Contents
01 · Start here
The three moments that matter
Preparing for sale can feel like a list with no end. It helps to know that your home is judged closely at three specific moments. Everything in this guide is aimed at one of them.
The listing photos
For most buyers, the photos are the first inspection. A wide-angle lens and good light show everything: smeared glass, a dusty fan blade, grout lines, a cluttered benchtop. You only get one photo day, and the images follow the listing for its whole campaign.
The walk-through
In person, buyers use all their senses. They open the oven, the pantry and the wardrobes. They notice smells straight away, especially damp, pets and stale cooking. The aim is a home that looks cared for in every cupboard, not just the parts in the photos.
Building & pest, then pre-settlement
A building and pest inspector looks behind the presentation: mould, water staining, damage in wet areas, gaps and termite signs. Clean, uncluttered access to the roof void, under-house, wet areas and meter box makes their job easier and their report clearer. Buyers usually do a final inspection before settlement too.
02 · Interactive
Your prep planner
Enter your listing photo date and whether the home is being staged. You'll get a dated plan with each task placed at the right time, including where the clean sits around the stylist's install. Tick tasks off as you go. Your ticks stay in this browser on this device.
03 · The plan
The six-week timeline
Six weeks is comfortable. Three is achievable. Less than that and you'll need to run several stages at once, which is fine as long as the order stays right: repairs, then declutter or move out, then clean, then staging, then photos. Cleaning before the trades finish means cleaning twice. Cleaning after the stylist has installed means working around hired furniture, rugs and artwork that can't be moved or marked.
Six weeks out: decide and book
Agree a timeline with your agent and ask them about your seller disclosure pack (see section 08). Walk through the house with a notepad and write down every repair, however small. Book the trades now, because good painters and handymen are often booked out two to three weeks ahead. If the home is being staged, your agent will usually recommend a stylist. Lock in their install date early, because the rest of the plan is built around it. Get your smoke alarms checked and, if you have a pool, check the status of its safety certificate.
Four weeks out: repairs and outside
Patch and paint, replace blown globes with one consistent colour temperature, fix sticking doors and torn fly screens, regrout or reseal where needed. Outside, get the garden mulched and edged, and pressure-wash paths, driveway and decking. Book your pre-sale clean now. If the home is being staged, the clean goes in the day or two before the stylist installs. If you're styling it yourself, book it for the day before photos.
Two to three weeks out: declutter properly
This is the step most vendors underestimate. Aim for clear benchtops, half-empty wardrobes and nothing stored in the shower or on the bath ledge. Clear the under-house and garage too. Buyers and building inspectors both look there. Hire a storage unit if needed; it is usually cheaper than buyers seeing a cramped home.
The week of photos: clean, stage, touch up
With trades done and the house cleared, the pre-sale clean can reach every surface: under where furniture stood, along every skirting board, every window track. Then the stylist installs. An install brings in boxes, packaging, footprints and fingerprints on glass, so a short touch-up after it (glass, floors, benchtops, a final dust) gets the home back to the standard of the clean in time for the photographer. Then do a final walk-through with the photo-day checklist.
During the campaign: maintain
You're living in a home that has to look photo-ready on short notice. Keep a small reset kit in one place (microfibre cloths, glass spray, a hand vacuum) and use the 15-minute open-home reset in section 07. If the campaign runs long, a mid-campaign touch-up clean keeps things at the standard of the photos.
| When | Staged home | Styled with your own furniture |
|---|---|---|
| 2–3 days before photos | Pre-sale clean of the cleared or empty home | Final declutter; trades finished |
| 1–2 days before | Stylist installs furniture, art and soft furnishings | Pre-sale clean |
| After install / day before | Touch-up: glass, floors, benches, dust | Set out styling items, fresh linen and towels |
| Photo morning | Lights, blinds, final glass check | Photo-morning checklist |
Your agent, stylist and photographer will often coordinate dates between them. Ask your agent to share the stylist's install window with your cleaner as soon as it's confirmed.
04 · Room by room
What buyers notice, room by room
For each room: what draws attention at an inspection, what you can handle yourself, and what a thorough pre-sale clean should cover. If your home is being staged, much of the "You prepare" column becomes clearing the room for the stylist, and the cleaning column matters even more, because an empty room hides nothing.
Kitchen
Buyers open things here. The oven, the rangehood and the pantry are inspected far more often than vendors expect.
You prepare
- Clear benchtops completely except one or two styled items
- Thin out the pantry and fridge; remove magnets and notes
- Replace worn tea towels and the sink brush
- Empty and wash the bin; keep it out of sight
Our pre-sale clean covers
- Oven interior, racks and trays
- Stovetop and burners
- Rangehood exterior and filter
- Splashback degreased and wiped
- All cupboard and drawer fronts
- Sink and taps polished, benchtops
- Fridge interior available as an add-on
Bathrooms & ensuite
Wet areas are where buyers decide whether a home has been looked after. They are also where building inspectors spend time.
You prepare
- Remove every bottle from the shower and bath ledge
- Replace the shower curtain or bath mat if tired
- Set out fresh white or neutral towels for the photos
- Reseal around the bath or basin if silicone is mouldy or split
Our pre-sale clean covers
- Shower screen and tiles scrubbed
- Bath inside and out
- Toilet inside and out
- Vanity and mirror polished
- Taps and fixtures detailed
- Exhaust fan covers dusted
Living & dining
This is the hero shot of most listings. Light and space are what you're selling here.
You prepare
- Remove a piece or two of furniture to open up the floor
- Hide cables, remotes, chargers and kids' gear
- Take down most personal photos
- Open curtains and blinds fully to check the light
Our pre-sale clean covers
- Interior windows, tracks and sills
- Sliding door tracks
- Ceiling fans and light fittings
- Skirting boards, door frames and handles
- Light switches and power points
- Walls spot-cleaned; floors vacuumed and mopped
Bedrooms & wardrobes
Buyers check storage. A wardrobe packed to the door tells them there isn't enough of it.
You prepare
- Pack away a third to a half of what's hanging
- Clear wardrobe floors and the top shelf
- Make beds with plain, crisp linen for photos
- Clear bedside tables to a lamp and one item
Our pre-sale clean covers
- Wardrobe exteriors and mirrored robe doors
- Ceiling fans and light fittings
- Skirting boards, switches and door frames
- Floors vacuumed, carpet edges done
- Carpet cleaning available as an add-on
Laundry
Often overlooked, and often where damp smells start.
You prepare
- Clear the bench and top of the machines
- Store baskets, detergents and the clothes airer
- Run a hot clean cycle on the washer
Our pre-sale clean covers
- Laundry tub and surfaces
- Taps and fixtures detailed
- Floors vacuumed and mopped
Entry, verandah & outside
The front of the house is the first photo and the first ten seconds of every open home.
You prepare
- New doormat; one or two potted plants by the door
- Mow, edge, mulch and remove dead plants
- Wheelie bins, hoses and toys out of sight
- Brush cobwebs from eaves and verandah ceilings
- Check house numbers and letterbox are tidy
Add-ons we offer
- External windows
- Balcony
- Garage
05 · Local knowledge
Preparing a Brisbane home
Generic sale guides are written for other cities. Brisbane homes have their own character and their own climate, and both affect how a home presents.
VJ walls and ceilings
Dust collects in every groove of tongue-and-groove timber and shows up clearly in photos taken with side light. They need a soft brush and a careful wipe, not a quick pass with a cloth.
Polished timber floors
Usually the feature buyers love most in a Queenslander. Use a pH-neutral timber cleaner, never a steam mop, and wipe up any excess water. Rugs that hide the boards often come out for photos.
Verandahs, louvres and casements
Louvres have many blades and every one is visible in a photo. Casement and sash windows collect grime in the tracks and on the hardware. Verandah ceilings gather cobwebs that are easy to miss from below.
High ceilings and fans
Tall ceilings mean cornice cobwebs and dusty fan blades sit above eye level, until a wide-angle lens puts them front and centre. Plan for a ladder.
Under-house areas
Many raised homes have built-in or open under-house space. Buyers walk it, and building and pest inspectors need clear access. Clear it out, sweep it and remove anything stored against the stumps or walls.
Humidity and mould
Brisbane's humid months bring mould to bathroom ceilings, wardrobe backs, window seals and stored leather. Buyers notice the smell before they see the spots. If you're listing in summer, start ventilating and treating early.
Geckos, insects and storms
Gecko droppings on sills and walls, insects in light fittings and debris after a storm are all part of a Brisbane summer. They are quick to fix, but easy to miss when you live with them.
Units and townhouses
Balcony tiles, glass balustrades and sliding-door tracks are the photo hotspots. Check with your agent about any body corporate rules on parking cleaners or trades.
06 · Where to spend
Fix it, clean it, or leave it
Not every flaw is worth spending money on before a sale. A useful test is whether a buyer would notice it in the photos or at an open home, and whether it would make them wonder what else hasn't been maintained. Your agent knows your buyer pool and is the best person to sense-check bigger items.
| Item | Usually | Why |
|---|---|---|
| Grimy grout, scum on shower glass | Clean | Reads as neglect, and usually comes up with the right products and time. |
| Mouldy or split silicone | Fix | Cheap to redo, and inspectors flag it in wet areas. |
| Scuffed walls, marked doors | Clean, then touch up | Many marks lift with a careful clean. Paint what doesn't. |
| Blown globes, mismatched light colours | Fix | Dark corners and mixed warm/cool light look poor in photos. |
| Torn fly screens, sticking doors | Fix | Small, visible signs of upkeep that buyers touch. |
| Dated but sound kitchen | Clean and leave | A full renovation rarely makes sense right before a sale. Clean and declutter it well. |
| Worn carpet | Clean, ask your agent | A professional carpet clean helps a lot. Replacement is a judgement call for your agent. |
| Structural issues, water leaks | Get advice | Talk to your agent and the relevant trade. These may also relate to what you need to disclose. |
07 · On the day
Photo-day and open-home checklists
Use these on your phone as you walk through the house. Ticks are saved in this browser.
Photo morning
15-minute open-home reset
08 · Before you list
Queensland compliance reminders
These aren't cleaning jobs, but they can hold up a sale if they're left late. Your agent and your solicitor or conveyancer will guide you through the details. Use this as a list of things to ask them about early.
Seller disclosure statement
Since 1 August 2025, Queensland sellers must give buyers a signed Form 2 Seller Disclosure Statement and the prescribed certificates before the buyer signs a contract. Missing or incorrect information can give the buyer a right to terminate. Start this early with your solicitor or conveyancer.
Smoke alarms
Homes sold in Queensland need photoelectric smoke alarms that are interconnected, in every bedroom, in hallways connecting bedrooms to the rest of the home, and on every level. A licensed electrician is needed where installation involves electrical work.
Pool safety
If there's a regulated pool or spa, you either provide the buyer with a current pool safety certificate or give a Form 36 Notice of No Pool Safety Certificate and lodge it with the QBCC. A Form 36 doesn't excuse the pool from meeting the safety standard.
General information only, current as of October 2026 and not legal advice. Check your obligations with your solicitor, conveyancer and agent. Sources: REIQ on seller disclosure, Queensland Fire Department on smoke alarms, QBCC on selling with a pool.
09 · Choosing a service
Which clean do you need?
These three services get mixed up often. They have different goals and different timing.
Before photos
Pre-sale clean
Timed for photo day and focused on presentation: glass, light fittings, wet areas, kitchen and every surface a camera or buyer will see. Booked after trades and decluttering, and before the stylist installs, with a touch-up after the install if needed.
Reset a home
Deep clean
A top-to-bottom clean for a home that hasn't had one in a while, or as a reset early in the prep. Useful a few weeks before listing if the house needs serious work before repairs and styling begin.
After moving out
Vacate or bond clean
Done in an empty home once the furniture is gone. For vendors it means handing over a clean house for the buyer's pre-settlement inspection. For tenants it's about getting the bond back.
10 · Questions
Common questions
How far before photos should I book the clean?
It depends on staging. If a stylist is installing, the clean goes in the day or two before their install, with a touch-up afterwards. If you're styling it yourself, book it for the day before photos. Either way, book three to four weeks ahead so you get the day you want.
Why clean before the stylist and not after?
Once hired furniture, rugs and artwork are in, there are surfaces that can't be reached and items that can't be moved or risk being marked. Cleaning first means the floors, skirting and window tracks are done properly while the rooms are clear. A short touch-up after install handles the fingerprints and dust the install leaves behind.
Should I clean before or after the painter and handyman?
After. Trades create dust, and sanding and patching travel further than you'd expect. If the home needs a lot of work, a deep clean before the trades and a pre-sale clean after them is the cleanest route.
Do I need to be out of the house during the clean?
No, but it helps. An empty house lets the team work room by room without moving around you, and the clean goes faster.
The property is tenanted. What can I do?
Talk to your property manager early. Tenants' rights to notice and quiet enjoyment still apply during a sale, so any access for cleaning, photos or trades needs to be arranged properly and agreed with the tenant.
Is it worth cleaning myself instead?
You can do a lot yourself, and this guide tells you how. The hard parts are time and the high or fiddly surfaces: fans, VJ grooves, louvres, oven interiors and shower glass. Many vendors declutter and garden themselves and leave the presentation clean to professionals.
How do I keep the house ready during a long campaign?
Keep a small reset kit in one cupboard and use the 15-minute reset before each inspection. If the campaign runs past a few weeks, a touch-up clean brings the home back to photo standard.
Bardon Clean · Brisbane's inner west
Want it photo-ready?
We specialise in pre-sale, deep and vacate cleans across Brisbane's inner west. Tell us your photo date and a little about the home, and we'll get back to you to talk it through and put together a quote. See what our pre-sale clean includes.
Real estate agents: we're happy to provide this guide for your vendors. Get in touch on 1300 375 020 or hello@bardonclean.au.