For owners
After Builders Cleaning in Melbourne
After builders cleaning is for owners, not builders: the homeowner back after a renovation, the business opening a refurbished shop, the landlord getting a new build ready for tenants. The builder has gone, the work looks finished, and yet a fine grey film keeps settling on every surface. We remove it properly, along with the paint spots, silicone and stickers that got left behind. For the site manager's side of things, see builders cleaning for Melbourne building sites.
After the builder leaves
Why do you need an after builders clean once the builder has gone?
Because an after builders clean deals with what the builder's clean usually doesn't: the fine dust that settles for days after the work stops, the residue on new surfaces, and the inside of every cupboard and fitting. It is booked by the owner, to the owner's standard, just before moving in or opening.
Most building contracts include some cleaning, but it is written from the builder's point of view. The aim is a site that can be handed over, which often means debris out, floors swept and the obvious marks gone. That is a long way from a home you would put a newborn down in, or a cafe you would serve food from on opening day.
The dust is the real issue. Plaster sanding produces particles fine enough to hang in the air for hours and drift into every room, including the ones that were closed off. They keep settling after the tradespeople leave, which is why owners often find themselves wiping the same benchtop every morning for a fortnight.
An after builder cleaning visit breaks that cycle. We clean from the ceiling down, inside everything that opens, with filtered vacuums and damp cloths rather than dusters that just move the problem around. Done once, properly, it stops the daily wipe-down.
A clean also helps you check the builder's work. Once the dust is gone, chips in benchtops, scratches on glass and paint misses on skirting boards are much easier to see. Our supervisor notes anything like that during the walk-through, so you can add it to your defects list rather than finding it after the final payment.
Fine dust and residue
Where does renovation dust hide, and how do you get it out?
It hides high, inside and in tracks: vent grilles, light fittings, the tops of doors and cupboards, drawer runners, window and door tracks, and behind appliances. We remove it with HEPA-filtered vacuums and damp microfibre, working from the top of each room down, so nothing falls onto a surface already cleaned.
- Vent and return grilles. Dust is pulled in whenever the heating or cooling runs, then blown back out.
- Light fittings and fans. Warm bulbs and blades hold dust that falls when they are switched on.
- Tops of doors and architraves. Out of sight, and the first place a hand finds grit.
- Tops of cupboards and rangehoods. A flat ledge right under the ceiling catches the lot.
- Inside drawers and runners. Sawdust from the joinery install sits in every corner.
- Window and sliding door tracks. Grit here wears the rollers and scratches the frame.
- Skirting boards and floor edges. Where mopping pushes the dust and leaves it.
- Behind and under appliances. Offcuts, packaging and dust nobody moved the fridge to see.
| Residue | Where you find it | How we take it off | What we avoid |
|---|---|---|---|
| Paint spots | Glass, tiles, tapware, light switches | Blade on glass only, solvent on hard surfaces | Blades on frames, coated metal or stone |
| Silicone smears | Shower screens, benchtops, basins | Plastic scraper and a silicone remover | Abrasive pads on glass or acrylic |
| Stickers and labels | Appliances, windows, fixtures | Peel, then adhesive remover suited to the finish | Rubbing stainless steel against the grain |
| Grout haze | New tiles in wet areas and splashbacks | A product matched to the grout and tile | Acids on natural stone |
| Plaster dust | Everywhere, especially horizontal surfaces | HEPA vacuum first, then damp microfibre | Dry dusting and sweeping |
Keeping it clean afterwards is mostly about the first fortnight. Replace or wash the filters in ducted heating and split systems once the clean is done, because they will have caught a lot of dust. Use a vacuum with a good filter rather than a broom, and wipe with a damp cloth instead of a dry duster. A little dust will still appear for a week or so as the last of it works out of hidden gaps; that is normal and settles quickly.
Renovations and new builds
Is an after builders clean different for a renovation and a new build?
Yes. A renovation leaves dust in the rooms that were not touched as well as the ones that were, and often in your furniture and belongings. A new build is empty, so the clean is faster per room, but every surface is brand new and needs products that won't mark it.
After a renovation
Dust travels well beyond the room being worked on. Bedrooms at the far end of the house, closed cupboards and the clothes inside them all pick some up, so we clean the whole home rather than just the new kitchen or bathroom.
- Untouched rooms included, not just the new work
- Furniture wiped and soft furnishings vacuumed
- Ducted heating grilles and returns cleaned
- Belongings moved carefully and put back
After a new build
New homes, townhouses and fitouts are empty, which makes the work quicker, but every surface is new and some finishes are delicate. Matt tiles, engineered timber and stone benchtops each need the right product, and new appliances need film and labels off without scratching.
- Every cupboard, drawer and wardrobe inside and out
- Film and labels off appliances and fittings
- Windows, tracks and screens
- Garage and outdoor areas if you want them
Businesses book it too. A shop owner collecting the keys from a shopfitter, or an office manager taking over a refurbished floor, has the same problem: the builder's clean made it handover-ready, not customer-ready. Renovation cleaners in Melbourne who do this work regularly will ask about opening dates and stock deliveries, because the clean should happen after the fitters and before the stock arrives.
Landlords and property managers have one more reason to book it. A renovated rental is photographed for the condition report before the new tenants move in, and those photos set the standard the property has to be returned to. Starting the lease with a properly clean property, recorded that way, makes the eventual vacate much simpler for everyone.
For home building work in Victoria, Consumer Affairs Victoria's checklist for when building work is complete says the job is finished when the contracted works and major defects are done and the building surveyor has issued a Certificate of Final Inspection for a renovation or an Occupancy Permit for a new home. It also suggests checking everything works before the final payment. Booking the clean for just after that point means you are not cleaning around a builder coming back to fix defects.
If you are still working out which kind of clean you need, our guide on the difference between a builders clean, an after builders clean and a deep clean sets them out side by side.
Book it
How do you get a quote for after builders cleaning in Melbourne?
Tell us the suburb, the type of property, the number of rooms or rough floor area, what work was done and the date you want to move in or open. A few photos of the worst areas help us price it accurately, and larger homes or commercial spaces may get a quick visit first.
- Describe the jobRenovation or new build, rooms, floor types and the date you need it ready.
- Get a fixed priceA written scope listing the rooms, what is included and anything excluded.
- Walk it with usAt the end we go through the property with you and fix anything you point out.
A good time to book is as soon as the builder gives you a completion date, so the clean lands between the last trade leaving and the removalists arriving. Leave a day between them if you can. Moving furniture into dust means cleaning twice, and it is far easier to clean an empty room than one full of boxes.
If you are already living in the home, that is fine; plenty of renovations happen around the family. We work room by room, cover furniture we are cleaning above, and put everything back where it was. Tell us about anything fragile or valuable when you book, and whether pets will be home, so the crew can plan around them.
Price depends mostly on size, how much dust the work produced and whether you are already living there. To see what moves the figure, read our builders and after builders cleaning prices, or skip ahead and ask for your after builders clean quote.
Questions
What do owners ask before booking?
Timing, vents and how long it takes: the three things owners want to know before they book. Anything else, write it in the notes box when you ask for a price and it will be covered in our reply.
How soon after the builder leaves should we clean?
Do you clean vents and ducts?
How long does an after builders clean take?
Tired of wiping the same dust every morning?
Send the address, the rooms and your move-in or opening date. We will quote a clean that gets it done once.