End of Tenancy Cleaning in Parsons Green

We had one of the Lion Houses on the Peterborough Estate — the kind of house where the terracotta detailing runs across the full facade, arched windows on the first floor, and the Peterborough crest moulded into the bay. Four bedrooms over four floors including the basement. Family of five — three children at Fulham Prep — 5 years at £4,800/month. Hamptons managing from their double-site office on Parsons Green.

Visitor permit. Van on the street outside.

Basement kitchen first. Lower-ground, about 16ft by 14ft with a rear extension into the garden. Range cooker, Rangemaster, gas. Five years, family of five, three children. This is the heavy one. Pull it out — the compound behind the cooker was thick. Scrape skirting, degrease, three passes on the wall. Both ovens spray, 25 minutes. Two passes each. Hob done, five burners. Extractor hood — decent one, filter soaked, housing degreased. Stone floor, pH-neutral mop. Under-counter fridge and tall fridge-freezer, both cleaned. Cupboards wiped — this is a family kitchen, every shelf had crumbs. Utility room through the back: washing machine and dryer area wiped, sink cleaned, floor mopped.

Ground floor. Double reception room — the front and rear knocked through with a structural opening. About 28ft by 14ft total. Original fireplace at the front — tiled surround, cast-iron insert. Cleaned carefully. The timber floor was stripped and sealed, specialist product. The terracotta-framed entrance: front door wiped both sides, the terracotta columns and arch around it wiped with pH-neutral — you don't scrub terracotta, you wipe it.

First floor. Two bedrooms. Master had an en-suite — walk-in shower, marble-topped vanity. ~265 ppm, 5 years. Two passes on the shower panel. Marble: pH-neutral. The second bedroom was a child's room — sticker residue on the wardrobe, removed.

Second floor. Two more bedrooms — the smaller children's rooms. Carpet vacuumed. One had a pen mark on the wall — cleaned with specialist product. Family bathroom: bath-shower combo, 5-year waterline. Three passes. Screen: scratched, noted.

7 hours. Three people. The basement kitchen and the 5-year bathrooms are where the time went.

Hamptons came next morning. Their Parsons Green lettings manager — she handles the Peterborough Estate every week. Kitchen: Rangemaster both ovens opened, wall behind checked. Terracotta entrance: noted clean. Fireplace: tiles checked. En-suite marble: inspected. Sticker: gone. Pen mark: gone. Waterline: cleared. Screen scratches: fitting age. About 15 minutes. Passed.

Deposit back in 10 days. Full return. The family were relocating to Hong Kong — the children changing schools, the house going back on the market.

Parsons Green Lion Houses are the grandest family homes we clean in SW6. The terracotta makes them look different from outside, but inside they're the same Victorian proportions — the same ceilings, the same fireplaces, the same sash windows. We clean what's inside and respect what's on the facade. Our guide on deposit dispute evidence covers long family tenancies and how we separate 5 years of use from the building itself.