips Team is a group of authors that provides tips on the Handyman Tips website. The Handyman Tips team consists of real handymen, contractors, carpenters, woodworkers, and experts in home repairs, appliance repairs, and landscaping. The team is always there for visitors to the Handyman Tips website. If you can’t find the answer to your question on the Handyman Tips website, one of them will reply to you almost immediately if you contact them through the Ask the Handyman page!

Leave A Comment