Clean before the furniture, always
An empty home can be cleaned properly in a fraction of the time. Once wardrobes and beds are in place, corners, skirting and floor grout become far harder to reach and the finish is never the same.
Kitchen first
Degrease cabinet interiors and shutters, scrub the backsplash, descale the sink, flush the drain and clean the chimney filters. Builders often leave cement film on platforms, which needs an acidic descaler rather than ordinary soap.
Bathrooms next
Focus on hard-water scale on taps and glass, grout discolouration and the exhaust fan. Disinfect the toilet base and check every drain for construction debris before you start using the space.
Then floors, windows and balconies
Scrub floors with a machine rather than a mop for the first clean, wash window tracks and grills, and clear balcony drains. Finish with a full dusting from ceiling downwards so airborne particles settle before the final mop.