What to Expect From a Move-In Cleaning Service in Los Angeles

A move-in cleaning service cleans an empty home before your furniture arrives: inside every cabinet, drawer and closet, inside the appliances, the bathrooms including grout, the window interiors and tracks, the baseboards and vents, and the floors. At FJ Luxury Services most of these jobs take four to eight hours, and the visit ends with a walk-through and checklist photos. You pay for one thing above all: the chance to start in a home that is clean to your standard and not the previous occupant’s.

People tend to book this service once or twice in their lives, so almost nobody knows what is normal. Here is what a visit looks like, what you should have ready, and what makes one quote different from another.

What does a move-in clean consist of?

Everything you will not be able to reach once the house is full. The scope FJ Luxury Services works from on a move-in or move-out job is:

• The entire interior, room by room
• Inside all cabinets, drawers and closets
• Oven, refrigerator, dishwasher and microwave interiors
• Window interiors, tracks and sills
• Baseboards, vents and light fixtures
• Bathrooms deep cleaned, including grout
• Floor care matched to the material, with carpet shampoo on request
• Wall touch-ups where practical
• A final walk-through with checklist photos

The photos matter more than they sound. If you find a scratched floor or a stained cabinet shelf on day one, you want a dated record showing the home was empty and clean when it was found.

How is a move-in clean different from a regular clean?

A regular visit maintains a home someone is living in. A move-in clean resets an empty one. That changes where the hours go.

If the home is brand new, the work shifts again, because the problem is construction dust and not the last tenant. We wrote about that separately in move-in cleaning for newly built homes.

How long does a move-in clean take?

Most move-in and move-out jobs at FJ Luxury Services are finished in four to eight hours. Size is the obvious factor. Condition is the one people underestimate: a home that sat closed for months, or one where the kitchen was used hard, takes longer than its square footage suggests.

When should you book it?

Five to seven days ahead is ideal. We can sometimes take a job with 24 to 48 hours of notice, depending on team availability. The best slot is after the previous occupant is fully out and before the movers arrive, even if that leaves only one day. Cleaning around boxes costs time and leaves the closets undone.

If a realtor, a property manager or a moving company is involved, tell us. We coordinate directly with them on scheduling and access.

What changes the quote?

Three things: the size of the property, its condition, and the add-ons you want, such as carpet shampoo or exterior windows. That is why we quote after seeing the home and do not publish a rate card. The walkthrough is free, and the written quote follows within 24 hours, Monday through Saturday.

For the move-out side of the same question, see what affects move-out cleaning cost in Los Angeles.

What should you have ready on the day?

• Power and water turned on. No crew can clean an oven or mop a floor without them.
• Access sorted: keys, gate codes, or your name on the building’s vendor list.
• The home empty, or as close to it as you can manage.
• A note of anything you already know is damaged, so it goes into the photo record.

How does FJ Luxury Services handle a move-in?

You tell us the address, the move date and who else is involved. We walk the home, send the written quote, and book the team for the gap between the last occupant and your movers. The visit ends with the walk-through and the photos. Details of the service are on our move-in and move-out cleaning page.

Request a free estimate or call (747) 966-0525.

Frequently asked questions

What does a move-in clean include?

A move-in clean from FJ Luxury Services covers the whole interior room by room, inside all cabinets, drawers and closets, inside the oven, refrigerator, dishwasher and microwave, window interiors with tracks and sills, baseboards, vents and light fixtures, bathrooms including grout, and floor care matched to the material.

How long does a move-in clean take?

Most move-in and move-out jobs at FJ Luxury Services are completed in four to eight hours. Larger homes and homes in poor condition take longer.

How far ahead should I book a move-in cleaning service?

Five to seven days ahead is ideal. FJ Luxury Services can sometimes accommodate 24 to 48 hours of notice, depending on team availability.

Should the home be empty for a move-in clean?

Yes, if possible. The point of a move-in clean is to reach the insides of cabinets, closets and appliances before furniture and boxes block them.

Do I get proof that the cleaning was done?

Yes. FJ Luxury Services finishes every move-in and move-out job with a walk-through and checklist photos.

How is a move-in clean priced?

By property size, condition and add-ons such as carpet shampoo or exterior windows. FJ Luxury Services quotes in writing after a free walkthrough.