Move-In Cleaning: What Every New Homeowner Should Do First

A house that was "broom clean" at possession is still not clean enough to move into — closet interiors, cabinet undersides, appliance seals, and inside the toilet tank are almost universally skipped. Here's the move-in clean priority list.

Do it before the movers arrive

Move-in cleans are 3× faster with an empty house. Book the day between possession and moving day — even one day makes a massive difference. Same-day is possible, just tight.

The clean-from-the-top-down order

1. Ceiling fans and light fixtures
2. Vents, exhausts, and hood filter
3. All cabinets — inside, top, and undersides
4. All appliance interiors, seals, and behind them
5. All bathroom fixtures + inside toilet tank
6. Baseboards + doors + doorframes
7. Floors last

Spots the previous owner almost always misses

Fridge condenser coils, dishwasher filter, inside the washing machine drum (run a hot tub-clean cycle), dryer lint pipe, and behind the toilet. Also every drawer bottom — line them fresh after cleaning.

Get keys copied and locks rekeyed anyway

Not cleaning-related but critical: rekey locks (~$25/lock in most Canadian cities) before the second night. You have no idea how many keys were floating.

Cost and time

A professional move-in clean for a 3-bedroom Canadian home runs $320–$540 and takes 5–8 hours with a two-person crew. See move-in cleaning for detail. Add carpet steam if the previous owner had pets.

Frequently asked questions

Should I paint before or after the move-in clean?

Paint first, clean after. Cleaning removes paint dust and touch-up drips.

Do you clean inside kitchen cabinets and drawers?

Yes — always included in move-in cleans, regardless of visible condition.

What about the garage?

Add-on service ($120–220). Includes floor sweep, cobweb removal, and wall wipe-down.

Serving your area

We deliver this service across the GTA, Lower Mainland, and all major Canadian metros — including Toronto, Ottawa, Edmonton. See our full list of service areas or request a free quote.