Whether you have a realtor or are selling on your own home, you have access to information on “staging” and decluttering for the best viewing and giving a welcoming impression to new potential homeowners. Part of the preparation to sell also comes with frantic and deep cleaning efforts.
Follow these 7 important tips for cleaning when trying to sell your home:
1. If you’re lucky enough to have moved everything out before listing your home on the market, then you’ve been able to really evaluate, clean and freshly paint every nook and cranny. However, if you’re still living in the home, try a blind walk through as though you’re new to the space. Ask a friend to help too.
Ask yourself or your friend, what would you most be interested in seeing as a buyer? Which cabinets would you open? Then make sure those areas are absolutely spotless, painted, decluttered and organized.
2. An absolutely sparkling clean kitchen and bathroom are very important to prospective buyers on this journey through your home. They want to see what it will look like when they live there, so remove extras like rugs and small appliances and then absolutely deep clean every flat space, inside the oven, vent fan, shower door, and more. Don’t forget under in the vanity, under the sinks, and behind the toilet!
3. You’ll want to let the light in to help sell your home. Windows, glass doors, shower doors, and permanent window treatments need to be completely clean, streak-free, and dusted. Check the tracks for flies, dirt, and soap scum too, just in case the potential buyers get a close-up.
4. Dust the vents, baseboards, door frames, and light fixtures with a microfiber cloth, broom, or vacuum.
5. Check your patio and garden daily too. It’s easy to forget and things like leaves or other debris and weeds come on quickly. Everything should be swept, weeded, inviting, and look manicured when people arrive to view your home.
6. Last on your cleaning list before showing your home should be the floors so that they are spotless. Remove area rugs and wash them or even store them away. Deep clean from corner to corner of hard surface floors with a rag and mop, and shampoo any wall-to-wall carpets as needed.
7. Being a seller is not easy, especially if you’re still living in the home or must keep re-cleaning in preparation of new visitors. Consider hiring a maid service to make the place sparkling clean and ready for open houses and prospective home buyers. Professional housekeepers can be hired as often as needed to keep the home in top condition and remove that burden from you.
