Move-In Cleaning Services in Singapore
Pre-occupancy cleaning of an empty unit before your belongings arrive, so surfaces are sanitised before first use.
Move-in cleaning is carried out in the window between getting the keys and moving your things in. That window is short and it is the only time the entire unit is empty and fully accessible, which is what makes the service worth booking rather than doing later. The priority is different from a move-out clean: less about passing an inspection, more about sanitising the surfaces a previous occupant or a construction crew has been in contact with.
Flat rate for the whole job
S$250–700
per session, by property size
You agree a total for the job in advance. If it overruns, that is the vendor’s risk, not yours.
Broadly aligned with move-out pricing, typically slightly lower because an unoccupied unit handed over in reasonable condition holds less accumulated soiling than one lived in for years. Roughly S$250 to S$350 for a 2 or 3-room HDB and S$380 to S$600 for a 4-room to 5-room or condominium. Rates before GST. A brand-new unit collected directly from HDB needs less work than a resale unit and should be quoted lower.
Indicative market ranges in Singapore dollars, before GST at 9%. These are not quotations. Your quote comes from the vendor you are matched with.
What a move-in cleaning covers
What is included
- Full internal clean of the empty unit
- Sanitising of bathrooms and all sanitaryware before first use
- Cabinet, wardrobe and drawer interiors before your belongings go in
- Kitchen surfaces, sink and cabinet interiors
- Floor cleaning throughout, including corners that will be inaccessible once furnished
- Window tracks, sills, internal glass and grilles
- Removal of protective film, stickers and handover labels from new fittings
- Balcony and service yard
What is not included
Usually a separate service or a different trade.
- Renovation debris, cement dust and paint residue, which needs post-renovation cleaning
- Furniture assembly and unpacking
- Aircon servicing
- Pest treatment, though this is worth arranging separately before you move in
- Repairs or defect rectification, which for a new HDB flat goes through the defects liability process
- External window faces above ground level
Is this the service you actually need?
Booking the wrong one is the most expensive mistake in this market, and it is usually made in good faith. Here is how to tell.
Book move-in cleaning if
- You have the keys but have not moved your belongings in yet
- You are taking over a resale flat or a previously tenanted unit
- You want bathrooms and cabinet interiors sanitised before first use
Book something else if
- Post-Renovation Cleaning →
You have renovated before moving in, which is the norm for a resale flat or a new BTO. Renovation residue is a different job and a move-in clean will not remove it. Book post-renovation cleaning, then move in.
- Deep Cleaning →
You have already moved in and missed the empty-unit window. A deep clean is the equivalent service for an occupied home.
How long it takes, by home size
Property size drives this far more than which town you live in.
| Property type | Floor area | Typical duration |
|---|---|---|
| 2-room HDB | 388–506 sqft | 3 to 4 hours |
| 3-room HDB | 646–797 sqft | 4 to 5 hours |
| 4-room HDB | 893–1130 sqft | 5 to 7 hours |
| 5-room HDB | 1184–1324 sqft | 6 to 8 hours |
| Executive HDB | 1399–1615 sqft | 7 to 10 hours |
| 1-2 bedroom condo | 484–969 sqft | 4 to 5 hours |
| 3+ bedroom condo | 1076–2153 sqft | 6 to 10 hours |
| Landed property | 2153–5382 sqft | 10 to 18 hours |
How it works, step by step
- 01
Confirm renovation is genuinely finished
Including the final touch-up visit. If any trade is still returning, this is the wrong service and the wrong week.
- 02
Schedule before the movers
Ideally the day before. The empty unit is the entire advantage, and it disappears the moment your belongings arrive.
- 03
Sanitise first
Bathrooms, sanitaryware, kitchen surfaces and every cabinet, wardrobe and drawer interior, before anything of yours goes into them.
- 04
Protective film and handover labels off
New fittings and appliances arrive covered in film and stickers. Removing them cleanly is easier before adhesive has had months in Singapore heat to set.
Working out what the move will cost?
Cleaning is usually the smaller half of a move-in budget. Our sister service HomeToMoved publishes what movers actually charge in Singapore, broken down by flat type and by what drives the price up, so you can tell a fair quote from a bad one.
Move-In Cleaning questions
Do I need move-in cleaning for a brand-new BTO flat?
Usually yes, but a light version. A new flat has no previous occupant, but it will carry construction dust, adhesive residue from protective film, and debris in window tracks and drainage channels. That is a smaller job than a resale unit and should be priced accordingly. If you have renovated, this is not the service you need.
When exactly should I schedule it?
After any renovation is complete and signed off, and before the movers arrive. Ideally the day before the move. Booking it after your belongings are in wastes most of the value, because the accessible-empty-unit advantage is gone.
Is it different from move-out cleaning?
The work overlaps heavily but the standard differs. Move-out cleaning is measured against someone else's handover checklist. Move-in cleaning is measured against your own comfort, and tends to weight bathrooms, kitchen and storage interiors more heavily than the cosmetic points an inspection focuses on.
Should I do pest control at the same time?
Worth considering, and the sequence matters. Pest treatment is better done in an empty unit, and generally after cleaning rather than before, so residual treatment is not immediately wiped away. It is a separate trade and a separate booking.
Related services
- Move-Out Cleaning End-of-tenancy and pre-handover cleaning scoped against a landlord or HDB handover checklist, carried out in an empty unit.
- Post-Renovation Cleaning Multi-stage removal of cement dust, paint splatter and adhesive residue after renovation. Different equipment, different process, priced by size and debris level.
- Deep Cleaning A whole-home reset priced per property, not per hour. Covers the accumulated build-up that routine sessions never reach.
Need move-in cleaning? We will match you to a vendor who does it properly.
No charge to you, no obligation, and your details go only to the vendors matched to your request.