Hiring a cleaning company for a stress-free handover
Before you move into your new apartment, you have to give the old one a thorough clean. Instead of reaching for the mop and bucket yourself, you can hire professional cleaners to do the work for you. Here’s what to bear in mind.
13.09.2019
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How much does a professional end-of-tenancy cleaning cost?
The price of an end-of-tenancy cleaning does not just depend on the size of the apartment. It also depends on what needs to be cleaned. The toughest room is the kitchen, because the oven, extractor, sink and hob are all time-consuming to clean. Bathrooms also take longer, as does cleaning windows and blinds. So a general rule of thumb is that the more bathrooms, windows and blinds your apartment has, and the dirtier it is, the higher your cleaning bill will be.
This means that the figure may vary significantly from apartment to apartment. The average cost for a 3.5-room apartment is 910 francs, for a 4.5-room apartment 1,100 francs.
| Number of rooms | From | To | Average price |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1.5 | 540 | 723 | 632 |
| 2.5 | 640 | 857 | 749 |
| 3.5 | 805 | 1,015 | 910 |
| 4.5 | 940 | 1,257 | 1,099 |
| 5.5 | 1,173 | 1,490 | 1,332 |
| 6.5 | 1,373 | 1,757 | 1,565 |
Source: Comparis
Many cleaning companies will visit the property beforehand or ask for photos of the areas to be cleaned. This enables them to estimate the time involved and give you a realistic quote.
How do I find a cleaning firm?
You’ll find cleaning companies online. Request quotes from multiple companies in good time, as they get booked up very quickly around the standard moving dates (these depend on the canton, but are usually the end of March, end of June and end of September).
Removal firms often also offer end-of-tenancy cleaning services. If you book your move and cleaning with the same company, you will usually get a discount.
Quotes with handover guarantee
Have you requested quotes for apartment cleaning at comparis.ch? Quotes from cleaning companies of our moving partner topmovers always include a handover guarantee.
What must the cleaning quote contain?
Cleaning quotes should contain a fixed price. The cleaning and handover date, as well as the scope of cleaning services and liability for damage caused by the cleaning company must also be set out in writing.
You must also insist on a handover guarantee. This obliges the cleaning company to re-clean, free of charge, any areas that the landlord considers unsatisfactory at the handover.
What tasks will the cleaning firm take on?
Go through the necessary cleaning work item by item with the cleaning firm. Many tenancy agreements state what must be cleaned when you move out.
The final clean will usually cover the following:
Thorough cleaning of the kitchen, including the oven, extractor, fridge and kitchen cupboards
De-scaling of all taps and fittings, disinfection and polishing of bathrooms and sanitary facilities
Interior and exterior window frames, shutters/blinds, curtain tracks, windowsills and windowpanes
Doors, door handles, built-in cupboards, skirting boards, switches, sockets, radiators and floors
Washer and dryer, sunshades
Sweeping of terraces, patios and balconies
Cleaning of additional spaces such as the cellar, attic, post box and garage
If you only need to hand over your apartment in “swept clean” condition, there is less work involved. Remember that when moving out, you only have to do the cleaning and repairs that you are able to do yourself. If the landlord asks for specialist cleaning work (e.g. for fitted carpets) to be carried out by a professional, you can refuse. Any clauses in the tenancy agreement that state otherwise are not binding.
How long will it take if I do the cleaning myself?
Arranging for professionals to clean your apartment will make moving home less stressful. In addition, specialists know exactly what is expected from an end-of-tenancy cleaning. They also have all the necessary cleaning products for every room and type of dirt. But there is one main advantage of doing the cleaning yourself: it saves you money. The downside is that it takes a lot of time.
Depending on the apartment, professional cleaning companies can complete an end-of-tenancy cleaning in one day. You should plan at least two days if you are cleaning your home yourself. Even if you are then finished in one day, you still have a day to do any additional cleaning. Plan around one and a half hours for each room – except the bathroom and kitchen. You should expect these rooms to take up to around three and five hours respectively. Use the above list of cleaning tasks to create a detailed cleaning checklist (in German only) for each room. And don't forget: the more helping hands you have, the sooner you will be all done and dusted. Ask around your friends to see if they can help.
For more useful tips on the moving day, the final clean and settling into your new home, see the Comparis moving checklist.