End of Tenancy Cleaning in Muswell Hill

Pulled up outside a red-brick Edwardian semi on one of the Edmondson estate roads near Fortis Green — about a 10-minute walk from Muswell Hill Broadway, backing toward Queens Wood. Four beds upstairs, a family bathroom and an en-suite, two reception rooms on the ground floor, a big kitchen-diner extension at the rear with doors to a 45ft garden. Family of five — three kids at Tetherdown Primary — had been there 4 years at £3,200/month. Managed by Hamptons on the Broadway.

Parked on-street. Residential road, no restrictions. Brought a 2-person team — a big job but manageable in a day without needing a third.

Started at the front door. A stained glass fanlight above — floral Art Nouveau pattern, original to the house. Cleaned with glass cleaner and a soft cloth, no squeegee anywhere near the lead. The hallway had original Minton-style encaustic tiles — red, cream, and black geometric pattern running from the front door to the staircase. Swept, then pH-neutral mop. The tiles were in great shape for 4 years with three kids. One small chip near the radiator — photographed it. That chip was there at check-in and Hamptons had it noted.

Kitchen-diner first because it always takes the longest. A full-width rear extension with a skylight, quartz island, and a Rangemaster range cooker — gas, three cavities (two ovens plus a grill). We dismantled each door glass, sprayed all three cavities, left 20 minutes. The Rangemaster's cast-iron pan supports went into a soak bag. The grill tray got paste degreaser. Total Rangemaster time: about an hour. While the oven dwelled we did the rest: extractor (flush-ceiling, filter panel out and soaked), quartz worktops with pH-neutral, cupboards wiped, fridge and freezer cleaned — the freezer had a layer of ice at the back that needed defrosting before we could clean it properly. Floor: large-format porcelain tiles, mopped with pH-neutral.

The garden doors — bifolds spanning the full width of the extension. The tracks had 4 years of three kids running in and out plus Queens Wood debris: hornbeam and oak leaves, the dark loamy soil from the ancient woodland, and the fine organic matter that accumulates when a garden backs onto 52 acres of trees. Crevice vacuum in every section of the bifold track, then wiped until each track finger-tested clean. Took about 15 minutes on the tracks alone. The patio got a sweep.

Two reception rooms. The front room had the Edmondson showpiece: a ceiling rose (acanthus-leaf pattern, about 45cm), deep cornicing with a secondary dentil row, and a tiled fireplace — green-and-cream Art Nouveau tiles with a cast-iron insert and a carved wooden mantel. Each tile wiped with pH-neutral. Cast iron barely-damp. Mantel polished. Ceiling rose dusted petal by petal with the extension brush. The rear reception was simpler — a sealed fireplace with a painted surround, picture rail, basic cornicing. Both rooms had original timber floorboards, sanded and sealed. Mopped with specialist wood product.

Upstairs. The family bathroom — a suite with a freestanding bath, a separate shower cubicle with glass door, and a basin. Limescale at ~260 ppm after 4 years from a family of five. The shower glass got phosphoric acid, 10-minute dwell, one pass. The freestanding bath was the time-consuming bit — you have to clean around and behind it, not just the inside. Waterline descaled (two passes — 4 years of three kids' baths). Taps done. Toilet done. Floor mopped including behind the freestanding bath. The en-suite in the master was smaller — walk-in shower, basin, toilet. Quicker.

Four bedrooms. The master had a bay window (sash tracks vacuumed, glass cleaned), built-in wardrobes (wiped inside), original cornicing. The second bedroom — same era, same features, straightforward. The older kid's room had poster adhesive on the wall (removed cleanly) and a sticker on the windowsill (adhesive remover). The youngest's room had a crayon mark on the skirting (specialist remover on gloss paint — came off) and a scuff on the door (wiped).

Hamptons came the next morning. Their senior negotiator — someone who manages a dozen Edmondson houses on these streets — walked through with a tablet, photographing for the overseas landlord. Stained glass fanlight: clean, lead intact. Encaustic tiles: clean, chip noted as pre-existing. Rangemaster: all three cavities opened and checked. Ceiling rose: dust-free. Cornicing: both moulding levels clean. Fireplace tiles: no residue. Freestanding bath: behind and around done. Bifold tracks: finger-tested, clean. Kids' marks: all resolved. Passed.

Deposit back in 8 days. No deductions. The family were moving to a bigger place on the same estate — still in Tetherdown catchment, just needed a fifth bedroom. That's Muswell Hill: families who arrive for the schools and don't leave until they outgrow the house.

If any of those features had been disputed — the tile chip, the floorboard wear, the fireplace patina — our photos would have covered it. These are 120-year-old surfaces that were designed to last, but they weren't designed to stay perfect. That's fair wear and tear. Our guide on landlord cleaning charges explains the boundary.