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Moving

Move-In Cleaning: Why You Should Deep Clean Before You Unpack

· 4 min read · By the Tip Top team

A cleaner wiping the inside of empty kitchen cupboards in a new apartment before move-in

The best time to deep clean a new home is before a single box comes through the door. Move-in cleaning services clean an empty flat or villa from top to bottom, so you start with clean cupboards, sanitised bathrooms and dust-free floors instead of cleaning around furniture later. Even if the previous tenant cleaned, or the property is brand new, a move-in clean is usually worth it.

Why clean a home that looks clean?

A property can look fine at a viewing and still need a proper clean. A few reasons:

  • You don't know the standard of the last clean. A quick wipe before handover often skips the inside of cupboards, the oven and the tracks of sliding doors.
  • Empty homes collect dust. A flat that has stood empty for a few weeks in Sharjah gathers a surprising layer of fine sand on floors, sills and shelves, especially if the AC has been off.
  • Previous occupants leave traces. Cooking grease, limescale, hair in drains and, in homes that had pets, dander and odours that you may only notice later.
  • New builds have construction dust. A newly finished unit often still has fine dust, paint specks and grout haze. That needs a post-construction approach; see what to check when hiring a post-construction cleaning company.

The empty-home advantage

Cleaning before you unpack is faster and more thorough than cleaning afterwards. With no furniture in the way, the team can reach every wall, skirting board and corner. Wardrobes and kitchen cabinets can be cleaned inside without emptying them first. And you put your own things into spaces you know are clean, which matters most for kitchen cupboards, wardrobes and anywhere children's toys or pet beds will go.

Timing tip: book the move-in clean for after the keys are handed over and before the movers arrive. If painters or handymen are doing work first, clean after they finish, not before.

What move-in cleaning services should cover

The focus is slightly different from a move-out clean. On a move-in, you're cleaning for your own family's health and comfort rather than for a landlord's inspection.

Kitchen

  • Inside and outside all cabinets, drawers and shelves
  • Oven, hob and extractor hood degreased
  • Fridge and freezer cleaned inside, if they come with the property
  • Sink, taps and splashback descaled and sanitised

Bathrooms

  • Toilet, basin, shower and bath sanitised
  • Limescale removed from taps, shower heads and glass
  • Grout and silicone cleaned, drains cleared of hair
  • Cabinets and mirror cabinets cleaned inside

Bedrooms and living areas

  • Inside wardrobes, including rails, shelves and drawers
  • Walls spot-cleaned, switches and door handles wiped
  • Skirting, doors and frames dusted and wiped
  • Floors cleaned edge to edge

Windows, balcony and AC

  • Interior glass, frames, sills and sliding tracks
  • Balcony swept and washed
  • AC grilles wiped

Useful extras to consider

Some jobs are much easier to do while the home is empty:

  • AC duct and coil cleaning. You rarely know when the system was last cleaned. Our AC duct cleaning guide explains what's involved.
  • Pest control, especially in kitchens and bathrooms, before your food and clothes are in the cupboards.
  • Carpet or curtain cleaning, if the landlord's soft furnishings are staying.
  • Pet-odour treatment, if the previous occupants had animals and you can smell it.

How long it takes and what it costs

Move-in cleaning is priced like a deep clean, by property size and condition. As a guide, Tip Top's deep cleaning starts from around AED 199 for a studio, roughly AED 299–599 for a 1–2 bedroom apartment and AED 999+ for villas. Extras such as sofa, carpet, mattress or pet-odour treatment are priced per item. We confirm the final price after a quick on-site or photo-based assessment, before work starts.

Most empty apartments take about 3–6 hours; larger villas can take most of a day. Teams are sized to the property, so the job is done in one visit, which matters when your movers are booked for the next morning.

Moving out of your old home too?

Many people need both cleans in the same week: one to hand back the old flat and one to prepare the new one. The two have different goals, and our comparison of move-in vs move-out cleaning explains which tasks matter for each. For the handover side, see our guide to move-out cleaning in Sharjah.

Before the cleaners arrive

  • Make sure water and electricity are connected; the team needs both.
  • Switch on the AC if you can, so the home is comfortable and dust settles less.
  • Take photos of any existing damage for your own records.
  • Arrange building access, parking and lift booking if your building requires it.
  • Point out anything you want extra attention on, such as a stained grout line or a smelly drain.