Pre-Handover Property Clean — Orbit Lab Blend

What this service delivers

A clean that holds up to scrutiny on the day

The Pre-Handover Property Clean is carried out after all furniture has been removed, working through the property systematically to the standard that a tenancy inspection in Japan will typically expect. For a two-room apartment, this takes six to eight hours. Scope covers floors, removable wall marks, kitchen units and fitted appliances, sanitary fixtures, storage interiors, window tracks, and balcony areas.

A photographic record is supplied the same day. If the inspection raises a point within the agreed scope — within seven days of the clean — we return to address it without additional charge. The aim is that you hand back the property and do not hear further about its condition.

The difficulty with handover cleans

Moving out leaves little time and a lot to cover

The period before a property handover is rarely calm. There is furniture to move, logistics to manage, the new address to deal with simultaneously. Cleaning the property to the standard an inspection requires tends to end up compressed into the last day or two, or delegated to whoever has the most energy left.

The result is that areas get missed — not through carelessness, but because a thorough clean of an empty property is physically demanding work and takes longer than most people anticipate. Window tracks, the interior of fitted appliances, the back of storage shelving, and balcony drainage are the areas most often incomplete.

An inspection that finds these gaps creates a problem at the worst possible moment, when the person responsible is already managing the transition to a new home.

What makes a handover clean different

A regular clean maintains a lived-in home. A handover clean prepares an empty property for someone else's critical assessment. The perspective is different, and so is the standard. What a tenant might not notice in daily life — a residue inside a kitchen unit, a water mark on a sanitary fixture — is precisely what an inspector notes.

Working through an empty property methodically is also different in practice from cleaning around furniture. Certain areas only become accessible once the property is clear. This is the right moment to attend to them, and the only moment before the keys go back.

Orbit Lab Blend has carried out more than 140 pre-handover cleans in the Kobe area. The photographic record and the return visit provision exist because we know how the process runs when it goes well, and what is needed when it does not.

How we approach it

Methodical, documented, and backed by a return visit

Photographic record, same day

Photographs of each area are compiled and sent to you the same day the clean is completed. This gives you a record of the condition of the property at handover, which may be useful if questions arise later.

Return visit within seven days

If the inspection raises a point within the scope of the original clean, we return within seven days to address it. This provision is included in the price and does not require a separate arrangement.

Small remaining items removed

Small quantities of items left in the property after the move — cleaning products, a bag of items that did not make it to the removal van — can be disposed of as part of the visit, without requiring a separate arrangement.

Scope

What the clean covers

Area	Tasks performed
Floors	All floor surfaces swept and mopped, skirting boards wiped, corners addressed, any adhesive residue from furniture pads removed where accessible
Walls	Removable marks addressed throughout, light switches and socket surrounds cleaned, scuffs at skirting level attended to
Kitchen	All unit interiors and exteriors wiped, fitted appliances cleaned inside and out (oven, hob, rangehood, refrigerator where present), sink and tap descaled and polished
Sanitary fixtures	Bath, shower, basin and toilet cleaned and descaled, mirror polished, tile grouting surface-cleaned, extractor cover removed and wiped
Storage	Interior of all built-in storage wiped, shelf surfaces and drawer tracks cleaned, interior corners addressed
Window tracks	All track channels cleared and wiped, frame surrounds cleaned, latch mechanisms included, glass exterior wiped where accessible from inside
Balcony	Floor scrubbed and rinsed, drainage channels cleared, railing and ledge surfaces wiped, any small remaining items removed

Scope is confirmed before the visit begins. Items outside the above may be added by agreement; the price is adjusted accordingly.

On the day

What happens when staff arrive

Arrival

Staff arrive at the agreed time, confirm their identification, and ask to be shown any areas of particular concern before the walk-through begins.

Walk-through

A full walk through every room, noting the current condition, confirming which areas are in scope, and discussing anything that may need particular attention — a mark that has been there a long time, a fixture with scale buildup.

Confirmation

The full task list is confirmed before work begins. If there is anything within scope that cannot be reached — a window track sealed shut, a fitted appliance that cannot be moved — this is noted at the outset, not discovered at the end.

The visit itself

Six to eight hours, room by room

First hour

Arrival and structural areas

Walk-through, task list confirmed. Work begins with the areas that generate the most displaced material — overhead storage, ventilation covers, appliance tops. What falls is addressed in the next pass.

Hours two and three

Kitchen and sanitary

Kitchen units interior and exterior, all fitted appliances, sink and hob. Then bathroom and toilet — descaling, polishing, tile surfaces, mirror. These areas take the most time at the standard required.

Hours four to six

Rooms, floors and windows

All floor surfaces, wall marks, storage interiors, and window tracks room by room. Work proceeds in order so nothing is revisited unnecessarily and no area is left mid-clean.

Final stage

Balcony and record

Balcony floor, railing, drainage channels. Then photographs of each area taken and compiled. Record sent to you the same day. Equipment removed, property left clear.

Investment

¥33,000

One-time visit. For a two-room apartment.

Six to eight hours, full property coverage
Photographic record supplied the same day
Return visit within seven days if inspection raises a point within scope
Removal of small quantities of remaining items
No supplementary charges for work within agreed scope
Scope confirmed in writing before work begins

Timing

When to book and what to allow

The clean is carried out after all furniture has been removed. The property needs to be fully clear before we arrive — not mostly clear, but empty enough that every floor, every storage unit interior, and every wall surface can be reached without anything in the way.

We recommend booking as early as the move date is confirmed. The window between final removal and key handover is often shorter than anticipated, and having the clean scheduled in advance removes one variable from a period that tends to have too many.

For larger properties — three rooms or more — please mention this when you contact us so we can estimate time accurately. The price for larger properties is discussed and confirmed before booking.

Why this approach holds

Why the photographic record matters

Disputes about the condition of a property at handover typically rest on what can be demonstrated rather than recalled. A same-day photographic record of each area, supplied to you immediately, gives you something to refer to if a point is raised later. We have found this provides genuine peace of mind — not as a legal instrument, but as a clear account of what was done and what the property looked like.

Why the return visit is included

Even a thorough clean can be assessed differently by an inspector with a torch and a checklist. The return visit provision means that if something within the agreed scope is raised, it is addressed without further negotiation. It also means the price you see is the price you pay — there is no secondary charge for a correction visit. Over 140 handover cleans, this provision has been used in a small fraction of cases; it is there for the cases where it matters.

What seven years of handover experience adds

Staff who have attended many handover inspections know which areas inspectors are most likely to check and which types of marks or buildup are most likely to be noted. The clean is structured accordingly — not to cut corners elsewhere, but to ensure that the areas most likely to matter receive sufficient time and attention. This is the kind of knowledge that accumulates through experience rather than being derived from a checklist.

Our commitment

What we stand behind for this service

The scope of the Pre-Handover Property Clean is confirmed in writing before work begins. If something within that agreed scope was not completed on the day, we will return to finish it without additional charge.

The return visit provision — within seven days of the clean, should the inspection raise a point within scope — is included in the price and does not require a separate conversation to activate. If you contact us within that period with a specific point from the inspection, we will arrange the return visit as quickly as we can.

If you are unsure whether your property falls within the standard scope, or if there are particular features — a large built-in storage system, a terrace rather than a balcony, a property with more than two rooms — we are glad to discuss this before you book. There is no obligation attached to asking, and a considered initial conversation tends to make the visit itself go more smoothly.

How to get started

Booking the clean

Step one

Contact us with the details

Write to us via the contact form or at info@orbit-labblend.com. Include the property address, approximate size in rooms, your planned move-out date, and the inspection date if known. We respond within one working day.

Step two

Scope and date confirmed

We confirm what the clean covers, the time required, and the price. If the property is larger than a standard two-room apartment, the price is adjusted and confirmed before booking. A date is set once you confirm.

Step three

The clean takes place

Staff arrive at the agreed time, carry out the walk-through, and proceed through the property. Photographs are compiled and sent the same day. If the inspection raises anything within scope, contact us and we will return within seven days.

Pre-Handover Property Clean

If you have a handover coming up

The earlier in the process you contact us, the more straightforwardly the visit can be arranged. A message with your property details and likely timeline is enough to get started.

Send a message

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