Help with cleanliness rating

[Jill520]

I scrub and clean my house before guests come, however I still get low ratings for cleaniness.  I am a professional cleaner and very disappointed when I get these ratings.

At the moment my house needs a bit of a maintenance of painting here and there for chips on the skirting boards etc its not a lot but would that be a reason why I get low cleaniness ratings?

It is an older style house built in the 70s and has been renovated.  I still get "old" house.

Even though the lady who stayed at my house who called by house old had a bnb  house that was 50's retro style.  Again I am confused.

Can anyone give me some advice.

Thanks  Jill  Paynesville  Vic

[Jill520]

That sounds like good advice.  Yes, I am snoozing for awhile and doing some renovations and thinking, about the adds as you suggested.

Thanks Andrew

[Ange2]

@Jill520   "maintenance of painting here and there for chips on the skirting boards"

Yes most definitely, some people think new is clean and old is dirty, someone on this forum mentioned their collector's item Persian rug being reviewed badly, another their old but renovated wooden floors.  I get the same, my place is old and somewhat shabby as are my "scrubbed clean, white, worn floors"  a review from a farmer.  The floors would cost a fortune to replace so there are few options, carpets cover some of the floor but are not wall-to-wall. I mention it the description, 'shabby', some people do take note.

[Jill520]

I am taking my listing off for a year and in the meantime I will do some patching up by painting where it needs it.  and maybe ripping up the carpet in the hallway  and putting vinyl look boards down.

I would love to do more renovating but cannot afford it, unfortunately.

 I am a professional cleaner.

Regards JM

[Huma0]

new = clean

old = dirty

This is something that I have had to battle with a few times. On the one hand, I don't understand why anyone would book my nearly 200-year-old house if they preferred new, but sometimes they do. I don't understand why someone who hates clutter would book it either, as it's pretty clear from the photos that it's not a minimalist space, but sometimes they do.

I also have had a couple of guests mention in reviews that the house is undergoing renovations or that it is 'a work in progress'.

The house was falling apart when I bought it almost 13 years ago and it was a major renovation project (builders were here for months before I could move in). Every wall and ceiling was taken out and replaced. The whole house was rewired and new light fittings and switches installed. The roof terrace was completely re-done. Brand new kitchen and new bathrooms installed. Windows were repaired. The ground floor was fitted with new oak parquet while the Victorian floorboards in the other floors were all sanded, stained and varnished. A pitched ceiling was built in one bedroom. New radiators were installed throughout. I can't even remember what else.

Later, there were some other big projects. I had two new bathrooms installed. The front of the house was repainted. Garden walls have been rebuilt or repaired. A pitched ceiling was built in another bedroom. The boiler was replaced and a few more radiators updated. About the only thing that hasn't been renovated is the stair case, because I can't find anyone willing to take it on. Some guests love the rustic style of it and others hate it and think it is 'dirty'. It's not dirty, it's just old.

So, is the house 'under renovation'? No. 

Is the house 'a work in progress'? Yes. It always will be. Large, very old properties need constant maintenance. There will always be more jobs to do. Unfortunately, leaks happen and cause damage which needs to be fixed. Repainting needs to be done from time to time. Old windows and doors start to warp. Bathrooms need updating after a few years. Recently I had the largest shower retiled and new fittings installed. After 13 years, there are many things that need re-doing. Also, guests damage things more often that I would like, so that's more wear and tear.

So, at no point will the house ever look pristine and perfect. That's just the way it is. The thing is, if you look at my listing photos carefully, you will see things here and there that need doing. Guests seem not to notice in the photos, but do notice when they see them in person.

I recently had a guest rate me down overall and on accuracy because she said the photos gave her higher expectations. Okay, fair enough. But, when I examined the photos again, I couldn't see anything in them that was amiss. Rather, several improvements have been made. The only inaccuracy I could see is that the Airbnb photographers used a wide-angled lens (standard) but I don't think that's what she was complaining about as she also rated me down on cleanliness.

Luckily, most guests choose my place because of its age and character. It's just a shame that some rate down on cleanliness regardless, but I have excellent cleaners and can't abide dirty kitchens or bathrooms, so I really do try to stay on top of things in between the cleaners' visits. Not sure what else I can do...