How much do you pay for a bond clean?

Discussion in 'Repairs & Maintenance' started by kimba88, 1st Jun, 2016.

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  1. kimba88

    kimba88 Well-Known Member

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    Just wondering how much do you guys actually pay for a bond clean? So the property is completely vacant with no furniture in there. Maintenance works were done.. air con installed, polished the floorboards, 3 x fans installed. I got charged $450 for the bond clean only. I thought this sounded astronomical!

    Also, my gardens were mowed and whipper-snipped twice in 2 weeks (in QLD).. they also cut and raked a few branches.. got charged $165.

    Are these prices sounding right.. especially for that bond clean? I'm feeling ripped off. These are the only 2 items on my statement that also have not had GST charged. I was also not advised of how much i was going to be charged.. the PM organised this themselves. I think this work might've been done by people they know :-/
     
  2. kierank

    kierank Well-Known Member

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    From memory, around $400.
     
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  3. Xenia

    Xenia Well-Known Member

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    A bond clean is not just wiping over things, it is a thorough clean. I want to see all flyscreens removed and washed, windows washed inside and out, carpets steam cleaned professionally.
    All burn stains on ovens and cook tops removed. It is not OK to just have it "clean" and have burn stains around the cook top because "they just don't come off" like some tenants have told me.
    Water stains on shower screens need to be completely removed.

    All kitchen cupboards cleaned inside and out.
    Range hoods need to look and feel clean not sticky.

    It is a different level of clean than you would do if you were living in the house. It's a big job, it's specialised cleaners that can do it and you need to be able to send them back to re-do it again if not up to scratch. I've made tenants pay for cleaning again because they used regular cheap cleaners who just thought it was OK to wipe over things and not detail the property.

    Yes it's expensive, $450 is not unreasonable.
     
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  4. Darlinghurst Boy

    Darlinghurst Boy Well-Known Member

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    They installed 3 x ceiling fans for this price as well ?
    By memory a electrcian charged me $250 just for 3 ceiling fan installations !

    Including GST it doesnt seem high to me .

    But..... Dont firget the PM has also taken a bit out for themselves too ..:cool:
     
  5. kimba88

    kimba88 Well-Known Member

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    No, the electrician did that work separate. They cost $550 for supply and install. I was just explaining what tradies may have left a slight mess for the cleaner.
     
  6. kimba88

    kimba88 Well-Known Member

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    Wow, ok. I just thought it was expensive considering the house has been previously vacant for 6months. There was no carpet in the house either to steam clean.. Only newly polished floor boards done a month ago. I can understand a steam clean adding value into the price.. But the floorboards may have needed a sweep/vacuum (hopefully not scratched). There was also no range hood. It was ex housing commission 6yrs ago. Very, very basic house.

    Other side research shows me that the cleaning business looks like it only started in May 2016..looks like I may've been their first client or close to. The invoice shows the same last name as my property manager too. It just concerned me.. Thats all.

    I have no idea if flyscreens etc were removed and cleaned, bathroom's water stains removed,and oven thoroughly cleaned.. The property is interstate. I guess that's one downside to owning property interstate.
     
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  7. legallyblonde

    legallyblonde Well-Known Member

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    Surely a bond clean only takes one day. That is an amazing hourly rate for unskilled labour...
     
  8. wylie

    wylie Moderator Staff Member

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    I'd be keen to her from the PMs here about this. I doubt the PM takes a cut.

    We had a very dirty house that had been lived in by students for about 15 years. We organised cleaners to clean and take it from the bond. When they arrived, they said it would be $1200. It was a big five bedroom, two bathroom house and was VERY dirty.

    We baulked at that, especially as the whole house was going to be painted. Instead of paying the cleaners to clean walls, dust etc from every surface, we paid our son's mate to clean every window (multi pane) at an hourly rate over several days. He did a great job.

    I cleaned the kitchen cupboards, sanded, sealed and painted them myself.

    We paid the professional cleaners to clean the oven and the bathrooms. That was several hundred but well worth it.
     
  9. kierank

    kierank Well-Known Member

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    If it is done properly, they can have the money. I have better things to do with my time.

    And besides, for IPs, it is tax deductible.
     
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  10. Jamie Moore

    Jamie Moore MORTGAGE BROKER - AUSTRALIA WIDE Business Member

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    Around $400 sounds about right - there's usually a fair bit of cleaning involved. We had an IP suddenly become vacant - we had to get it cleaned before it was leased out again and it was $400 from memory (the place wasn't trashed or anything - but still needed a decent clean which takes time).

    Cheers

    Jamie
     
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  11. Azazel

    Azazel Well-Known Member

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    Probably not what you want to hear, but there's a lesson in there.
    Always get a price up front.
     
  12. D.T.

    D.T. Specialist Property Manager Business Member

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    Of course not, he's just trolling. That's illegal.

    Cleaner should be 30-35 an hour, I have a north one, south one and west one who all charge within this range.

    Duration for a bond clean is going to depend on the size and condition of the house. I've seen anything 3-12 hrs.
     
    Last edited: 2nd Jun, 2016
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  13. kimba88

    kimba88 Well-Known Member

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    Yep, wish the PM consulted with me before doing it. I have told her about how unhappy I am with that price. I'm sure there are other cleaners out there that do it cheaper. It's quite a small house.
     
  14. kimba88

    kimba88 Well-Known Member

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    $30-$35/hr makes more sense. It's only a small house. No way they would have been there for 12hrs+
     
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  15. Azazel

    Azazel Well-Known Member

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    It can be a good idea to go with the agents suggestion for a cleaner if your finishing a lease as a rentist, if there are any issues, they recommended them.
    But a bit different when it's your house.
     
  16. No Probs

    No Probs Well-Known Member

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    You don't need to be registered for GST if your turn over is below $75k, this would be why you haven't been charged GST.
     
  17. Azazel

    Azazel Well-Known Member

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    Earning that much seems they would go over that amount in a year.
     
  18. No Probs

    No Probs Well-Known Member

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    Yes they probably will, but until they do they don't need to be registered. Either makes them 10% cheaper then other people, or they make 10% more profit. No point registering until you start approaching $75k turn over.
     
  19. kimba88

    kimba88 Well-Known Member

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    I spoke to the PM. She said curtains were taken down washed and ironed. Sanding/polishing the floorboards previously, left dust around, so walls were cleaned. Front verandah was hosed down. The property was previously vacant for 6 months before i purchased it.. so there was apparently mould and general neglect. So is $450 still a good price? She says it is a good price, as curtains usually cost quite a bit each to clean and she claims no other cleaning company would do curtains. Has anyone elses curtains been done before in their bond clean? As suspected, there is also a relation between the PM and cleaner.. she said so when i brought it up.
     
  20. Azazel

    Azazel Well-Known Member

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    Sounds a bit dodgy to me.
    Could be abused by the more unscrupulous operators.