For completed builds and extensions
After-builders cleaning in Melbourne
A build can be finished to a very high standard and still present badly, because the last thing anyone sees is the film on the glass, the plaster dust in the door tracks and the sticker still on the oven. After-builders cleaning is the detailed final pass that decides whether the work reads as finished or nearly finished.
Best suited to
- Completed extensions, additions and second storeys
- Full home builds at the finished stage
- Renovators and interior professionals presenting a project to a client
Working to a builder’s handover date with a contract behind it? See builders and handover cleaning.
How this differs from a post-renovation clean
The tasks overlap. The emphasis does not.
| Post-renovation cleaning | After-builders cleaning | |
|---|---|---|
| Judged by | The person who is about to live there | The person who is about to inspect the finish |
| Main problem | Fine dust through an occupied home | Residue and protective film on brand-new surfaces |
| Emphasis | Making the house liveable again | Making the finish present as new |
| Typical property | Renovated kitchen, bathroom or whole home | Completed build, extension or addition |
What after-builders cleaning covers
Included as standard
- Removal of protective film, stickers, labels and barcodes from glass, appliances, tapware and fittings
- Internal glass, frames, sills and tracks, including the debris that collects in sliding door channels
- Plaster dust and sanding residue off every horizontal surface, including above cabinetry and high ledges
- Kitchen detailed inside and out: cupboards, drawers, benchtops, splashback, sink, tapware, appliance exteriors
- Bathrooms detailed: grout haze removal, silicone smears, screens, tiles, tapware, mirrors, exhaust covers
- Doors, frames, skirting and architraves, including top edges
- Light fittings, switches, power points, vents, handles, rails and hardware
- Floors vacuumed and washed, with hand detailing at edges, corners and thresholds
- Wardrobes, linen presses and built-in storage cleaned inside
Not included unless quoted separately
- Builders’ waste, offcuts, packaging and skip material
- Oven and appliance interiors
- Carpet steam cleaning
- Tile and grout restoration or resealing
- External windows above ground level
- Pressure cleaning of exteriors, driveways or paths
- Rectifying trade damage: scratched glass, chipped stone, paint defects
- Cleaning while trades are still working in the same area
The one that catches people out: grout haze. The fine cement film left on tiles after grouting is not dirt and does not come off with a normal wash. It needs the right product and the right timing, and left too long it becomes much harder to remove. If your tiles look permanently cloudy, that is what you are looking at. Tell us when you send photos.
Questions about after-builders cleaning
How long does an after-builders clean take?
Longer than most people expect, because the work is detail rather than area. A completed extension with a new kitchen and bathroom is usually a full day or more; a whole-home build is normally multi-day. Your quote states the hours. We do not start an open-ended job.
Do you take away the builders’ rubbish?
Not as standard. We remove waste our own cleaning generates. Offcuts, packaging, plasterboard and skip material are a separate job with different equipment and disposal costs. Ask and we will quote it or tell you who to call.
Can you clean while the trades are still finishing?
We can, but as staged work rather than as a final clean. Cleaning a room a trade will return to means paying to clean it twice. Tell us what is outstanding and we will structure the stages around it.
Will you remove the protective film from the windows and appliances?
Yes, that is standard. Film left on too long in Melbourne sun bonds to the surface and gets much harder to lift, so it is worth booking the clean rather than leaving it for months.
Do you work with builders and interior designers regularly?
Yes. If you are presenting a project to a client we will work to your presentation date and walk the property with you before we leave, so nothing is found after you have handed it over. For ongoing arrangements, see builders and handover cleaning.