CLEAN YOUR HOME FOR SELLING

The first cleaning may vary considerably in time, depending on how much you need done – expect from 4 – 20 hours or more. Plan to pay around $30 or more per hour for a service that is insured and bonded. Few things will “unsell” a house as fast as a messy, dirty interior, so it’s worth investing your time and money in a thorough cleaning before you start to show your home.

General Cleaning Tips

• Clean and de-clutter cabinets, under sinks, closets and linen cabinets.
• Dust all furniture, lamps, and knick-knacks with a damp cloth. (Use a cloth misted with a solution of half-cup vinegar to one-quart water in a spray bottle). Everything will sparkle with damp dusting, as you are removing the dirt instead of just “relocating” it.
• Use the same damp cloth to wipe down all the picture glass and frames, TV screens, mirrors, etc.
• Collect cobwebs more effectively by spraying a little vinegar water on the end of the duster.
• Wash and buff dry all woodwork, baseboards, doors, cabinets, banisters, ceiling fans – and don’t forget the blinds. For safe and effective cleaning and brightening of finished wood surfaces, use an oil soap household cleaner available from your local store.
• Don’t forget to wipe off all light fixtures including bulbs, to avoid having a grey, dingy atmosphere in rooms. You will be amazed at the difference it can make!
• Bathroom clean-up is very important. Clean the grout, water pipe leading from the wall to the toilet, and all the towel bars, brackets and more. Again, remember the light fixture.
• Wash hard surface floors after vacuuming. Cleaning on your hands and knees allows you to see the job up close.
• Vacuum all carpets – even in the closets. If pet or smoke odors are present, clean the carpet some time before your home is placed on the market to be sure the odors have been eliminated.
• Tidy closets by boxing up off-season clothing and storing in the garage or off site in a rented storage unit.
• De-clutter other rooms by removing extra knick-knacks, papers, etc. Less is always better! Try to have only one item and/or a lamp on an end table. Too many items sitting around may distract the buyer’s attention.
• Purchase new hand towels for kitchens and bathrooms.
• Examine your furnishings with a critical eye. Is there too much furniture in the house? Give away, discard it, or put it in a rented storage unit. Rent or borrow a few pieces of furniture or a whole grouping, for shorter-term enhancement for your décor.
• Rearrange furniture so that the room will appear larger. Clean windows will always make any room seem much lighter.
• Launder any throw rugs that look shabby, or put them in a plastic bag and store them in the garage until the house sells.

Make the most of that first impression

When in the process of showing your home for sale, your aim is to present your home as a desirable place to live. Buyers appreciate a clean, tidy interior, and if your home shows very nicely, it is likely to see much more easily. A home that languishes on the market can cause considerable stress for the inhabitants, so simplify your life by investing your money and energy in pre-sale preparation.

The easiest and most reliable way to improve the appeal of your home is to enlist a quality home service professional. The right professional can help get everything in order – from repainting the kitchen to providing a thorough cleaning – so you can stay focused on more important thing.