HOW TO PREPARE FOR A RENTAL INSPECTION
Rental inspection can be extremely daunting and confronting for tenants. I mean, having a stranger walk through the property you call home, can certainly feel like your cleaning, and home organisation skills are under the microscope. But fear not, With our room-to-room cleaning tips, you can be well prepared for your next routine inspection.
By Baiba Grinberga
Before you start
Some of the best areas to start when decluttering, include, old clothing, unused toys, broken or damaged appliances and items that are no longer used frequently by you and your family.
Whilst decluttering can seem completely overwhelming to start with, get your family involved, kids included. and make a day of it. You will be surprised how much you can achieve when everyone pitches in.
If this feels very daunting, please get in touch with Personal Maids – we offer house inspection cleaning as part of our General House Cleaning Service.
“Some of the best areas to start when decluttering, include, old clothing, unused toys, broken or damaged appliances and items that are no longer used frequently by you and your family.“
Living room and common area cleaning before rental inspection
Once, you have completed some decluttering, its onto the cleaning, and what better place to start than your living room, with the three key areas in this room being lights, floors, and walls.
Lights – give your lights and ceiling fans a good dust, before using some sugar soap and warm water to clean the surfaces, removing any incidental marks. Should your property have older style light fittings, carefully remove and rinse, before putting back in place securely.
Walls- use some sugar soap and warm water to clean away any scuff marks and dirt, ensuring your walls are fresh. Don’t forget to remove all dust from skirting boards and architraves to ensure a complete clean. For any stubborn marks, particularly on white walls, products such as Magic Erasers can provide great results. Renal inspection agent would note any marks on walls during his visit.
Floors – to ensure your property is presented in its best light, give your floors a thorough once over. If your living area is floorboards, tiles or vinyl, a good sweep, vac and mop with warm soapy water will ensure any dirt and marks are removed. For those with carpet a thorough vacuum ensuring you remove all hairs and dirt.
Kitchen
The kitchen and bathroom areas of your home are the two areas that generally require the most attention. We recommend spending time on the following areas;
Sinks and plumbing – giving your sink a good rinse, and plumbing a wipe over to remove any dirt, grime, and residue, will ensure your sink doesn’t smell. It is also a great time to clean your drain which can be achieved through the use of vinegar and bicarb soda, which will absorb any odours, as well as many other drain cleaning products on the market.
Appliances and fittings – give all appliances such as ovens, rangehoods, dishwashers, even your kettle and toaster, a quick wipe.
Cabinets and benchtops – kitchens always look tidy with clean benchtops. Remove all clutter and unnecessary products and appliances from your benches and give each surface a wipe with warm water and surface cleaner. Use the same technique in your cabinets cleaning both the inside and outside of the units as well and the hardware, handles and knobs.
Splashbacks – easy to forget, but certainly an area of the kitchen which can get greasy and grimy. Whether your splashback is glass, stainless steel, or tiles, give it a through wipe, using warm water and surface spray. For particularly greasy areas, using some dishwashing liquid and warm water can achieve great results.
Bathroom
Bathrooms, just like the kitchen, require a lot of attention for rental inspection. Focus on these three areas to ensure your bathrooms are sparkling for your inspection.
Vanity – put away any unused products and give sinks a through wipe out. Clean all surfaces and the front of the vanity units doors and draws. For any frequently used lose objects such as hair accessories and makeup, consider storage options that ensure a neat and tidy appearance, such as containers and draw inserts.
Toilets – now is the time to give all toilets a thorough disinfect. As well as cleaning the bowl and problem areas such as under the lid, give all toilet surfaces a wipe over removing any dust and dirt. There are a large variety of products available you can use in this process, from store brought cleaning products and bleaches, through to more environmentally friendly options such as white vinegar.
Shower and Shower Screen – give both the inside and outside of your shower a thorough scrub, ensuring any mould and soap residue is removed from tiles and shower screens. Some great tips for cleaning a showers screen include using glass cleaner to ensure a streak free finish.
Bedrooms
If you have children residing in your home, the bedroom part of this checklist may prove to be a little challenging. Start by giving each room a good tidy, putting away unused toys and clothing. Once this is complete the room will be much easier to clean. Follow our tips for floors and walls above for great results.
Another key area is beds. Every bedroom looks so much neater, cleaner, and tidier, with a made bed, so remember to do that in each room on the morning of your inspection.
Exterior
Obviously, some homes will have far greater areas to clean and prepare than other in terms of exterior spaces. If you have large outdoor areas in your home, we recommend focusing on these areas.
Lawns and gardens – every property owner and real estate agent, wants to see that you are taking pride in the property, so moving the lawn, raking up leaves, weeding the garden, will ensure that the property looks neat, tidy, and well looked after. Remember to do both the front and rear areas.
Cobwebs – depending on the time of year, cobwebs are something that are easily forgotten. Grab a cobweb brush, duster or soft broom and go around all exterior areas of the property, wiping down any cobwebs you find.
Garages and Sheds – as you’ve already decluttered, this part should be easy and you will pass your house inspection without any problems. Ensure all tools and equipment are stored away appropriately and give the areas a good sweep and if required a high-pressure wash to remove any stains and tougher dirt stains.
Using our room-by-room checklist guide, is a great starting point when it comes to preparing for your next property inspection. However, nothing beats a professional clean. If you lack the time to undertake a pre-inspection clean yourself, give the team a call at Personal Maids a call, and we can take the stress out of your next rental inspection.
