If you're moving out of a home you've been renting, you want to be sure you leave it in excellent condition. When you leave a home you've rented in great shape, it helps you to get a good reference from your landlord in the future. Also, it helps to ensure that you're going to get your security deposit back. When you're cleaning, you want to be sure you don't forget to clean these 5 commonly forgotten areas:
The oven
Many times, the oven is one of the things a renter will forget to clean in the chaos of moving out. However, most landlords definitely remember to look in it when they do the walk through inspection to see how good of a shape you've left the rental in. Some ovens will have a simple self-cleaning feature, while others may require some elbow grease. Also, remember to clean the oven hood well.
The cupboards and drawers
You made sure you double and triple checked the kitchen and bathrooms, making sure you haven't left anything in the cupboards and drawers, but have you cleaned them well? You need to make sure you get on a step ladder and reach the top cupboards, washing them out to remove all dust and debris. Also, the drawers should be thoroughly cleaned, making sure you get all the way in the back.
Baseboards and window sills
While it's easy to remember to clean the floors and windows, many people lock the house up and turn in the keys without remembering to properly clean the baseboards and window sills. When the rest of the room is clean, leaving these two areas dirty will cause them to really stand out.
The backyard
When you're cleaning, don't forget to do a complete walk-through of the entire backyard. If you have dogs, make sure you haven't missed any messes. Also, make sure the side yard didn't get overlooked; this is a common area that often gets neglected when people move out.
Tops of closets
Get on a step stool and make sure the top shelves of all of the closets in the house are nice and clean. Double checking them will also help you make sure you didn't forget something in the back of the shelf.
Some managers will charge you for an entire professional cleaning if they have to mark down anything as being not properly cleaned. This is why you want to be sure you don't miss anything. If you want to be sure you get a great reference and don't get dinged after spending hours cleaning, you may want to hire a professional cleaning service like Kathy's Quality Cleaning, Inc. yourself.