It's time to move out of your current cramped apartment and into a brand-new house. All you've got to do is pack and leave. Right?
Wrong. If you don't make small repairs or at least perform some basic end of lease cleaning steps you won't be able to get your security deposit back. That's a lot of money to throw down the drain.
What should be included in your cleaning you ask? We're about to tell you. Keep reading for a complete list of everything you'll need to do before you move out of your apartment or rented home.
1. Your Living Room
Your living room is probably the largest room in your house. This means there is more to clean so it's best to get it out of the way first. The main two things you'll need to worry about doing is getting the carpets clean and dusting.
Vacuum the living room carpets to the best of your abilities and go over them with a nice steam cleaning. If there are still a lot of stains lingering around Safe-Dry® Carpet Cleaning can help you out.
Once your carpets are returned to their former luster, you can move on to the dusting. Go over your cabinets, shelves, TV stand, ceiling fan, and anything else you can think of. You won't only reduce the amount of dust in the living room but doing this will make for a cleaner move as well.
2. Kitchen
Your kitchen is going to need about as much TLC as the living room. Everything has to be wiped down. Clear out your cabinets and remove everything off the shelves.
Take a cloth and cleaner and go over each one, being sure to clear away all grime and dust. The next step is the dishwasher.
They gather a surprising amount of grime and dirt. Clean the surface of your dishwasher as thoroughly as possible and clear out any old food particles that have settled in the bottom.
A lot of times the oven is one of the first things a landlord will check when determining if you get your security deposit back. You need to clean the stovetop and every nook and cranny of the oven itself if you want to get that money back into your bank account.
We've saved the grossest part of the cleanup for last. Your Refrigerator. We're all guilty of letting food stay in the fridge for much longer than it needs to.
Go ahead and get that chore out of the way buy throwing away everything that's an interesting color or has outlived its expiration date. Next, you'll take out the food that's still good so you can wipe down the shelves. Once you do that you can put the good food back and let any trays soak in a tub or sink for a while.
3. The Bathroom
Your bathroom won't need quite as much cleaning done to it as the kitchen and living room. Still, it gathers quite a bit of grime for such a tiny room. Wipe down your toilet, shower, and counters to get rid of any stubborn stains.
Go over your mirror with a glass cleaner and then check your shower and sink to make sure they drain without any issues. If they aren't draining or taking a while to drain you'll need to fix the issue with a little Drano.
The metal fixtures in your bathroom tend to attract limescale. Using a mixture of white vinegar and lemon can help get rid of it.
4. Smaller Areas Nobody Thinks to Clean
After you've gotten the main rooms clean it's time to go over the little things. These are places that many people don't think to clean up. Wiping them down can increase your chance of getting your deposit back.
These places include the top of your fridge and cabinets, crown molding, windowsills, the back of the toilet, drip pans, and tile grout.
5. Be Careful About What You Leave Behind
When you're moving out you'll need a place to chuck your old furniture. This place should not be the dumpster outside your apartment building. This method is fine for your smaller boxes of ditch items but not so much for your clunky old couch.
That will need to be hauled off to the dump. If you try to put the burden of getting rid of your broken furniture on your landlord you may not get your deposit back and you could get charged a fee.
6. Perform Easy Fixes
Your landlord won't only charge you for a messy place but for any little damages done as well. You can cut back on how much is taken out of your deposit by doing a few repairs.
You don't have to do complicated stuff like going in and fixing wiring but you can at least patch up the small holes that you created with thumbtacks. All you'll need to do this is a putty knife, soft sponge, toothpick, sandpaper, paint, spackle, and a paintbrush.
End of Lease Cleaning That Needs to Get Done Before You Move
Are you nearing the end of your lease and would rather move out than renew? If you play your cards right you'll be able to get your security deposit back so you can put it towards furnishing your new house. Use this end of lease cleaning guide to make sure you leave no stone unturned.
Are you still looking for a new home to move into after your lease runs out? Check out our blog daily for all the latest real estate advice.
