Moving day in New West: booking carpet cleaning around elevators and move dates
New Westminster packs a lot of housing types into a small city: towers on the Quay and Downtown, older walk-ups in Uptown and Brow of the Hill, heritage houses in Queen’s Park and Sapperton, and townhouses in Queensborough. Each one moves differently, and the carpet clean has to fit around the elevator, the stairs and the day the keys change hands. Whether you’re selling, buying, handing back a rental or getting a suite ready for new tenants, here’s how to plan it so the carpets are done once and done right.
Why the elevator booking comes first
In most New West towers, the elevator is the thing everything else waits for. Strata buildings usually ask residents to book it for a move, and many want contractors with equipment to use the same booked window or the service elevator.
Before you book a carpet clean, ask your strata manager or concierge:
- Do contractors need to book the elevator, or only movers?
- Where can a work van park while we’re there: visitor parking, a loading bay, or the street?
- Can a hose run through the lobby or a stairwell door? Our truck-mounted unit stays in the van and only the hose comes inside. Where a hose can’t reach, as in some towers, we bring a high-powered portable unit instead.
Tell us the answers when you book and we’ll plan around them. If the building needs a contact name or anything in writing from the contractor, mention it before the day.
Walk-ups and heritage homes: stairs instead of elevators
Plenty of New West moves happen in buildings with no elevator at all. That’s fine. Hoses can run up a stairwell or through a window, and for upper floors a portable unit is often simpler. Just let us know the floor and whether there’s an elevator when you book.
Heritage homes in Queen’s Park and Sapperton often have stair runners and wool carpet on the upper floors. If you’re selling one of these homes, wool needs a gentler, wool-safe clean, so tell us what’s there and we’ll check the fibre and test a hidden spot first.
Pick the right day: after the furniture, before the walkthrough
The best time to clean is when the rooms are empty and before anyone inspects them.
- Moving out: book the clean for the afternoon of moving day or the day after, once the last box is gone. Cleaning around furniture means the spots under the couch and bed stay dirty, and those are exactly what a buyer, landlord or new tenant will see.
- Moving in: book it for the gap between getting the keys and the movers arriving. It’s the only time the carpet will be completely bare.
- End of the month fills up. Lots of New West moves land on the last day or the first day of the month, so book as soon as you know your date.
Leave time for it to dry
Carpet cleaned with truck-mounted hot water extraction is usually dry in 3 to 6 hours. Open a window, run the heat or a fan, and it goes faster. That means a morning clean can be dry by the evening walkthrough. If movers are coming in the same day, book the clean early and ask them to walk on plastic runners or wear shoe covers until it’s fully dry.
What it costs
Move-in and move-out carpet cleaning is priced the same way as any carpet clean: $90 an area before the current promo, plus GST. An area is one room, so a two-bedroom condo with a living room and a hallway is about four areas. The minimum is $210, which covers up to 3 areas.
Moving the couch too, or leaving a sofa behind for the buyer? Upholstery goes in the same booking at the same rate per seat. Area rugs are $90 if about 10×8 or bigger and $65 if smaller. You see the full price as you add each room, before you book.
A quick move-day checklist
- Check the building’s move and contractor rules, and book the elevator.
- Book the carpet clean for an empty-room day.
- Vacuum up loose debris and remove any small items left on the floor.
- Make sure there’s hot water and power in the unit.
- Do the walkthrough with the technician before they leave, and keep the invoice.
The invoice is worth keeping. A landlord, buyer or property manager may ask when the carpets were last cleaned, and it answers the question in one line. If you’re handing back a rental and want to know what BC rules say about carpets, our post on whether you have to steam clean carpets when moving out in BC covers it.
Book move-in and move-out carpet cleaning in New Westminster online, pick a time that works around your elevator booking, and see your price straight away. Not moving, just due for a clean? See carpet cleaning in New Westminster for prices and open times.
Common questions
Do you clean in Queensborough? Yes, all of New Westminster, including Queensborough.
Can you clean the day the movers come? Yes, if we go first. Book an early slot, and plan for the carpet to be dry in 3 to 6 hours.
Do I need to be there? Someone needs to let us in and do the walkthrough at the end. That can be you, your realtor, or a property manager.
What if there’s a stain I’m worried about? Point it out when we arrive. We pre-treat spots and traffic areas first, and we’ll tell you honestly what to expect.
Ready to book? See move-in and move-out carpet cleaning in New Westminster, or call (604) 802-8500.