Prepare the property in four passes
Step 1
Remove personal items
Empty the agreed cupboards and rooms, dispose of rubbish, and label anything that must remain.
Step 2
Make access reliable
Confirm keys, alarms, gates, parking, lift bookings, contact numbers, power, water, lighting, and lock-up instructions.
Step 3
Share the scope
Leave room counts, priorities, optional services, surface concerns, photographs, and the final completion deadline.
Step 4
Create a safe site
Disclose hazards, secure pets, keep children away, and ensure movers or trades will not block work areas.
Remove these avoidable obstacles
- Loose valuables, medicines, identity documents, cash, keys not needed by the cleaner, and sentimental items.
- Food, open containers, unlabelled chemicals, rubbish, recycling, and belongings inside storage being cleaned.
- Boxes in bathrooms, kitchens, corridors, stairs, appliance spaces, and the cleaner's planned exit route.
- Unsecured pets and pet equipment in areas where doors or gates may be opened.
- Vehicles or moving equipment occupying the agreed cleaner parking or unloading position.
Disclose condition and safety concerns
Tell the provider about mould, pests, sharp objects, bodily fluids, smoke residue, heavy lifting, broken fittings, unstable surfaces, or areas without safe access. Provide photographs where helpful and appropriate.
The cleaner may decline or isolate work outside their training, equipment, or agreed scope. Early disclosure gives you time to arrange a specialist instead of discovering the issue during the final hour.
Nominate one contact
Choose one person who can answer scope questions, approve any documented change, provide access, and complete the final walkthrough. Conflicting instructions from several people waste time.