A renovation leaves the same kind of dust as a new build, but the clean afterwards is a different job. The home usually has a history, often has people living in it, and the dust does not stay in the rooms that were worked on. Knowing what makes it different helps you time the clean, prepare for it and set realistic expectations.
What makes it different from a new-build clean
The dust travels
On a new build, every room is part of the site. In a renovation, the work might be one kitchen or bathroom, but fine dust from cutting and sanding moves through doorways, along hallways and into cupboards in rooms nobody touched. A post-renovation clean often needs to cover more of the home than the renovated area.
People and belongings are in the way
Many renovations happen while people live in the home, or with furniture stored in some rooms. Dust settles on and inside things that would not be there on a building site, and the clean has to work around them.
Old and new surfaces sit side by side
A new benchtop meets existing cupboards; new tiles meet an old floor. Cleaning removes construction dust and light residue from both, but it does not change the age or wear of existing surfaces. An older floor will still look like an older floor, just without the dust.
Dust keeps settling
Fine dust hangs in the air and sits on ledges and door frames after the work stops, then keeps settling. That is one reason not to clean while trades are still working nearby, and why a touch-up is sometimes worth planning.
Where renovation dust ends up
Use this list when you describe the job, so the quote covers the whole area the dust reached:
- Inside cupboards, drawers and wardrobes, including in rooms next to the work
- Skirting boards, door frames, window sills and tracks
- Light switches, power points and fittings within reach
- Benchtops, splashbacks and appliance fronts
- Hard floors, especially edges and corners
- Carpets and rugs: vacuuming deals with surface dust, and carpet steam cleaning can be added if the carpet needs more
- Sofas, chairs and mattresses that stayed in the home, which can be steam cleaned as separate items
Our carpet steam cleaning cost guide explains how the carpet part is priced.
When to book it
- After the last trade, including painters and floor finishers. A clean done before the last trade finishes will not last.
- Before furniture and belongings return, if you can manage it. Empty rooms are quicker to clean and nothing has to be cleaned around.
- For a long renovation done in stages, consider a rough clean between stages and a final clean at the end. Rough cleaning vs final builders cleaning explains how the two differ.
Getting the home ready
- Ask the builder to remove rubbish, offcuts and packaging first. Building waste removal is not part of the clean.
- Move or cover belongings you do not want handled, and put away valuables and fragile items.
- Make sure power and water are on.
- Tell us which rooms were renovated and which rooms the dust reached, and send photos or plans if you have them.
- Let us know about access: keys, parking, and whether anyone will be home during the clean.
What a post-renovation clean will not do
- Remove paint, render or cement beyond light residue. Heavy removal can damage the surface and belongs with the trade.
- Take away rubbish or building waste.
- Reach anything that needs work at heights, such as high windows or voids that need scaffolds, harnesses or elevated platforms.
- Fix defects. Scratches, chips and marks that are in a surface rather than on it are for the relevant trade.
Our guide to what a builders final clean includes sets out the same boundaries for new builds.
Outside: driveways and paths
Trades’ vehicles, wheelbarrows and deliveries can leave the driveway and paths dirtier than before the work. Pressure washing of driveways and paths can be added to a builders clean. It suits built-up dirt on concrete and pavers, but it is not a way to remove cement splashes or paint. Read what to know before booking driveway pressure washing before adding it.
Getting a quote
Our builders cleaning covers renovations and fit-outs as well as new builds. It is quoted after we see the plans or the site; prices are confirmed in writing before starting, and changes on site are only booked after you approve them. Builders can send the details through the builders quote request. If you are a homeowner organising the clean yourself, contact us with the same details: what was renovated, which rooms the dust reached and when the last trade finishes.
Talk to us about your site
See exactly what our builders and post-construction cleaning includes, or go straight to the next step.
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