If you’ve just finished a renovation, the contractor handed you a unit that looks finished but isn’t liveable yet. Their scope ends at the install. Yours starts after the dust comes down. This is the checklist we run as a crew on a standard post-renovation deep clean, ordered by what will bother you most on day one.
What's in this post
Why renovators leave a mess
Renovation contractors are scoped to install — cabinets, flooring, electrical, tile work, paint. The cleaning at the end of their scope is usually a broom pass and a rough wipe-down. Heavy dust, paint spatter, adhesive residue, and the fine particles that settle into every micro-gap of the unit are out of their scope on purpose — their crew is built for installation, not extraction.
Singapore renovations compound the problem. Small flat sizes mean dust concentrates. Closed air-conditioned environments mean it doesn't ventilate naturally. Short timelines mean the unit goes from "construction site" to "move-in date" in a window of days, not weeks.
The 12-item checklist, in order
Ordered by impact — the things that will bother you on move-in day, ranked highest first.
1. Fine dust on every horizontal surface
The biggest problem and the most-underestimated one. Drywall dust, sanding dust, and concrete dust settle for days after the last tradesperson leaves. You'll find it on shelves, inside cabinets, on top of doors, on light fixtures, on the ceiling fan blades. Wipe-down isn't enough — it just relocates the dust. Vacuum first, then damp wipe.
2. Wall tile residue (kitchen and toilets)
Newly-installed tiles carry grout haze and adhesive smear that's invisible when wet and very visible when dry. Acidic tile cleaner clears it, but the chemistry has to match the grout type — epoxy grout reacts differently to cementitious grout.
3. Window grilles (interior)
Renovation dust collects in window grille slats and stays there. Two-sided wiping — one side at a time — for every slat. Tedious if you're doing it yourself; standard part of the scope for the crew.
4. Inside the cabinets and wardrobes
New cabinets come with manufacturing dust and the leftover dust from when they were installed. Wipe the interior surfaces before you load them; you'll regret it if you don't.
5. Toilet bowls, sinks, shower screens
New sanitary ware ships with a protective film and packing-material residue. Plus whatever splashed during install. Polish to a clean surface; don't just rinse.
6. Kitchen hood, hob, oven, microwave (exterior)
Exteriors carry sticker residue, packing-grease marks, and dust. Interior cleaning of white goods isn't usually in a post-reno scope (it's a separate task — see below).
7. Wall switches and door handles
Touched repeatedly during install; dirty by handover. Wipe with a damp microfibre, then dry. Glossy paint shows the marks if you wipe with a wet cloth and don't dry.
8. Sink and countertop
Adhesive residue around the sink seal, manufacturer marks on the countertop. Mineral-based polish for stone surfaces; gentle pH chemistry for laminate.
9. Ceiling lights and fans
Dust collects on the upper surfaces of every fixture. Easier when the unit is empty — do it before furniture moves in.
10. Storeroom interior
The forgotten room. Usually skipped during renovation, dustiest area in the flat by handover.
11. Balcony floors
Outdoor dust plus renovation dust tracked through. Hose-down or scrub depending on flooring.
12. Doors (both sides)
Dust on the top edge, fingerprints on the handles and surrounding paint. Two-side wipe.
This is the standard 14-item scope our crew runs on a post-renovation clean — written down, included in every quote, no add-ons sprung at the door.
See the package →What isn't in a standard scope (and why)
Four things are specialist work and shouldn't be assumed in a general post-renovation clean. Worth knowing before you book, so the scope is honest:
- Paint and cement stain removal. Needs specific chemistry; wrong product damages the underlying surface. Quoted as a paid add-on with a stain-by-stain assessment.
- Adhesive removal. Sticker residue from glass, mirrors, tiles, and worktops needs solvent-based remover. Separate from general cleaning.
- Painted walls and ceilings. Walls and ceilings aren't safely wipeable — matte paint marks easily. If the painter left them clean, leave them alone.
- Fragile and delicate fixtures. Light shades, antique mirrors, intricate fittings. Handled separately, owner-approved.
The exclusions list is on the brief on purpose. The most-disputed items at the door — "I thought you'd do that" — are usually one of these four. Naming them upfront avoids the dispute.
DIY or hire it out?
If the renovation is small — one room redone, no significant dust spread — a weekend with a vacuum, microfibre cloths, and patience will do. The scope is the kitchen and the affected rooms; everything else stays mostly clean.
For a full unit renovation, the equipment difference shows. A household vacuum doesn't have the HEPA filter to catch fine drywall dust; a wet vacuum and a commercial-grade mop are different tools. Plus the time — a full HDB flat post-reno deep clean is typically a day of work for a two-person crew. You can do it; whether you want to spend a Saturday on it is a different question.
The thing nobody mentions: formaldehyde
The invisible part. New cabinetry, particleboard furniture, laminate flooring, paint, and adhesives off-gas formaldehyde for weeks after install. In Singapore's high-humidity, closed, air-conditioned, small-flat environment, indoor concentrations stay elevated longer than in cooler or more ventilated climates. Headaches, eye irritation, and respiratory complaints in the first weeks after move-in are often this.
The honest answer: an indoor air quality test before move-in tells you whether the level is a concern. If it is, treatment with a real system — not generic ozone fogging — brings it down to a normal range, with a verification test after to confirm.
Our formaldehyde service runs the four-step process — IAQ test, custom treatment plan, treatment, verification test. So the result isn't a claim — it's a number.
Learn more →When to book the clean
The day the renovator hands over the keys, or the day after. Before any furniture moves in. The flat is easier to access when empty, faster to clean, and the dust doesn't get a chance to settle into your new sofa.
If you're moving in with a tight timeline — renovator finishes Friday, you move in Sunday — book the clean for Saturday. A two-person crew finishes most HDB flats in a single day.
For larger condos or landed property, book with two days' buffer and expect the work to take a full day plus a half-day finish.
The short version
Renovation finishes when the contractor's scope ends; move-in starts after the cleaning. Budget for the separation. The 12-item checklist above is the basic shape; the specifics depend on your unit. The exclusions list matters more than the inclusions — it's where disputes start.
If you're doing it yourself, vacuum before you wipe and start at the top of the room. If you're hiring it out, ask for a written scope before booking. Either way, get formaldehyde tested before the family moves in — especially if the renovation involved new cabinetry, fresh paint, or laminate flooring.