March Out Cleaning?

sarahsarah

We are handing our house over on Monday and to be money saving we decided not to get a professional cleaner! Have badgered a couple of people to help out and we have got the whole weekend so should be ok I hope!

I've never done it before though so need all your tips please!

My friend didn't clean far enough down behind the radiators apparently so I'll remember that, and someone DH knows didnt open the windows and clean the ridge bit so I'll remember that too!!!

Any more?

It's the oven thats scared me, I just had a look and it is way worse than I thought.. Think its a bit later to get a pro in now and I have no idea how much it would cost!

Old_Trout_3

Once we hired professional cleaners. Paid it off from the disturbance allowance. Easy! Last time we did it ourselves. Horrible job! Oven cleaning I gave to a professional and luckily I did. Apparantly they even checked inside the rubber seals! Was well worth the payment.I think it cost me about £60. This did not include the outside of the cooker but that's the easy bit. This was in the London area. Check Netmums.. I don't have kids but there are good tips there for everybody and also about oven cleaning etc. You might get lucky and get one at the last minute.
It took us quite a long time to fill all the holes form the hooks on the walls and paint over them. Glad you've got help. There was only the two of us. If you ask me, a quick way to a divorce

fizzel81

im an ex forces wife (ok not quite ex yet but been seperated for over a year now)

we always did out own march outs (apart from cookers!) its not as bad as its imagined to be, i used to start few weeks before move so nearer the day it was just a wipe over, remember to clean inside window and door frames (ie when you open them they have that small gap) and to get dust down from tops or doors etc

i have my own carpet cleaner so always wipped that around, tip if there not the nicest of carpets clean just before march out, they will look better before they dry

if you have a wheeled bin remember to clean this, and there quite hot on limescale on taps and washing up sinks etc

geordie458

As far as oven cleaning goes, what you can do is remove all the removable bits; shelves trays sides walls etc, put them all carefully in a black bin bag so you dont hole the bag, then pour in about a pint of ammonia, not ammonia based cleaners but proper ammonia. Leave it outside for a good 24 hours, make sure kids or pets cant get near it. Then open the bag and remove bits, rinse off and dispose of the bag. They should come up a treat. The ammonia is cheap enough and theres no scrubbing involved.

bonsibabe

We always pay for the march out cleaners, it works out cheaper than expending all that excess energy and stress. All we have to do at the mo is take down all the curtains and take them to the cleaners, get a receipt and then make sure that we wipe down everything and make sure there is no surface grease on the cooker. The only thing we really need to clean is the carpets. We re lucky as we have a carpet cleaner so not too much work there although the living room is manky with the kids!

sarahsarah

I managed to get someone to clean the oven, he is doing it as we speak, and I am hiding because of the embarrassment of the state of it!

kitchpoo

dont forget to cut the grass. Each housing officer has their own pet hates. Pull the oven out and clean the reveal. Sweep behind airing cupboard cylinders. Make sure the loft is empty. On the oven make sure there is no grease behind the control knobs. And in the grille there is no grease on the sides between or above the metal guide bars. Also make sure every light has a bulb as missing bulbs are chargeable.

Old_Trout_3

sarahsarah wrote: »

I managed to get someone to clean the oven, he is doing it as we speak, and I am hiding because of the embarrassment of the state of it!

Don't worry. You should have seen mine.....

geordie458

I thought this was a money saving site? Paying someone else to clean your married quarter isnt really in the spirit is it?

Ivrytwr3

we moved into our own home through choice and decided to do a self pack saving £300 and own house clean saving £££££. We started the packing a few weeks in advance and that went well, but having to move into your own home and still have the MQ to clean was a huge burden what with work/child commitments on top.

It took us about a week to clean the house to standard and yes we saved ££££ but had i known how it would of gone i would definately have got someone else to do the house clean.

kitchpoo

top tip - After attending over 200 move ins and outs now...

Get a firm that guarentees move out.
Choose a firm by recommendation.
Sort out any proxy well in advance.
Find a cleaning firm who will attend move out.
If leaving a quarter in winter unattended - dont turn off all the heating until move out - leave the heating on at 10degC tickover.
At Pre move out ask how many keys you will need at MO and get them cut in advance if there are any missing.