Almost every complaint we hear about a previous cleaner starts the same way. The price quoted on the phone was not the price paid at the door. Nothing dishonest necessarily happened, but the quote covered a narrow job and the property needed a wider one.
This guide sets out what a very low headline figure normally excludes, so you can compare two quotes on the same terms rather than on the first number you hear.
Room size is rarely defined
A price per room only means something if a room size is stated. A box bedroom and a through lounge are both one room, yet one takes fifteen minutes and the other takes the best part of an hour. Quotes that avoid defining a maximum size are the ones most likely to change on arrival.
Ask what counts as a room and what happens when a space is larger than that. A straight answer costs nothing to give, and it tells you a lot about how the rest of the job will be handled.
- Ask for a maximum floor area per room, or give your own rough measurements.
- Say clearly if a lounge is open plan or knocked through.
- Mention built in wardrobes, which reduce the area but add fiddly edge work.
- Check whether hallways and landings are counted as rooms or as extras.
Stairs are almost always separate
Stairs are the slowest square metre in any house. Every tread and riser is cleaned by hand or with a small upholstery tool, the operator works at an awkward angle, and there is no way to speed it up without doing it badly. A quote that includes the whole house but never mentions stairs has probably not included them.
The same applies to the landing, which is usually joined to the stair carpet and cannot sensibly be left dirty when the stairs are cleaned.
Stain treatment and pre spray
There is a real difference between passing a machine over a carpet and actually treating it. Proper work means vacuuming first, applying a pre spray suited to the fibre, giving it dwell time, agitating the pile and only then extracting or lifting the compound. Each of those steps costs time.
A very low price generally buys the machine pass alone. The carpet will look damp and slightly fresher for a day, then the soil that was never lifted wicks back up and the traffic lanes return within a week.
- Ask whether pre spray and dwell time are included as standard.
- Ask how set in stains are handled and whether they cost extra.
- Ask what happens if a stain does not come out at all.
Furniture moving and reassembly
Some cleaners price for cleaning around furniture. That is a legitimate way to work and it keeps prices down, but it leaves dirty islands under the sofa and sideboard that show as soon as anything is moved.
If you want the full floor cleaned, say so when you ask for the price, and be clear about what you can move yourself. Emptying the light items in advance is the single easiest way to keep a quote low without cutting quality.
Access, parking and minimum charges
Machines and hoses have to reach the property. A first floor flat with no lift, a long distance from the nearest parking space, or a permit only street all add time before any cleaning starts. Honest quotes account for these, and quotes given without asking about them usually get revised later.
Minimum charges are normal too. A single small rug or one armchair does not cover the travel and set up time, so most cleaners set a floor price. Knowing it in advance lets you add a second item and get far better value from the same visit.
- Mention floor level, lift availability and parking when you request a price.
- Ask for the minimum charge before booking a single small item.
- Group jobs into one visit rather than booking separate small ones.
What a complete quote looks like
A quote you can rely on names the rooms, states the method, confirms whether stairs and stain treatment are included, and says what the total will be if nothing unexpected turns up. Ours is itemised so you can see which part of the price belongs to which room.
If a quote is only a single number with no breakdown, ask for the breakdown. Any cleaner working properly will have it to hand.