After Renovation: What to Clean, Clear and Check Before You Move In
Check first, then clear, then clean. Once the final payment is made, getting a contractor back is much harder — so the order matters.
The short answer
- Checkfor defects before the final payment
- Cleardebris and leftover materials
- Cleanonce every trade has finished
Three jobs, in this order. Check the work for defects while your contractor is still waiting for the final payment. Clear the leftover debris and materials. Then clean properly, once every trade has finished and before the furniture arrives. Most regrets come from paying in full before checking, and from cleaning before the work is really done.
1. Check: find the defects before the final payment
Once a contractor has been paid in full, getting them back for a hollow tile or a sticking drawer is much harder. So walk the whole home before you pay, ideally in daylight, with a list — and mark each problem with masking tape so it can't be missed.
Tiling
- Tap floor and wall tiles; a hollow sound means poor bonding.
- Run your hand across the joins. Edges that don't sit flush are a trip hazard and a sign of rushed work.
- Look for chipped or cracked tiles, and grout that's missing, uneven or stained.
Carpentry
- Open and close every door, drawer and cabinet. They should close fully without catching, and soft-close fittings should actually soft-close.
- Check hinges and runners are tight, and that doors sit level with each other.
- Look for lifting laminate, and edge banding that's rough or missing.
Paint and walls
- Look along each wall with a torch held flat against it; patchiness and drips show up clearly.
- Check the joins where walls meet ceilings and cabinets.
Plumbing and drainage
- Run every tap and look underneath the sinks for drips.
- Pour water on the bathroom floors and check it drains to the floor trap without pooling.
- Check every floor trap and sink drains quickly. Cement, grout or tile adhesive washed down the drains during renovation is a common cause of blockages that only show up weeks later.
- Check the sealant around sinks, basins and shower screens is continuous.
Electrical
- Test every switch, light and power point, including the new ones.
- Check the distribution board is labelled and that any new circuits are on it.
Write up everything you find as a single dated list, send it to the contractor, and agree when it will be fixed. Then check the fixes before you make the final payment.
2. Clear: debris, leftovers and what to keep
What your contractor removes depends on your contract. Many clear the hacking debris and packaging from their own work; leftover materials, the old furniture you're replacing and your own boxes are usually yours to deal with.
Keep some spares. Hold on to a few of each type of tile, and note the brand and colour code of every paint. Tiles get discontinued, and a matching spare can save you retiling a whole wall when one cracks in a few years' time.
Renovation debris doesn't belong in the refuse chute or the bin centre. If there's more left than your contractor will take, or you're clearing out old furniture at the same time, a disposal service can take it all in one trip.
3. Clean: a post-renovation clean, not a sweep
Renovation dust is fine enough to get inside closed cabinets, window tracks, light fittings, the aircon and the top of every door frame. A proper post-renovation clean covers:
- Dust inside and on top of every cabinet, wardrobe and shelf.
- Window tracks, grilles, and door and window frames.
- Light fittings, fans and the tops of doors.
- Paint drips, and cement or grout haze on tiles, glass and fittings.
- Adhesive and protective film left on new fittings and glass.
- Floors, cleaned more than once — the dust keeps settling.
Timing matters. Clean after every trade has finished, including touch-ups and any curtain or blind installation, and before the furniture arrives. Clean too early and you'll pay for it twice.
Before you move in: the aircon
If the aircon ran during renovation, or wasn't covered while work went on, renovation dust will be sitting in the coils and filters. Have it serviced before you start using it every day. What servicing involves, and when you need more than a general service.
Moving into a BTO? The BTO guide covers the steps before renovation, including how to report defects within the defects liability period.
Common questions
When should post-renovation cleaning be done?
After every trade has finished — carpentry, electrical, painting and any touch-ups — and before furniture and curtains go in. Cleaning while work is still going on means paying to clean twice.
Does my contractor have to clear renovation debris?
It depends on your contract, so check it. Many contractors clear hacking debris and packaging from their own work, but leftover materials, old furniture and your own boxes are usually yours to deal with.
What should I check before making final payment to my contractor?
Walk the whole home with a checklist: hollow or chipped tiles, uneven grout, doors and drawers that don't close properly, patchy paint, leaks under sinks, drains that empty slowly, and any power point that doesn't work.
Why keep spare tiles after renovation?
Tiles get discontinued. If one cracks in a few years, a matching spare saves you retiling a whole section. Keep a few of each type, and note down your paint colour codes too.