Your guide to cleaning a new build before you move in - building guidance for Adelaide and South Australia.
Content scope
This guide has been reviewed for South Australia (Adelaide metro + regional SA). Building licensing, warranty, stamp duty and approval rules differ in other Australian states — verify against your local authority before acting.
A brand new home looks spotless at handover, but it is coated in fine construction dust that settles for weeks, plus grout haze, sticker residue, paint flecks and protective films. Moving your furniture in before a proper clean just traps all of it under beds and in wardrobes. This guide covers cleaning a new build the week before you move in: what a builder's clean does and does not cover, the right order to work through the house, and how to keep it clean once the dust keeps resurfacing. Costs are 2025 and 2026 Australian pricing.
At a glance
DIY detailed clean
Owners with time before move-in
Professional builder's clean
Busy owners or larger homes
Robot vacuum (ongoing)
Keeping a new home clean after move-in
Read time
Including FAQ and supplier shortlist.
Key takeaways
Plain practical advice for Australian builds. No fluff.
Most builders include a basic final clean, but it is usually a quick wipe-down, not a deep clean. Fine dust remains on top of cabinets, in tracks and vents, and inside drawers. Treat the handover clean as a starting point and plan your own detailed clean before furniture arrives.
Work from the highest surfaces down so dust falls onto areas you have not cleaned yet, and from the far room back towards the door so you do not walk dust back through. Ceilings and cornices, then walls and cabinets, then benches and skirtings, then floors last.
Fine plaster and timber dust is everywhere and keeps resurfacing for weeks. Vacuum rather than sweep so you lift it instead of spreading it, including inside wardrobes, drawers, vents and window tracks. A microfibre cloth traps fine dust that a dry duster just moves around.
New appliances, windows and tapware often ship with protective film and stickers that leave residue if left too long in the sun. Remove them early. Fresh tiling can have a cloudy grout haze that a specific haze remover or a gentle vinegar solution clears, but check the tile is suitable first.
New benchtops, baths and floors scratch and stain easily before they are sealed in to daily life. Use non-abrasive cloths and pH-neutral cleaners on stone and timber, avoid harsh chemicals on new tapware finishes, and lay down protection when you start moving furniture in.
Dust keeps surfacing from cavities and carpet for weeks after you move in. A robot vacuum scheduled to run daily handles the ongoing dust along skirtings, under beds and across floors with no effort, which is genuinely useful while you are still unpacking and cannot keep on top of it manually.
“Clean top to bottom and back to front, and vacuum dust rather than sweeping it”
George Giannakakis
Founder
Quick compare
| DIY detailed clean | Professional builder's clean | Robot vacuum (ongoing) | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Typical cost | $50 to $200 in supplies | $300 to $700 for a typical home | $400 to $2,000 |
| Best for | Owners with time before move-in | Busy owners or larger homes | Keeping a new home clean after move-in |
Doing the pre-move-in deep clean yourself over a day or two.
Typical cost: $50 to $200 in supplies
Pros
Cons
Best for: Owners with time before move-in
A cleaning service that specialises in post-construction cleans.
Typical cost: $300 to $700 for a typical home
Pros
Cons
Best for: Busy owners or larger homes
An automated vacuum and mop for the weeks of resurfacing dust.
Typical cost: $400 to $2,000
Pros
Cons
Best for: Keeping a new home clean after move-in
Cleaning a new build yourself costs $50 to $200 in supplies: a good vacuum or access to one, microfibre cloths, a pH-neutral floor cleaner, glass cleaner, grout-haze remover and a sticker-residue remover. A professional post-construction or builder's clean for a typical home runs $300 to $700 depending on size and how much film, haze and dust is left, and is worth it for larger homes or when move-in week is tight. For the ongoing dust that keeps surfacing for weeks, a robot vacuum at $400 to $2,000 pays its way by running daily while you are unpacking and cannot keep on top of it. A sensible approach is a thorough one-off clean, DIY or professional, before the furniture arrives, then an automated vacuum to hold the line afterwards.
All our cleaning & move-in guides in one place.
A practical checklist for the kitchen, bathrooms, bedrooms, living areas and garage.
Why dust keeps resurfacing after handover and the low-effort ways to stay ahead of it.
What actually matters — suction, self-emptying, mopping and navigation — and price bands.
Sponsored · why?
If you're tackling parts of this yourself, here's the practical gear owners reach for. You buy direct from the supplier at their price.
From ECOVACS
DEEBOT Robot vacuums and mops
DEEBOT N20 Black Robot Vacuum & Mop with Mapping (Anti-Tangle, Voice Control, App)
DEEBOT Robot vacuums and mops
DEEBOT T30S PRO White Robot Vacuum & Mop with AI (Mapping, Anti-Tangle, Edge)
DEEBOT Robot vacuums and mops
DEEBOT N20 PLUS Black Robot Vacuum & Mop with Mapping (Anti-Tangle, Self-Empty, Pet)
Some links here are affiliate links. BuildPilot may earn a small commission if you buy through them, at no extra cost to you. It never changes what you pay, and you always purchase directly from the retailer. Learn more.
Was this guide helpful?
Answer a few quick questions and BuildPilot CoPilot will shortlist suppliers and trades matched to your build, your suburb and your budget.
Vetted Australian businesses worth asking your builder about, plus the online Suppliers we recommend buying from direct.
BuildPilot may earn a fee or commission if you engage or buy from one of these businesses. It never changes who we recommend. How we get paid →
We use cookies to improve your experience. Cookies on. Learn more
