In these current times, saving money wherever possible can only be a good thing. The pandemic in 2020 that continues now in 2021, has seen millions of people being furloughed or made unemployed. Money has become tighter for individuals, families, and businesses.
Many people rent due to lifestyle choices or because they are unable to afford to buy or perhaps they are just not ready yet. One part of renting that is on every tenant’s mind when leaving is the end-of-tenancy cleaning and hopefully, the return of the security deposit.
Many people don’t understand the relevance of end-of-tenancy cleaning and the effect it can have on how much of their deposit will be returned. They may also not factor in how much it can cost to clean their soon-to-be ex-home thoroughly.
Here are some ways to save on your moving out clean.
Why is an end-of-lease clean so important?
From a non-financial point of view, it is just pleasant to leave your former home in the condition it was when you moved in. This is good for the new tenants and you are probably hoping your next home will be equally clean.
When it comes to finances though, the condition you leave your home in could affect your security deposit. Most landlords are happy to return deposits because it means that their property is still in excellent condition and no work needs to be done. However, sometimes tenants leave homes in poor condition or a landlord might believe he is owed some money for extra cleaning.
Organizations such as the Tenants Union can help with inquiries about deposits being withheld and there are similar advisories for different countries and regions. In the UK, the Citizens Advice Bureau can often help in these situations. While this is all well and good, avoiding these problems by leaving the home in pristine condition is far more desirable.
How can you save money on your cleaning?
When it comes to move-out cleaning it can be costly in many ways that you haven’t thought of. Here are some of the ways that cleaning your home at the end of tenancy will affect you:
- You can lose overtime
- You may have to give up work shifts
- You may lose vacation time
- You might have to take unpaid leave
- You may need to pay for cleaning products
- You might also have to hire cleaning machinery
Cleaning products can be harmful and while there isn’t a financial cost involved, they might damage your health. According to the American Lung Association, many cleaning products are harmful to people’s health and can exacerbate symptoms in asthma sufferers.
However, if you fail to clean your home properly you may lose part of your deposit and that could be very costly. For this reason, it may be advisable to use a professional end-of-tenancy cleaning service.
Why call in the professionals to clean?
Using an experienced and professional cleaning service means that you will pay a one-off fee that could be far less than if you did it yourself. Also, these services often come with two guarantees that might mean you save more money.
The first guarantee concerns the quality of cleaning and if anything is not done to your expectations then the company will clean that area again. The second guarantee that a move out cleaning service offers is to assure you of a full deposit return.
This means that you will have a guarantee that you will have no deductions from your deposit regarding cleaning costs. If you have broken something in the apartment or house, then you will need to replace it but as far as cleaning is concerned there should be no deductions.
How to find one of these cleaning services?
When it comes close to the time of moving out you should start looking for a cleaning service. If you are wondering how to find a cleaning service then the easiest way is through Google. Search for references or reviews and check what guarantees the company offers.
You could also ask your landlord if he or she has a preferred service. Landlords can use these companies too and they may have one that they can recommend. This would mean that the landlord is fully aware of the end of lease clean and there should be no trouble over the deposit.
Summary
If you are thinking about cleaning your home yourself then try and recruit some friends to help to reduce the amount of time you need to take off work. Perhaps sell unwanted items and clothes to raise cash for cleaning products, or weigh up the pros and cons of hiring a company to do it for you.
Once you have factored in all the costs of taking time off work, hiring equipment, buying cleaning products, and not having a guarantee that your deposit will be returned, hiring an outside company could be extremely cost-effective.