How much does a cleaner cost in Brighton? An honest breakdown
What drives the price of domestic, deep and end of tenancy cleaning in Brighton, why hourly rates mislead, and the questions to ask before you book.
Every cleaning company gives the same non-answer to this question: "it depends on the property." True, but useless if you are trying to budget.
Here is what it actually depends on, so you can work out roughly where your job sits before anyone quotes you.
Why hourly rates mislead
The most common way cleaning is sold is an hourly rate. It is also the format that tells you least about what you will pay.
An hourly rate answers "what does an hour cost" but not "how many hours will this take" — and the second number is the one that determines your bill. Two companies quoting the same hourly figure can produce invoices that differ by half, depending on how fast they work and how much they decide is in scope.
It also creates a quiet conflict of interest. If the meter runs by the hour, working slowly is rewarded.
We price per job for that reason, and we would suggest treating a per-job quote as a positive signal whoever you use. It means the company has committed to a figure, which means they have thought about the scope.
What genuinely drives the price
Size, but not the way people think
Bedroom count is the usual shorthand, and it is a poor one. What actually drives time is:
- Number of bathrooms. Bathrooms are the slowest rooms in any property by a wide margin. A two-bed flat with two bathrooms can take longer than a three-bed house with one.
- Number of floors. Stairs, landings and carrying equipment up and down cost real time. A three-storey Brighton terrace is a different job from a bungalow with the same floor area.
- Kitchen size and condition. Grease is slow to remove and there is no shortcut.
Condition, which matters more than size
For one-off cleans, condition dominates. A neglected one-bedroom flat can take longer than a well-maintained four-bedroom house. This is why any company quoting a deep clean without asking for photos or a visit is guessing — and a guess gets revised upwards on the day.
Frequency
Regular work costs less per visit than one-offs, for a straightforward reason: a home cleaned fortnightly never gets dirty enough to need the slow work. The first clean of a new regular contract often takes longer than subsequent ones, and a good company will tell you that upfront rather than discovering it in front of you.
What is in scope
Watch for these being quoted separately:
- Inside the oven
- Inside the fridge and freezer
- Interior windows
- Ironing and laundry
- Carpet steam cleaning
- Balconies and outside space
None of these are unreasonable to charge for. What is unreasonable is finding out on the day.
Questions worth asking before you book
- Is this a fixed price or an estimate? If it is an estimate, what makes it change?
- Is the oven included? The most common hidden extra, and the most common deposit deduction.
- Do I get the same cleaner each visit? For regular work this matters more than any other single factor.
- Are you insured, and are cleaners employed or subcontracted? Determines who is liable if something is damaged.
- What happens if I am not happy? A company confident in its work will offer to return free. One that will not is telling you something.
- What notice do I need to give to cancel or skip a visit?
What we would say about cheap quotes
If a quote is dramatically below everything else you have been given, something is paying for the difference. Usually it is one of: cleaners paid below minimum wage, no insurance, no employment status, or a scope so narrow that the real cost arrives later.
That is not an argument for paying the most. It is an argument for comparing the specification rather than the headline number, and asking what happens when something goes wrong.
Getting a real figure
We quote per job after a short conversation — for regular domestic work usually over the phone, for deep cleans after seeing a few photos, and for office contracts after a site visit. There is no obligation attached and we will not chase you afterwards.
Tell us about your property and you will have a fixed number to compare against.