A mustachian way to have your flat cleaned before moving to a new place?

Life Hacking
1

Hello Guys
I am looking for a mustachian way to have my flat cleaned :thinking:

Does anybody have any tips on having your entire old flat cleaned when you move to a new place?
The last time I moved, I hired a cleaning company (Putzinstitut) and the charged something like 700.- for a small 3,5 room flat.

Prices seem to be similar everywhere else too, I found this from a startup:

Cleaning myself isn’t an option. Paying a company as mentioned above is far too expensive.

What I have been thinking about is hiring a cleaning lady (30.-/h) to clean the flat and tell them its for an “Endreinigung” Even if it takes them 8h to clean it still would only be 240.-

Doesn anyone have any experience or can offer any insights?

Cheers

2

I can tell you this: I once hired a team for an Endreinigung of a 4 room (66 sqm) flat. There were two of them, they took 35 CHF per person and it took them 10 hours. So the cost was also 700 CHF. If there is something still not OK at the handover, they come and fix it for free. Could it have been done faster? Maybe. I was really not expecting it would take that long.

3

:slight_smile:

some insurances cover your expenses when you change flat, but you have to pay the first 300chf.

4

Interesting. I had the same experience, but only one person came and cleaned, hence my saerch for a cheaper alternative.
The handover guarantee is nice but I can live with cleaning that myself if something isn’t OK.

5

Pick up a mop and clean it yourself

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6

Just to agree with hedgehog, the “Mustachian Way” (which is the title of this question), is definitely to do it yourself. Always done it myself up to now, but never had a really stressful move, where you have to be out and cleaned on one day.

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7

I disagree. Three reasons:

  • Unless you earn under 30 CHF per hour, your time is probably better used for other things. Would you rather spend a whole day doing your regular job, or cleaning? Ever heard of outsourcing?
  • You’re not as skilled in cleaning as experienced staff (they will be faster)
  • Breathing in cleaning chemicals is really not healthy
8

You should at least check what you should clean and what you can leave as it is. There are certain laws that some stuff should be changed by the owner after a certain period.

Here is a link that might be useful.
https://www.mieterverband.ch/mv/mietrecht-beratung/ratgeber-mietrecht/unterlagen-tools/lebensdauertabelle.html

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9

@Bojack is right!

Uh oh…looks like somebody needs to take that algebra refresher course - or maybe even basic math arithmetic refresher @hedgehog - tut tut tut!

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The OP specifically asked for “mustachian” way. Clean up is yourself is pretty much the only thing that’s exactly that.

There are no 30 Fr/h cleaners out there who’ll thoroughly clean up your flat for handover and with guarantee. You’re gonna paying at least 600-1000 for half a day’s work which works out to about 70-120 Fr/h or 120-220k yearly comp

Let’s also not forget if you’re salaried employee earning 100+ Fr/h, just working a few more extra hours whenever you want will not give a few more hundred franks income, that’s the whole point of being on fixed salary, your working hours are fixed. But spending these few spare hours on cleaning will save you a few hundred franks almost certainly.

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For a new user your tone and remark is way off, @runner.
IMO u maybe could make that type of comment once you have reached @hedgehog 's respect level on this forum, but that’s gonna take you a long long time.

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nah it’s ok, that was about a maybe too rude remark of mine in another thread

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You ain’t gonna get any guarantee by cleaning yourself either, so why not just hire a regular putzfrau for 30 CHF/h?

And I don’t believe that it would only take half a day. My putzfrau takes 2 hours just to do a regular “ok” cleaning. This time it would have to be more thorough, especially in the bathroom. And then on top of that you would need to clean windows, including external window blinds washing every blind separately, clean up that oven and fridge, paint these dirty spots on the wall. It adds up.

14

The day I spent cleaning my appartment before my last move was the easiest saved 1000 chf I can remember.

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15

A putzfrau costs 30 CHF/hour. Are you saying they would be cleaning your flat for 33 hours, if you haven’t done it yourself? Or are you just quoting some pricey company rate and convince yourself you “saved” this amount?

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Well, basically yes. No experienced Putzfrau will agree to do a handover cleaning for 30 CHF/h.

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Why not? I’m not saying about any guarantees. She/he can spend a whole day in one place and earn 300-400 CHF for it. What’s not to like?

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@rolandinho I have being debating whether or not to comment on this because (1) I have better things to be doing with my time and, most of all (2) it has nothing at all to do with the topic of this thread…but in the end I have to comment because it’s annoying me a bit (my sincere apologies to the original author of this thread).

So firstly as @hedgehog mentioned my comment was motivated by another comment @hedgehog previously made on a thread which I posted. @hedgehog and me are cool – it’s just a bit of banter.

Another thing which I think is very important: I do respect @hedgehog and I know he is good (indeed I have read much of this forum and his posts have improved my knowledge and understanding substantially); but let’s be crystal clear, we are not a pack of dogs living in a hierarchy – you can’t just piss on beginners like me (who are trying to learn) just because you know more than them! (Luckily I’v got a thick skin so I can take it - but other, more sensitive souls may not be able to). Beginners deserve just as much respect on this forum as other users who are more experienced.

Now excuse me while I go and sit on the naughty step.

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So I guess nobody has done what I’m thinking of doing :grimacing:

I will try and get a “Putzfrau” to clean the place for 30-40.- /h, tell her whats up, no Übergabeguarantees needed, I will inspect the place after she is done.

I’ll report back on the result when I move ~in March 19’

20

Well, this depends on what do you mean by “other things”. If you spend that time watching Netflix, then it pays more to clean. If you spend that time actually working (possible only for contractors, not fixed hour employees) or investing that time into developing skills that allow you to earn more, then it might make sense to outsource.

By the way, Mr Money Mustache wrote once an article about DIY “insourcing” as a pillar of the mustachian way:

“Mr. Money Mustache does not outsource ANYTHING*. He believes it is more fun to go through life as a producer rather than a consumer, and while the Monetary Implications of this are secondary to the Life Satisfaction Implications, the money part of it is still HUGE.”

(…)

"in other words, domestic “work” may pay less than your day job when measured by the hour, but after you measure the lifetime personal benefits and the overall savings in after-tax dollars added up over an entire week, you may be pleasantly surprised by the results.

Insourcing also provides a nice way to pace your spending. An outsourcer can quickly call a kitchen contractor, a landscaper, and an auto mechanic and get a whole fleet of workers on the job right away. But the outsourcer then racks up $20,000 in bills that need to be paid within a month."

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