Home services Side hustleNo experienceRepeat customers

How to start a house cleaning business in England

Everything you need: what it costs, what you can make, what England asks for, and every step from your first idea to your tenth customer.

Start this business with PressUp

Checked October 2026 In pounds 12-minute read

The prices and costs in this guide are estimates for the United Kingdom: researched US figures converted to pounds by price levels. Registration fees and taxes are the United Kingdom's own.

To start£410–1.9kLean to full setup

Per month£3.4k–6.8kOnce established

Profit margin80–88%Before paying yourself, after supplies, fuel and insurance

First customer1–3 weeksFrom today

DifficultyStart with skills you have

From homeYesOr you go to them

01Is it right for you?

A good fit if you like tidy results and a steady routine

House cleaning is one of the simplest service businesses to start: you need good supplies, a way to get to jobs and customers who trust you in their homes. Most of the money comes from regulars who book you every week or two.

You'll like it if

You enjoy making a space look its best
You're careful and notice details
You like a routine with regular customers
You're trustworthy and on time

Think twice if

Bending, kneeling and lifting are hard for you
You'd rather not work in other people's homes
Cleaning products bother your skin or breathing
You want work that changes every day

02What it costs

From £410 to start

Start lean with the essentials and upgrade as customers come, or set up fully from day one.

Total to start£410

What	Cost
Vacuum, mops and caddyA commercial upright to a HEPA backpack, a microfiber mop, a step stool	£160
Cleaning products and clothsDisinfectant, glass and floor cleaner, microfiber, gloves	£50
Insurance and bondFirst three months of liability, plus an optional yearly bond	£100
Registering your businessFree as a sole trader; more to form a company	£0
Website and marketingWebsite, booking and business cards	£100
UniformMatching shirts look professional at the door	£0
Total	£410

Once you're running: about £100 a month, plus about 10% of what you earn. Insurance, bond, phone and booking software every month, plus supplies, fuel and card fees on each clean.

03What you can make

Work out your own numbers

Move the sliders to match your plans. The chart shows a first year that builds up as word gets around.

Average price per clean £120 £40£340

Cleans a week 10 120

Monthly costs £100 £0£400

Typical in England: £80–£170 per clean, 4–14 cleans a week once established.

Revenue a month—

Profit a month—

Pays back in—

Your first yearTotal: —

Money inCosts

Side hustle£1k–2.1k

3–5 cleans a week

Full-time, on your own£3.4k–5.1k

10–12 cleans a week

With a helper£5.5k–6.8k

18–20 cleans a week with one or two helpers

04Step by step

12 steps to your first customers

Each step says what it costs and how long it takes. Most owners get through them in a few weeks.

1
Check the demand near you
2–3 days Free

Find out who cleans homes near you, what they charge and what they include.
- Search "house cleaning near me"
- Note 5 competitors and their prices
- Ask friends what they pay now
2
Choose your name
1 day Free

Pick a friendly name that says what you do and where. Make sure no one in England has it.
- 3–5 name ideas
- Check no one else uses it
- Check the domain
Get name ideas for your businessFind a name
3
Register your business in England
1 day to 2 weeks £0–£100

Most owners start as a sole trader with HMRC; a limited company with Companies House costs a little and keeps business debts separate.
- Register as a sole trader: free
- Set up a limited company: £100
4
Get your Unique Taxpayer Reference (UTR)
1–5 days Free

Your business's tax number from HMRC, for taxes and banking.
- Register with HMRC
- Open a business bank account
5
Sort out VAT
1–3 days Free

You must register for VAT once your sales pass £90,000 a year. The rate is 20%.
- Know when to register for VAT
- Keep records of income and costs
- Set money aside for income tax
6
Get insured
1–2 days Quotes are free

Insurance protects you if something goes wrong on a job. Get quotes from two or three insurers.
- General liability
- A janitorial bond (optional)
- Workers' comp, once you hire
7
Buy your supplies
2–3 days £210–880

Start with a good vacuum and microfiber: they do most of the work. Upgrade to a backpack vacuum and steam cleaner as you grow.
- Commercial vacuum
- Microfiber cloths and mop
- Products, caddy and step stool
8
Write your cleaning checklist
1 day Free

List what a standard, deep and move-out clean include, room by room. A clear checklist builds trust and keeps every clean the same.
- Room-by-room checklist
- What's not included
- How long each clean takes
9
Set your prices
1 day Free

Price by the home's size, with a discount for regulars. See the prices below.
- Standard, deep and move-out
- Discounts for weekly or every two weeks
- Add-ons: oven, fridge, laundry
10
Put your business online
1 day Included

A site with your prices, your checklist and online booking lets customers book you any time.
- Website with your prices
- Online booking
- Google Business Profile
Describe your business and PressUp builds your websiteBuild your website
11
Get your first 10 customers
1–3 weeks Up to £100

Friends and neighbors first, then local groups and reviews. Turn first-time cleans into regular visits.
- Neighborhood groups
- Ask for referrals
- Ask every customer for a review
Ask your customers for reviews by email with PressUpSee how
12
Keep track as you grow
Ongoing Included

Know who's due when, who prefers what, and who still owes you.
- Customer list and notes
- Recurring bookings
- Invoices
Keep your customers and invoices in one place with PressUpSee how

05Licenses in ENG

What England asks for

Registering, taxes, and what this business needs. Check the details with each authority: rules change.

Register as a sole trader

You register as a sole trader by registering for Self Assessment.

HMRCFree

Set up a limited company

Registering online. Registering by post costs more.

Companies House£100once

Unique Taxpayer Reference (UTR)

Your business's tax number, for banking and taxes.

HMRCFree

06Equipment

What to buy first

Buy the "must haves" to start. Add the rest when customers pay for them.

Commercial vacuumUpright to start, a HEPA backpack later

£100–£360Must have

Microfiber clothsColor-coded: kitchens, bathrooms, glass

£6–£18Must have

Microfiber mopFlat mop with wet and dry pads

£16–£100Must have

Cleaning productsDisinfectant, glass and floor cleaner, spray bottles

£17–£95Must have

Caddy and bucketCarry everything in one trip

£7–£12Must have

Step stoolFor high shelves and fans

£30–£80Must have

Gloves and shoe coversA box of each

£5–£14Must have

Steam cleanerGrout, tile and stubborn spots

£55–£120Later

07Pricing

3 packages that sell

Simple choices make it easy to say yes. Most customers pick the middle one.

Every two weeks

£110 per visit · 2.5–3.5 hours

Kitchen and bathrooms
Dust, vacuum and mop
Beds made, trash out

Deep clean

£200 per visit · 4–6 hours

Everything in a regular clean
Baseboards and door frames
Window sills and grout

Move-out clean

£240 per visit · 5–7 hours

Everything in a deep clean
Inside cabinets and drawers
Inside fridge, freezer and oven

Standard clean prices in EnglandTypical: £80–£170

Average £120

£0£60£120£170£230

08First customers

How to get your first customers

You don't need an ad budget. These work for new owners almost everywhere.

Google Business Profile

People search "house cleaning near me". A free profile with reviews puts you on the map.

Free

Neighborhood groups

Nextdoor and local Facebook groups: people trust the cleaner their neighbors use.

Free

Referral thank-yous

Give regulars something off their next clean for each friend who books.

Low cost

Real estate agents and landlords

Move-out and move-in cleans come from agents and property managers. Introduce yourself.

Partnership

Reviews

Ask every customer. Trust is what people buy when they let you into their home.

With PressUp Reviews

Regular visits

A small discount for weekly or every-two-weeks cleans turns one-off customers into steady income.

Repeat income

What a cleaning business website needs, and how PressUp builds it

09Your first 30 days

A month from now, you could be open

Week 1

Set up

Choose your name
Register your business
Get insurance quotes

Week 2

Get equipped

Buy your supplies
Write your checklist
Time a clean of your own home

Week 3

Go live

Website with booking
Google Business Profile
Set your prices

Week 4

First customers

Aim for 10 cleans
Ask for reviews
Offer regular visits

10Questions

Common questions

Do I need a license to clean houses in England?

Usually there's no special license for house cleaning. You'll register your business, and check whether your city wants a general business license and whether England charges sales tax on cleaning.

Do I need to be bonded?

No, a bond is optional. It's inexpensive and can reassure customers about theft claims, while liability insurance covers damage you cause.

Can I start part-time?

Yes. Many cleaners start with a few homes on evenings or weekends, then go full-time once they have enough regulars.

How long does a clean take?

A regular clean of a three-bedroom home takes one person about three hours. A first clean or a deep clean takes longer, so price it higher.

Should I bring my own supplies?

Most cleaners do: it's faster and you know what works. If a customer prefers their own products, that's fine too.

Costs and earnings are estimates from the sources below, checked October 2026. Fees and rules change: confirm with the authorities named in this guide. This guide is general information, not legal, tax or financial advice.

Sources