Even a well-kept home can feel unfamiliar. You may want the cupboards cleaned before putting away your dishes, the bathroom thoroughly cleaned before the first shower, and the floors ready before your children start playing.
That fresh start matters. The challenge is fitting the work between getting the keys, finishing repairs and bringing in your belongings.
Your move-in cleaning plan at a glance
| When | What to do |
|---|---|
| During a property viewing | Photograph the areas that need attention and note what you want cleaned before moving in. |
| Before booking | Share the photos, your cleaning list, the expected key handover and the movers’ arrival time. |
| Before the cleaning appointment | Finish dusty work, empty the storage areas being cleaned and check access, water and electricity. |
| Before unpacking | Walk through the completed areas and check any drying or aftercare instructions. |
| On moving day | Keep unfinished areas clear and plan a light touch-up after the movers leave. |
The most important decision is what needs to be finished before your belongings make it harder to reach. Cleaning an empty cupboard or an exposed floor is easier to organise than emptying it—or moving furniture again—later.
1. Take useful photos while viewing the property
When visiting with your real estate agent, take photos of the areas you would like cleaned more thoroughly.¹ Start with the places you expect to use immediately: kitchen storage, appliances, bathrooms and bedrooms.
Take a wider photograph to show the area, followed by a close-up of anything that needs attention. Label the photos by room and add a short note:
Kitchen pantry: Clean the shelves and corners before we unpack groceries.
Main bathroom: Check the buildup around the lower shower-glass edge.
Child’s bedroom: Clean the floor and edges before the bed is assembled.
For kitchen cupboards, photograph the full run of cabinets and their interiors where possible. Counting doors alone can be misleading: one cabinet section may have one or two doors. A wider photograph helps the team understand the layout.
Mention anything a photo cannot show, such as an odour or a surface that feels sticky. Where furniture is still in place, flag the hidden areas to check again once the house is empty.
How photographs help the team prepare
A cleaning team may bring a broad range of supplies, but advance information helps them prepare for your particular home. Some buildup needs time with a suitable cleaning product before it can be removed.² Knowing about it early helps the team decide which tasks to start first and where to allow extra attention.
Send the photos before the appointment is finalised. Update the team if the condition changes after the previous occupants move out or contractors finish their work.
2. Decide what needs to be cleaned before unpacking
“Clean everything” can mean different things. You may be picturing empty drawers, clean oven interiors and every closet shelf, while the initial enquiry only mentions bedrooms, bathrooms and square footage.
List the interiors and detailed work you actually want. Then give each task a practical deadline: before furniture arrives, before you use the area, or later.
Move-In Deep Cleaning Checklist: What to Clean Before Unpacking
A move-in cleaning checklist for a 3,500-square-foot home
For this planning example, the home has four bedrooms, two full bathrooms, a powder room, a kitchen and pantry, living and dining areas, laundry, stairs and a finished basement recreation room. The basement is included in the 3,500 square feet.
The family will use the main bedroom and a child’s bedroom immediately. The other two bedrooms will become a guest room and home office, but can stay empty initially.
Their priorities are kitchen storage, appliance interiors, bathrooms and carpet cleaning in the two bedrooms they will use first.
Copy or print this checklist and adjust it to your home. Tick Agreed when the task is included in your booking, and Checked after reviewing the completed area.
| Room or area | Work requested | Needed before… | Agreed | Checked |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Kitchen surfaces | Countertops, sink, tap, backsplash, stovetop, cabinet fronts and handles. | Preparing the first meal. | ||
| Kitchen cabinets, drawers and pantry | Interior shelves, drawers, corners and accessible under-sink cabinet surfaces. | Putting away groceries, dishes and cookware. | ||
| Refrigerator, oven and microwave | Specify each interior to be cleaned. Prioritise the refrigerator before groceries arrive. | First use. | ||
| Main bathroom and powder room | Toilets, basins, taps, shower or bath, mirrors, accessible tile, floor edges and requested storage interiors. | The family’s first night. | ||
| Ensuite bathroom | Fixtures, shower or bath, mirrors, floor edges and requested storage interiors. Flag any buildup. | First use; it can follow the main bathroom if work is staged. | ||
| Main bedroom and child’s bedroom | Reachable ledges, door frames, baseboards, floors and requested closet interiors. | Beds are assembled and closets are filled. | ||
| Carpets in those two bedrooms | Assessment and any booked carpet treatment, with specific marks or concerns identified. | Furniture placement, allowing for drying and aftercare. | ||
| Living and dining areas | Reachable surfaces, trim, floor edges and floors beneath planned sofas, cabinets and shelving. | Large furniture is positioned. | ||
| Windows and patio doors | Requested accessible frames, sills, tracks and interior glass. Identify the windows and doors individually. | Furniture blocks access; easily reached glass can follow later. | ||
| Laundry, stairs and hallways | Accessible surfaces, appliance exteriors, handles, trim, floor edges and stair details. | Regular use, with a traffic-area touch-up after moving. | ||
| Guest room, home office and basement | Room details, floors and any requested storage interiors. | These rooms are furnished or used; keep them empty if cleaning later. |
Let’s Get It Clean · letsgetitclean.ca/blog/move-in-deep-cleaning-checklist/
At Let’s Get It Clean, cabinet and appliance interiors are separately priced additions. Include any closet interiors, window-glass work and carpet treatment in your enquiry as well, so they are accounted for from the start. Carpet cleaning is available as an addition to eligible deep-cleaning projects.
What to prioritise when the full list will not fit
In this example, the first appointment should focus on making the first night comfortable and completing work that furniture or unpacking will obstruct.
That puts essential kitchen cleaning, the main bathroom, the two occupied bedrooms and furniture-covered floor areas ahead of the unused guest room, office and basement.
A staged plan only works if the later areas remain accessible. Filling the guest room with boxes before its clean simply moves the access problem into another room.
If budget is the constraint, use the same list to decide which tasks you will handle yourself. Splitting the work across appointments does not automatically reduce the total amount of cleaning.
3. Reserve a cleaning window—not just a gap between appointments
At Let’s Get It Clean, a deep residential clean typically takes our team 8–10 hours on site. We confirm both the team size and expected cleaning window after reviewing your home, its condition and the services you would like included.
Share the key handover and mover times before fixing the cleaning appointment. A late-afternoon handover followed by movers the next morning may leave much less usable cleaning time than it appears.
A possible schedule for the example home
Assume dusty repairs are finished, the home will be empty and the team has confirmed that the requested work fits the appointment.
Thursday afternoon — receive the keys.
Check the empty property, confirm water and electricity, and send updated photos of anything hidden during the viewing. Flag unexpected belongings, new mess or unfinished contractor work.
Friday — complete the booked clean.
Keep the confirmed appointment window clear of movers and other trades. Review the work at the end and check any drying instructions.
Saturday — bring in the furniture.
Confirm carpet-treatment and drying requirements before fixing the delivery time. Place furniture only when the relevant areas are ready, and keep rooms awaiting a later clean empty.
What changes when the keys arrive late?
Suppose the keys arrive on Friday afternoon and the movers are booked for Saturday morning. Do not assume the full cleaning list will fit into the evening.
The useful choices are to move the delivery, arrange a suitable cleaning window, or agree on a smaller first stage. For this family, that might mean preparing essential kitchen areas, the main bathroom and two bedrooms first—but the team needs to confirm what is achievable.
Make that decision before belongings arrive. It is much harder to rearrange the plan with a moving truck outside.
4. Prepare the home so cleaning can start promptly
There is no need to pre-clean the property. Focus on removing obstacles.
The day before the appointment, check that the team can enter, park and use the water and electricity. Empty the cupboards and appliances included in the booking, and explain what furniture or belongings will remain.
Flag fresh paint, refinished surfaces and any special care instructions. Let the team know whether contractors will return; otherwise, you could schedule detailed cleaning immediately before more dust is created.
Choose one person to answer questions during the appointment. Keep the photographs and cleaning list together so decisions do not get scattered across different messages.
5. Walk through the home before unpacking
Keep your checklist available for the walkthrough. Start with the areas that will soon disappear behind belongings, and mark each one as checked once you have reviewed it.
Before putting away dishes and groceries: Open the cupboards, drawers, pantry and refrigerator included in the booking. Check the requested interiors and make sure they are dry before filling them.
Before assembling beds or positioning sofas: Look along the floor edges and the areas the furniture will cover. Follow any carpet-drying and aftercare instructions.
Before using the bathrooms: Review the requested fixtures, shower or bath, glass edges and storage interiors while everything is still accessible.
Before the team leaves: Point out anything that appears missed and clarify any outstanding work. At Let’s Get It Clean, a team lead quality-checks every clean; your walkthrough also gives you a chance to review the priorities you identified at the start.
The aim is to leave with a clear answer to two questions: What is ready to use, and what still needs attention?
6. Plan for the mess created by moving itself
The pre-move deep clean and the touch-up after unloading are two different jobs.
Choose a box-staging area with your movers so boxes do not end up inside rooms or against surfaces still awaiting cleaning. Label boxes by their destination, and ask the movers about suitable floor protection.
Keep a small move-day kit accessible: fresh cloths, bin bags and a cleaner suitable for your floors. Decide who will remove packing material and deal with footprints or new spills after unloading.
This avoids an easy disappointment: expecting the home to look untouched after a day of people carrying furniture through it.
Copy this brief to your cleaning company
Use this message to bring the important details together:
Property: Approximately [square footage], with [bedrooms], [full bathrooms] and [powder rooms]. The finished basement is [included/not included] in that figure.
Keys available: [Date and time.]
Movers or furniture arriving: [Date and time.]
Other work scheduled: [Painting, repairs, flooring or none.]
Ready for our first night: [Rooms and essential tasks.]
Work needed before furniture or unpacking: [Specific areas.]
Interiors and additional services requested: [Cabinets, closets, appliances, window glass and carpet cleaning.]
Rooms that can remain empty for later cleaning: [Rooms, or none.]
Concerns: [Buildup, odours, marks, delicate finishes or access issues.]
Photographs: [Attach with room labels.]
Main contact: [Name and phone number.]
Please confirm the cleaning list, team size, expected appointment window and any drying time we need to allow before furniture arrives.
A fresh start, right down to the cleaning supplies
At Let’s Get It Clean, each property gets fresh microfibre cloths and mops, along with new vacuum bags. Our equipment is washed and disinfected between properties, so preparation starts before we arrive at your door.
Plan your move-in deep clean
You do not need to know every cleaning technique before booking. Share your photographs, moving dates and priorities so the work can be planned around how you will actually use your home.
¹ Check with your agent before taking photographs, and keep occupants’ personal information and family photographs out of the frame. ↩
² Follow cleaning-product labels and surface-care instructions; longer contact time is not always better. Where disinfection is needed, follow the disinfectant’s stated contact time. ↩