Frequently Asked Questions

Here is a basic overview of what is on the Standard Cleaning Checklist:

All living areas of the house:

• Dust surfaces
• Dust and hand wipe furniture tops
• Dust baseboards, chair rails, and door panels
• Dust ceiling fans (within reach)
• Glass tables cleaned
• Cushions and Pillows fluffed and straightened
• Vacuum carpets
• Vacuum and damp mop floors (steam mop available upon request with advance notice)
• Dust blinds, window sills, and lock ledges
• Dust furniture
• Dust pictures frames
• Dust lamp and lamp shades
• Dust and clean mirrors
• Empty all trash

Bathroom(s):

• Dust surfaces
• Dust blinds, window sills, and lock ledges
• Dust cabinets, door panels, and baseboards
• Clean and disinfect surfaces
• Spot clean cabinet fronts
• Clean, disinfect, and shine showers and tubs
• Clean and disinfect toilets inside and out
• Clean and disinfect door knobs and switch plates
• Shine fixtures
• Vacuum and damp mop floors
• Empty trash

Kitchen:

• Dust surfaces
• Dust blinds, window sills, and lock ledges
• Dust chair rails, cabinets, door panels, and baseboards
• Dust top of refrigerator
• Clean and disinfect counter tops
• Spot clean cabinet fronts
• Clean and disinfect door knobs and switch plates
• Clean and disinfect sink
• Clean and disinfect microwave inside and out
• Clean, disinfect, and shine outside of oven and top of range
• Clean, disinfect, and shine outside of dishwasher
• Clean, disinfect, and shine outside of refrigerator
• Clean and disinfect kitchen table
• Vacuum and damp mop floors
• Empty trash

Bedroom(s): 

• Dust surfaces
• Dust and hand wipe furniture tops
• Dust furniture
• Dust baseboards, chair rails, and door panels
• Dust blinds, window sills, and lock ledges
• Vacuum carpets
• Vacuum and damp mop floors (if non-carpet)
• Change sheets (upon request)
• Make beds (upon request)
• Empty trash

You can also request extra items via your customer dashboard.

* Please note that hard wood floors vary, depending on foot traffic and previous cleaners used some streaking or filming may occur. Every effort is made to ensure a spotless finish however this is not always possible. Cabin Care utilizes professional strength cleaners and specialty cleaners based on client’s requests.

* Some dust settling after your cleaning service may be inevitable, Cabin Care recommends an air filter or purifier to help remove airborne dust particles from the air.

* Please note that all appointments are time pending based on client’s requested budget or needs. Not all items listed may be able to be performed within the time frame allotted to us.

It’s completely up to you. If you’re not going to be home, make sure you let us know how to access your house by putting the information in your customer dashboard.

For many of our clients, this is not their main residence. Please consider using our Key Keeper services for the times you will not be at the property and would like us to come by and either prepare the property for your arrival or when you are at work or enjoying the beautiful surroundings.

Each quote is different, some are a specific flat rate agreements and others are quoted as an estimated hourly price. Here is our stance:

We strive to be as accurate as possible on each estimated quote so there are no surprises for our customers or our staff. If your estimate or quote is based on an hourly price and we are able to accomplish the assigned task in less time, you’re only charged based on the amount of time the services were being performed. If we finish early, you aren’t charged the full amount quoted.

What we wouldn’t want as a customer is to have a service provider rush through the service and to not do the best job possible. We also don’t want them to be onsite or going slowly just to get the extra time, causing them to take longer than it should take to do the job correctly. Our Vision for the company here at Cabin Care, specifically relates to the members of our team and how we encourage their development and rewarding their performance.

If you see something that bothers you, please let us know your thoughts so we can actively address it by contacting us HERE.

Everything comes down to scheduling. If you have a project that required good weather to be completed (like exterior painting, deck staining, etc), we are at Mother Natures mercy. If your project request is internal (Cleaning, painting, etc), then the schedule will be much easier to manage. We are typically booked several weeks in advance, especially during “season.” However, that does not mean that if you need a job done right away, we will not be able to accommodate your request. Let us know what you need and when you need it, and we’ll do everything we can to accommodate your needs.

If you’re on a recurring schedule, we’ll do our best to match you with the same person / team going forward.

We have earned the respect of our customers as evident in our customer testimonials. We use on the best, most durable paints and stains, and our staff is experienced doing painting and staining locally in Sapphire, Cashiers, Lake Toxaway, Glenville and Highlands. We work with you to not only understand your needs, but the desired outcomes for each project. During our no obligation consultation, we will work with you and give not only an estimate for the project, but give you an approximate starting date… weather permitting.

Yes, we can! CabinCare can paint your entire interior and exterior. We can paint whatever you would like. We can paint the entire house or just a room.

Obviously the absolute minimum is one coat. However there are many factors affecting this decision. Details like how long ago the house was last painted, whether a color change is desired, or the type of paint used previously (acrylic, lead, a combination, etc.) will all be a factor.

When painting an exterior surface, remember that prior maintenance, and the appropriate build up for color and sheen are all necessary to ensure a good finish. Remember, on raw wood (which we have a lot of here locally) a good primer is highly recommended, followed by a finish coat. With some color choices a second, maybe even a third coat may be required to achieve the desired color and or sheen.

On your free consultation we can answer any questions you may have about the number and type of coats needed.

Yes, with color changes, two coats are recommended to achieve the results you want. As the surface coating dries, the paint will “shrink.” it if complete coverage was not achieved there will be bleed through. Also, two coats will help prevent “flashing,” which is caused when an inconsistent surface sheen exists.

Well the answer is… that depends. Typically our response is no. What we have found is that if the trim is in good condition and there is no old paint color on it there is no need to paint the trim work.  If it does need to be painted, it will become (more) noticeable once the new wall color is applied.

The need for priming depends on what kind of surface you want painted. Primers are wonderful and have been scientifically designed to prepare the surface, allowing paint to adhere better. Priming will be necessary if we will be necessary if painting over previously wallpapered surfaces, on raw drywall or areas where drywall repair was just completed, surfaces that were previously stained, and on a surface that has never been previously painted.

Yes. Purchasing your own favorite brand or purchasing a low cost paint will often save a small percentage of your overall painting expense, but there is a stipulation that we must be upfront about. Supplying your own paint will void the CabinCare warranty. We do this because we do not know the source, age, how its been stored, treated or opened. All of these factors can and will affect the product ultimately affecting its application, curing, and long term performance. If you do purchase your own brand, we do not recommend storing paint for a long duration. At CabinCare, we purchase paint as we need it, assuring product quality while also providing our internal tracking a controlled lot number and color code for future need at your property.

In actuality, every mountain home (AKA: Cabin), fence, deck, etc. has different levels of prep that are needed. Age and weathering are a huge factor in determining the appropriate amount of preparation needed. In our professional option, the biggest key to a successful and long lasting result is the prep work. CabinCare thorough prep (and clean up) process often takes more than twenty five percent of the time. With our knowledge and experience, we determine and apply the right preparation for your situation and surface. We do not believe in cut corners and hope that attention to detail is something you believe in as well!

If you’re on a recurring schedule, we’ll do our best to match you with the same person / team going forward.

Many things can happen while you are not there, especially if you are not living there full time or only are using the property as a weekend retreat or seasonal get away.

A tree can fall at hit the house. Someone who is working in the neighborhood can realize that the house has been vacant for a prolonged period which will lead to a  break-in (they are on the rise in the local area). The power can go out and without electricity, mold can find it’s way into you home causing not only a health hazard, but a huge financial cost. A water pipe can leak or break, causing water damage or walls, floors and if left unaddressed, cause mold. An animal can enter your home looking for food or shelter (from Raccoons to Black Bears) and cause an amazing amount of damage in just a short amount of time.

Without knowing about these events, or discovering them soon after they occur, the damage can grow and cost can quickly escalate.

For many of our clients, this is not their main residence. When you retain CabinCareWNC will will check your Cabin (house and property) looking for anything out of the ordinary. We’ll check inside and outside your Cabin.  We are specifically looing for evidence of a break-in, a broken window, any trees that have fallen, that the electricity is working, the refrigerator is working, all windows and doors are locked and if a guests has used your cabin, make sure it has be left clean and secure. If there is anything that we see that has changed since our last visit that needs to be brought to your attention, we will take photographs of your property and send them to you along with am emailed report of our finding.

While using the Cabin Check services, you will automatically be enrolled in our Key Keeper services for the times you will not be at the property and would like us to come by and either prepare the property for your arrival, when you need us to wait for a vendor (Wait Services), when you are at work during the day or simply enjoying the beautiful surroundings of the Highland-Cashiers Plateau.

Not only is CabinCare a neighbor (we live in Sapphire), scheduling the service adds dependability. While asking a neighbor to help you out once in a while (we have a few great neighbors as well..), but your neighbors are here to make full use of the area and want to be able to enjoy their time as much as you would.

Asking a neighbor to check on your property weekly or even when they are “up,” puts an expectation on them to “work” and take time out of their schedule to stop by your home. If they find a “problem,” now they feel compelled to keep helping to make sure the issue is addresses. This could take a few more hours or hours over a few days to be properly addressed. Even the best neighbor relationship could be strained and the last relationship that we want to strain as a property owner is the one with our neighbor. This is also a lot to ask from a neighbor because you are out of town, this is a second (or third) home or just because you are too busy.

The key is consistency. Your neighbor might not be able to check on a regular basis and as we already know, delays in discovering issues cause more time, money, effort and energy.

The question should be what will it cost NOT to do regularly scheduled Property Checks? At CabinCare, the monthly fee for Property Checks is currently $75.00 per month. We believe this is a small investment for the peace of mind that you will gain having us as your eyes and ears while your not here. What peace of mind you ask?

Just imagine having a break-in and not being aware of it for months. Think how you would feel if you planned a visit and drove up only to find that your property had been vandalized and your possessions had been destroyed or stolen, by a thief or an bear.  Think about the damage that a fallen tree on your roof could cause if no one discovered this had happened for a long time.

AS A SPECIAL BONUS

As a CabinCare monthly Property Check Services client, we will also include discounts for other value added services to not only maintain your Cabin, but keep it clean, as a part of your Property Check Services. If you use our Property Check Services in conjunction with our cleaning, power washing, painting, or Wait Services, $50 per month will be discounted from your service invoice for that month in appreciation for your relationship with us.