Moving Into a New Office? The Commercial Move-In Cleaning Checklist
What to have professionally cleaned before staff walk in on day one.
A finished fitout and a move-in-ready office aren't the same thing. Builders clean up to a basic standard — not the standard a business needs before staff, clients, or customers walk through the door. Here's the full checklist so opening day isn't the first time anyone notices the dust on the desks. Call 1300 886 119 or request a commercial quote.
Get your new office move-in ready
Booked into the gap between fitout & move-in · Out-of-hours available · 24-hour commercial guarantee
A finished fitout and a move-in-ready office aren't the same thing. Builders and shopfitters clean up after themselves to a basic standard, not the standard a business needs before staff, clients, or customers walk through the door. Here's the full commercial move-in checklist, so opening day isn't the first time anyone notices the dust on the desks.
For a broader view of ongoing office cleaning, see our Canberra commercial cleaning guide and the main commercial cleaning service page.
The gap nobody plans for
Why post-fitout cleaning isn't the same as move-in ready
Builders' cleans after a fitout are focused on removing obvious construction debris — offcuts, packaging, visible dust. They're not focused on sanitising a kitchen bench, degreasing carpet tiles, or making sure air vents aren't blowing fitout dust across the office for the first month. If your business is moving straight from handover to opening day, that gap becomes everyone's problem on day one. A dedicated after-builders clean closes it.
The commercial move-in cleaning checklist
Work through these five zones before staff arrive. It's the same scope our crews run on every office move-in across Melbourne and Canberra.
Workstations & common areas
- Desks, workstations, and partitions wiped down and sanitised
- Carpet tiles vacuumed and steam cleaned to remove fitout residue
- Air vents and ceiling diffusers checked for construction dust
- Window sills, blinds, and glass partitions
Kitchen & breakroom
- Benchtops, sink, and splashback sanitised
- Inside cupboards, fridge, and dishwasher before staff bring in supplies
- Microwave and any built-in appliances
Bathrooms
- Full sanitisation of toilets, vanities, and fixtures
- Exhaust fans and mirrors
Reception & client-facing areas
- Entry glass and signage, fingerprint and residue free
- Flooring polished or steam cleaned depending on surface
- Furniture wiped down and dust-free ahead of the first client visit
IT & equipment areas
- Dust removed from server room vents and equipment surfaces
- Cable trays and under-desk areas, often skipped by builders' cleans
Want the ongoing version once you're settled in? Grab our daily, weekly, monthly & quarterly office cleaning checklist.
Timing it around your move
The ideal window is after the shopfitter or builder has finished and removed their equipment, but before furniture, IT equipment, and staff arrive. Booking a clean for this exact gap avoids paying to clean around obstacles, and means nobody's first day is spent wiping down their own desk.
What it costs for a commercial space
Commercial move-in cleaning is quoted on floor area and condition rather than a flat per-room rate, since office layouts vary widely. As a general guide:
| Office size | From |
|---|---|
| Small office (up to 150m²) | From $450 |
| Medium office (150–400m²) | From $850 |
| Large office / floor (400m²+) | Custom quote |
Every commercial quote is based on a walkthrough or floor plan — get a tailored quote on the pricing page. For ongoing rates, compare our Melbourne and Canberra office cleaning cost guides.
In-house vs outsourced for the initial clean
Even businesses that plan to handle regular cleaning in-house going forward almost always outsource the initial move-in clean. It's a one-off, intensive job — steam cleaning carpet tiles, degreasing a new kitchen, sanitising an entire floor — that doesn't reflect the ongoing scope of a regular cleaner's role, and it needs to be done to a tight timeline before staff arrive. When you're choosing a provider, our guide to choosing an office cleaning company covers the insurance and compliance red flags to watch for.
4.9★
Google rating
500+
Businesses serviced
7 days
Booking availability
What facility & office managers say
“Fitout finished on the Thursday, we opened Monday. The team turned it around with zero disruption to our timeline.”
“Didn't realise how much dust would be in the carpet tiles until we saw the before and after.”
“Booked for our new floor before the desks arrived. Made the whole move so much smoother.”
Our commercial guarantee
If anything's raised within 24 hours of the clean, we'll return to fix it at no extra cost to your business — across Melbourne and Canberra.
Frequently asked questions
Can you work around our fitout or moving schedule?
Yes. We work directly with facility managers and shopfitters to book the clean in the exact gap between handover and move-in.
Do you provide an ongoing cleaning contract as well as the move-in clean?
Yes — many businesses book the initial move-in clean and then transition to a regular contracted service. Ask for a combined quote when booking, or read our daily vs weekly office cleaning guide to plan your ongoing schedule.
Is out-of-hours cleaning available?
Yes, we can schedule around your business hours, including evenings and weekends, so operations aren't disrupted.
Do you handle large floor plates or multi-tenant buildings?
Yes. Larger commercial spaces are quoted individually based on a walkthrough or floor plan.
What's included in a commercial move-in quote?
Every quote is tailored to the space, but typically includes workstations, kitchen and breakroom, bathrooms, common areas, and carpet or flooring treatment. See indicative rates on our office cleaning cost guide.
More from Cleaning Professionals
- Office cleaning cost Melbourne (2026) — hourly rates and price-by-size guide.
- Office cleaning cost Canberra (2026) — commercial rates across the ACT.
- Office cleaning checklist: daily, weekly, monthly & quarterly — for your ongoing service.
- How to choose an office cleaning company — the 8 questions to ask.
- Daily vs weekly office cleaning — pick the right ongoing schedule.
- Office cleaning service & quote
- View all FAQs
Get your new office move-in ready
Booked into the exact gap between fitout & move-in · Out-of-hours & weekend availability · 24-hour commercial guarantee · Melbourne & Canberra
Mon–Fri 8am–8pm | Sat 9am–7pm | Sun 9am–8pm