Arrival Prep & Departure Cleanup for Island Homes
Walk into a warm house instead of spending your first afternoon opening it up.
- Licensed & bonded
- WA L&I #SANJUJI741OT
- Insured
- Locally owned in Friday Harbor
The first few hours of every trip to an island house look the same: turn the heat up, open the windows to clear the closed-up smell, brush the fir needles off the deck, find out what the mice did, wipe down the counters, make the beds. The last few hours look the same too, in reverse. Neither is how anyone wants to spend a weekend.
Arrival prep means I come by a day ahead. The heat goes up so the house is warm when you walk in. Windows get opened for an hour to air it out. Counters and surfaces get a wipe-down, the deck and entry get swept, beds get made with the linens you leave, and I walk the house so any surprise is found by me and not by you. If something's wrong, you'll know before you're on the boat.
Departure cleanup is the other end. After you leave I strip the beds, start the laundry or bag linens for your service, take out the trash and recycling, clear anything that'll spoil out of the fridge, set the heat back to its away setting, and check every door and window. You get a photo set showing the house locked up. You can catch the earlier ferry instead of spending your last morning cleaning.
To be clear, this is light cleaning that comes with opening and closing the house. It isn't a deep clean and it isn't vacation rental turnover. If you rent the place, keep your turnover cleaner. This is for owners using their own house, and for the start and end of your season.
It pairs naturally with property care. If I'm already checking the house monthly, I know how it should look, where the shut-offs are, and what's normal, so opening and closing goes faster.
What’s included
- Heat set ahead of your arrival and back to away setting after
- House aired out, surfaces wiped, deck and entry swept
- Beds made with your linens on arrival, stripped on departure
- Trash, recycling, and spoiled food out
- A walk-through before you arrive so surprises are found early
- Every door and window checked on departure
- Photo set showing the house closed up
What it costs
Billed on the standard $250 minimum visit, which covers up to two hours, then $85/hour in quarter-hour increments. Washington sales tax applies to the total. Full rate card. Most arrivals and departures fit inside the minimum.
Property care clients get the plan rate, and an arrival or departure can be scheduled as that month's visit.
Full rate cardCommon questions
Do you do deep cleaning or rental turnovers?
No. This is light cleaning that goes with opening and closing the house. For deep cleans or rental turnovers you'll want a cleaning service, and I'm happy to work around their schedule.
Can you pick up groceries?
If it's a short list, yes, billed as part of the visit at cost plus time. It's easiest when it's the basics so the fridge isn't empty the night you arrive.
How much notice do you need?
A week is ideal, and more for holiday weekends and the first warm weekend of spring, when everyone opens their house at once.
Next step
Want this off your list?
Call (360) 317-0203 or send the details and I’ll tell you what it takes.
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