How do I upsell additional services in a domestic cleaning business in the UK?

Understanding upselling in a UK domestic cleaning business

Upselling in a domestic cleaning business isn’t about pressuring customers into buying things they don’t need. Done well, it’s a service-first approach that helps clients get a better result (a cleaner, healthier, easier-to-manage home) while increasing your average job value. In the UK, where many households are balancing busy schedules, childcare, work-from-home routines, pets, and rising living costs, the most successful upsells are the ones that solve a real problem and feel like a natural extension of what you already do.

Think of upselling as making it easier for your customer to say “yes” to improvements that deliver immediate value. The key is to present additional services at the right moment, in the right way, and with clear pricing. When you pair that with frictionless invoicing and simple payment collection, you not only increase revenue but also look more professional and reduce delays. That’s where an invoice tool like invoice24 can support your growth. With invoice24, you can send clean, branded invoices quickly, add line items for extras without confusion, and keep your records tidy—so offering additional services doesn’t become “extra admin.”

Set the foundation: clarity, trust, and consistency

Upselling works best when your core service is already reliable. If your standard clean feels inconsistent, clients won’t be receptive to paying more. Before you try to add extras, make sure your baseline offering is clearly defined and delivered consistently. That means having a simple checklist for each visit, a standard set of inclusions and exclusions, and a communication style that is friendly and professional.

Clients need to trust you before they buy more from you. Trust builds when you arrive on time, you communicate changes quickly, you respect the home, and you handle feedback calmly. Upselling is also easier when customers understand what they’re already receiving. If you can summarise your standard service in a few bullet points and reference it in follow-up messages and invoices, clients are less likely to feel confused or suspicious when they see an additional line item.

invoice24 can help here because your invoices can reinforce clarity. When you invoice, use separate line items like “Standard clean (2 hours)” and “Inside oven clean” rather than bundling everything into one vague total. Clear invoices reduce disputes and encourage repeat purchases because the customer can see exactly what they got for their money.

Choose add-on services that sell naturally in UK homes

The best upsells are the ones clients already want but haven’t asked for yet. In domestic cleaning, these often fall into a few categories: deep-clean tasks that are time-consuming, hygiene-focused services, seasonal needs, and “quality of life” extras that make the home feel noticeably better. You don’t need dozens of add-ons—start with a tight list of high-demand options that you can deliver confidently and profitably.

Popular, high-value add-ons to consider

Oven cleaning (inside): A classic upsell because it’s unpleasant, time-consuming, and clearly visible when done well. Many clients will happily pay for it occasionally.

Fridge clean (inside): Works well after holidays, before hosting, or as part of a “reset.” It’s also easy to price as a standalone task.

Inside kitchen cupboards: Great for spring cleans, post-renovations, and families. It’s a natural next step after a standard kitchen clean.

Limescale treatment: In hard water areas, bathrooms can build up scale quickly. Position this as “restore shine” and “reduce build-up” rather than as a judgement about cleanliness.

Interior windows: UK weather leads many households to postpone window cleaning. Interior-only is a useful add-on you can deliver with minimal equipment.

Skirting boards and doors: Often neglected, but results are dramatic. It also pairs well with deep cleans.

Bed change and laundry rotation: For busy households, small tasks that save time can be more valuable than another hour of general cleaning.

Ironing: Still popular in many areas and age groups. If you offer it, be strict about pricing and time boundaries.

Organisation “reset”: Light decluttering of surfaces, toy areas, or pantry zones. Be careful to define this clearly and avoid turning it into a full organising service unless you price accordingly.

Move-in/move-out deep clean: High-ticket and common in the UK rental market. Requires a structured checklist and clear exclusions.

Whatever you choose, make sure you can deliver consistently and safely, and ensure you’ve priced the service to account for time, products, and the extra effort. If you underestimate time, you’ll resent the add-ons and eventually avoid offering them.

Create simple packages that make upsells feel like upgrades

Many customers struggle to choose from a menu of extras. Packages remove decision fatigue and increase conversion. Instead of asking, “Do you want any add-ons?” you can offer “upgrade options” that feel like a better version of the service they already buy.

Examples of simple upgrade packages

The Kitchen Refresh: Standard clean + inside oven OR inside fridge + cupboard fronts + sink descale. Offer a fixed price or an extra time block.

The Bathroom Restore: Standard clean + limescale treatment + grout/detail work + taps and glass polish.

The Monthly Deep Touch: A rotating deep task each visit (e.g., month 1: skirting boards, month 2: inside windows, month 3: cupboards). This is excellent for recurring clients.

Pre-Guest Reset: A “hosting” clean with extra focus on bathrooms, kitchen, entrance, and lounge. This sells well around birthdays, family visits, and holidays.

Packages help you standardise your process and pricing. They also make it easier to invoice: you can add a package name as a single line item plus optional extras if needed. invoice24 supports clear itemisation, so clients understand what their upgrade includes and what it costs.

Price add-ons in a way that protects your time

Pricing is where many cleaning businesses lose money on upsells. The most common mistakes are underestimating time, forgetting product costs, and creating pricing that encourages customers to negotiate. Your pricing should feel fair, easy to understand, and firmly connected to effort and results.

Three practical pricing models

Fixed price per task: Best for defined jobs like “inside oven clean” or “inside fridge clean.” Clients like predictable pricing. You must be confident in your average time.

Time-block pricing: Sell add-ons as 30-minute or 60-minute blocks. This is easy for you to deliver and reduces the risk of underpricing. Example: “Deep-detail add-on: +30 minutes.”

Tiered pricing: Offer “Light,” “Standard,” and “Deep” options for certain areas. For example, “Bathroom Detail: Light descale / Full descale + grout detail.”

Whichever model you choose, keep your menu short and your language straightforward. A customer should be able to understand your add-on options in under 60 seconds. On the admin side, invoice24 helps you keep your pricing consistent by letting you reuse invoice items and present a clean breakdown—so your client sees the value rather than feeling like they’re being “nickel-and-dimed.”

Use the right moments to propose additional services

Timing matters. Upselling at the wrong time can feel awkward. Upselling at the right time feels helpful. In domestic cleaning, the best moments are usually:

1) The onboarding stage: When a client is booking for the first time, they’re already thinking about what they want fixed. Offer add-ons as part of a “first clean” or “initial deep clean” option.

2) Right after you’ve delivered great results: If the client is thrilled with the bathroom sparkle, that’s a good moment to suggest a monthly limescale detail to keep it that way.

3) Seasonal triggers: Spring cleans, pre-Christmas, after summer holidays, “back to school,” and before/after hosting. A simple message like “Would you like to add an inside fridge clean before the holidays?” can convert well.

4) When you notice a practical need: If you see heavy limescale, a greasy oven door, or messy skirting boards, you can mention it neutrally and offer a solution. Keep your tone factual, not judgemental.

5) When the client’s routine changes: New baby, new pet, renovation, working from home, moving house. These moments often increase willingness to pay for help.

Upselling works best when it’s framed as “maintaining” and “protecting” rather than “fixing your mess.” People respond better to “keep it looking great” than “this needs doing.”

Script your upsell so it feels natural, not salesy

Many cleaners avoid upselling because they don’t want to sound pushy. A simple script helps you stay confident and respectful. Your goal is to offer, not convince. If you deliver the offer with calm clarity, customers won’t feel pressured.

Client-friendly phrasing examples

Observation + option: “I noticed some limescale building up around the taps. If you’d like, I can add a limescale detail next time—it usually takes about 30 minutes.”

Outcome-focused: “If you want the kitchen to feel extra fresh, an inside fridge clean makes a big difference. I can include it this visit or next.”

Seasonal prompt: “A lot of clients book a deeper kitchen refresh before Christmas. Would you like to add oven or cupboard detailing for your next clean?”

Simple upgrade: “We can keep the weekly clean the same, or we can add a monthly deep-detail rotation so areas like skirting boards and interior windows stay on top.”

Budget-respectful: “No pressure at all—just letting you know it’s available if it would help.”

Notice the pattern: you mention the benefit, the time impact, and that it’s optional. Customers appreciate transparency. Once you’ve agreed the add-on, make sure your invoice reflects it clearly. invoice24 makes it easy to add that extra line item instantly without creating confusion for the client.

Make add-ons visible without awkward conversations

Not every upsell needs to happen face-to-face. In fact, many customers prefer to decide privately. You can increase uptake by making add-ons visible through your booking flow, confirmation messages, and routine communications.

Places to list add-ons

Your booking messages: After a client books, send a short message: “If you’d like to add any extras (oven, fridge, interior windows), just reply and I’ll confirm the price.”

A simple one-page service menu: A PDF or webpage that lists your top add-ons with fixed prices or time blocks.

Follow-up after the first clean: Thank them and include a gentle prompt: “If you’d like to keep on top of deep tasks, I can add a monthly rotation.”

On invoices: Your invoice can subtly reinforce your add-ons by showing the structure of your service. Some businesses include a note section: “Popular add-ons: oven clean, fridge clean, inside windows.”

This is another area where invoice24 can pull weight for your business. A professional invoice is a marketing touchpoint. When your invoice looks clear and well-branded, it signals competence and makes clients more receptive to premium services.

Train yourself (and your team) to spot upsell opportunities ethically

If you work alone, training means building habits. If you have a team, training must be more deliberate so your quality and messaging remain consistent. Either way, the rule is simple: recommend what helps the client, not what pads your invoice.

Create a short internal list of “opportunity indicators” that justify an add-on suggestion. For example:

Hard water signs: suggest limescale detail.

Grease build-up: suggest oven or extractor hood detail.

Hosting signs: extra bathroom/kitchen focus, interior windows, entranceway detail.

Pets: hair removal focus, upholstery vacuuming (if you offer it), higher-frequency visits.

Allergy concerns: high-dust zones, deeper vacuuming edges and skirting, interior window sills.

Teach your team to communicate neutrally and never shame the customer. The language matters. “Would you like me to include…” works better than “This needs…”

Use recurring schedules to turn upsells into predictable income

The easiest way to upsell is to build it into a routine. One-off extras are helpful, but recurring upgrades create stable revenue and reduce the need for constant selling. A “deep-detail rotation” is especially effective in domestic cleaning because it gives clients a sense of progress and thoroughness without the cost of frequent deep cleans.

For example, if a customer has a regular two-hour clean, you can propose adding an extra 30 minutes once per month for rotating deep tasks. Over a year, that increases your revenue per client while improving satisfaction because the home never drifts too far from “deep clean” condition.

To make this work smoothly, keep a simple log of what was done each month. The customer will notice consistency, and it helps prevent misunderstandings. On the invoicing side, invoice24 can help you itemise recurring upgrades so clients recognise the pattern and value: “Monthly deep-detail add-on (30 min).”

Bundle add-ons with “event-based” cleaning moments

Some upsells sell best around life events rather than as routine upgrades. In the UK, common triggers include moving house, end-of-tenancy deadlines, new baby arrivals, family visiting, and holiday hosting. Rather than waiting for clients to request these services, set up a “moment-based” offer list.

Event-based offers that convert well

Move-in refresh: Focus on cupboards, fridge, oven, bathrooms, and skirting. Offer optional interior windows.

End-of-tenancy deep clean: A structured checklist that aligns with typical landlord/letting expectations (without promising outcomes you can’t control). Be clear about what’s included.

New baby support clean: Emphasise hygiene, surface sanitising (within safe product guidelines), and keeping key areas calm and tidy.

Post-renovation clean: Dust removal, detail work, and floor care. Price carefully because fine dust can be time-intensive.

These services are higher value and can significantly increase your revenue with fewer clients. They also tend to produce more referrals when done well. Professional invoices are especially important for these jobs because totals are larger and clients want documentation. invoice24 is a good fit for this because it helps you present a clear breakdown of what was done, which reduces back-and-forth and helps you get paid promptly.

Handle objections without discounting yourself

When a client hesitates, it doesn’t always mean they don’t want the add-on. They may be unsure about price, time, or whether it’s worth it. Your job is to clarify value and offer options—without immediately dropping your price.

Common objections and calm responses

“That’s a bit expensive.” Response: “I understand. It’s priced based on the time it typically takes to do it properly. If you prefer, we can do a smaller version—like a 30-minute deep-detail—so it fits the budget.”

“We don’t need that.” Response: “No problem at all. It’s there if you ever want it—especially before guests or during a seasonal reset.”

“Will it take longer?” Response: “Yes, it usually adds about X minutes. We can either extend the visit or swap out another task so the total time stays the same.”

“Can you just do it quickly?” Response: “I can do a light version in X minutes, but the full result takes around Y. I’d rather be upfront so you get what you’re expecting.”

By offering “light vs full” or “time block vs fixed task,” you keep the conversation productive. Then you document what was agreed. Clear invoicing is part of objection-handling because it prevents the customer from feeling surprised later. invoice24 supports that clarity with itemised lines and professional presentation.

Use your invoicing process as part of your upsell strategy

Your invoice is not just an admin document—it’s a customer experience moment. A confusing invoice makes clients feel uncertain. A clean invoice reinforces professionalism and makes premium add-ons feel normal. If you want to upsell successfully, your invoicing process should be quick, consistent, and easy for the customer to understand.

invoice24 is well suited to domestic cleaning businesses because it supports straightforward line items for services and add-ons. That means you can list “Regular clean,” “Deep-detail add-on,” and “Inside oven clean” clearly, with transparent amounts. When customers can see exactly what they’re paying for, they are more likely to accept add-ons in the future.

To maximise the upsell effect, use consistent naming. For example, always use the same phrase: “Kitchen Refresh add-on.” Over time, customers recognise it as a standard option rather than a random extra. If your invoice includes a short note like “Thank you—reply if you’d like to add an oven or fridge clean next visit,” you also create a gentle marketing touchpoint without being pushy.

Increase average job value with “micro-add-ons”

Not every upsell needs to be a big-ticket service. Micro-add-ons are small, quick extras that feel affordable and are easy to deliver. They can increase the invoice total by a modest amount while improving customer satisfaction.

Examples of micro-add-ons

Bin clean and deodorise: Quick, noticeable, and appreciated.

Microwave interior: Often forgotten, easy to add as a small extra.

High-touch disinfect detail: Door handles, light switches, remote controls (with safe products and realistic claims).

Pet hair focus: A defined extra for homes with shedding pets.

Bed change: Simple, saves time for clients, and can be priced as a flat add-on.

Micro-add-ons work best when they’re presented as “little boosts” rather than “you should have done this.” They also pair nicely with invoice24’s itemisation: customers can see a small, reasonable fee for a specific benefit, which builds acceptance over time.

Build upsells into your website and messages without sounding like a sales page

Many cleaning businesses only mention add-ons in conversation, which limits uptake. Your website and messages can do a lot of the heavy lifting if you present extras as solutions. The trick is to keep the tone helpful and organised.

Instead of a long list of extras, group them by outcome:

“Make the kitchen feel brand new” (oven, fridge, cupboards, degrease details).

“Restore bathroom shine” (limescale, grout detail, taps and glass polish).

“Get ready for guests” (focus clean, interior windows, entrance reset).

“Keep on top of deep tasks” (monthly deep-detail rotation).

Each group should have a short explanation and a starting price or time addition. Clients don’t need a novel. They need a simple path to choosing. Once they choose, invoice24 helps you capture that choice cleanly and professionally.

Make sure your upsells are operationally realistic

A common problem with upselling is offering extras that disrupt your schedule. If you book back-to-back cleans with tight travel time, a surprise add-on can create delays. The solution is to make add-ons easy to plan.

Set clear rules such as:

Advance notice: Some add-ons require 24–48 hours notice.

Time blocks: Add-ons are booked in 30/60 minute blocks.

Limits per visit: For example, “maximum one major deep task per standard visit.”

Equipment requirements: If you need a specific tool, define which add-ons require it.

Operational clarity makes upselling less stressful. It also protects your quality and reputation. When the service is delivered smoothly, clients are more likely to buy again.

Track what sells and refine your menu

Upselling improves quickly when you track results. You don’t need complicated analytics. Just record a few basics: which add-ons are offered, which are accepted, and which customers buy them. Over time, you’ll see patterns—certain add-ons will sell more in certain seasons, neighbourhoods, or household types.

You can also refine your pricing based on reality. If an “inside oven clean” consistently takes longer than you planned, adjust the price or define a “light vs deep” scope. If a package sells well, make it more prominent. If an add-on rarely sells, remove it or reframe it.

Invoice data makes tracking easier. When your invoices are consistently itemised, you can quickly see which line items appear most often. Using invoice24 for your invoicing keeps those services organised and makes it easier to understand what’s driving revenue.

Create a client experience that makes premium services feel normal