Deceased estate cleaning is the deep clean of a loved one's home after it has been emptied, so it is ready for sale, a rental handover or a new owner. It is a different job from a deceased estate clearance, which removes the contents. Most Sydney families need both, and the order they happen in decides how much the estate pays.
Clearance or cleaning: which do you need?
- A clearance sorts the home, sets keepsakes and documents aside, removes the furniture and contents, empties the shed and garage, and leaves the house swept. This is the job Jack's does.
- A clean scrubs what is left: kitchen, bathrooms, floors, carpets, windows, walls and fixtures. This is a professional cleaner's job.
If you are looking for deceased estate cleaning and the house is still full, the first thing you need is a clearance.
Why the house should be cleared before it is cleaned
- It costs less. Cleaners price by the room and the hour. A full house hides the floors, walls and corners they need to reach, so an empty house is quicker to clean and easier to quote.
- You only pay once. Carrying furniture out scuffs walls and walks dirt through the house. A clean done before the clearance often has to be redone.
- Nothing important is lost. Documents, photos and jewellery turn up under beds, in wardrobes and at the back of cupboards. A clearance crew that sorts as it goes finds them and hands them back.
The usual order for a Sydney deceased estate
- The family collects keepsakes and anything left to someone in the will.
- The clearance: contents sorted, valuables set aside, everything else removed and the house swept.
- Any repairs the agent recommends, such as patching, painting or tidying the garden.
- The professional clean: kitchen, bathrooms, carpets and windows.
- Styling and photos, then the property goes to market or back to the landlord.
Book the cleaner for a date after the clearance, and ask them to quote on an empty house.
What a deceased estate clean usually covers
- Oven, cooktop and rangehood
- Bathrooms, tiles and grout
- Carpet steam cleaning
- Windows, sills and tracks
- Walls spot-cleaned, cupboards and wardrobes wiped out
- The fridge, if it is staying with the house
Scope and price vary from one cleaner to the next, so get what is included in writing before you book.
When you need a specialist cleaner first
If the person passed away at home and was not found for some time, or the home has serious mould, pests or hazardous waste, do not start with a clearance or a regular clean. Call a specialist trauma or biohazard cleaning company first. They have the training and equipment to make the property safe. Once they are done, the clearance and the regular clean can go ahead as normal.
If the home is heavily cluttered rather than unsafe, that is a clearance job. See our hoarding clear-outs.
What Jack's does, and what we leave to the cleaners
We handle deceased estate clearance across Sydney: every room, the shed, the garage and under the house, with keepsakes set aside and one fixed quote. Most clearances run between $1,000 and $8,000, depending on the size of the home and how full it is. We sweep as we go and hand back an empty, swept house.
We do not do bond-style cleaning, carpet steaming or windows, and we are not trauma cleaners. That line is deliberate. You get a clearance crew that does its job properly, and a cleaner who can do theirs on an empty house. For the steps before the clearance, see what to do when someone dies and our top five tips for clearing a deceased estate.
Common questions
Do I need to clean a deceased estate before selling?
It is usually the agent's recommendation rather than a requirement. A clean, empty house photographs and presents better, so most agents suggest a professional clean before photos and open homes. Ask your agent what suits the property.
What if the person was renting?
Check the lease and speak to the property manager about the condition the home needs to be handed back in. The order is the same: clear the home first, then book the clean.
Can the clearance and the clean happen on the same day?
It can for a small unit, as long as the cleaner starts after the clearance crew has finished. For most family homes, leave a day between them so nobody is working around anyone else.
Does Jack's do deceased estate cleaning?
No. We clear deceased estates across Sydney and leave the home empty and swept. We do not do bond-style cleaning, carpet steaming, windows or trauma cleaning. Book a professional cleaner for once we are done.