How pricing works
How the price is decided
We don't print a price list, because no two houses are alike. Here is what moves the number and when you'll see it.
What moves the number
The size of the house sets the starting point. These move it up or down.
How much is still in the rooms when we arrive
How long since the last real clean, and the condition
Floors, bathrooms and an attic or basement
Stairs, parking and the distance from the front door
One clean, or several visits
What a quote includes, and what it doesn't
The quote covers the rooms on the signed list: crew time, supplies and equipment.
Not included: hauling furniture, bulk trash or hazardous materials
Not included: repairs, painting, or mold and pest cleanup
Not included: exterior windows or work that needs a tall ladder
Not included: rooms or items that aren't on the list
The walk-through
Thirty to forty-five minutes in the house, or on video if you're out of town. We don't charge for it. Fannie goes room by room with you, and the quote is written from the list you sign.
Saturdays and short notice
We work Monday to Friday, and Saturdays until 3 p.m. A Saturday visit costs the same as a weekday one. If the keys are due in under a week, say so on the first call and we'll tell you honestly whether we can fit it.
When you get the number
In writing, by text or email, within two business days of the walk-through and before you book. It stays the same unless the house is different from what we both saw.
A worked example
Three bedrooms, a week before the keys are due
The family has cleared most of a three-bedroom house in Parma and is leaving the furniture for the buyer. The five things we ask are:
- How many floors and bathrooms the house has
- Whether the basement and attic are empty
- What is still in the kitchen cabinets and the closets
- When the carpets and floors were last cleaned
- When the keys are due, and when you can walk it with us
From those answers we write a quote for the rooms on the list. If the house is different when we arrive, we call you before we change anything.
Prices, answered
Questions about the quote
Can I get a number over the phone?
Not a number we'd stand behind. We can tell you what moves it, and Fannie can often write the quote from a call and a few photos, though we still prefer a walk-through.
Is the quote the invoice?
Yes, unless the house differs from what we both saw. If it does, we call you before doing anything extra and add it only if you say yes.
Who do you bill?
Whoever you name: you, the estate or the estate's attorney. The invoice goes out with the signed list attached.
Ready for a number?
Book a walk-through and you'll have the quote in writing within two business days.