The cleaning portion
in the selling process might be one of the most important things you have to
do. If you are not going to hire a cleaning service to straighten up your home
before putting it on the market, then you have to learn what the cleaning
expectations are. Buyers can be very easily turned off when they go into a home
and see how dirty and messy it is. It tells them that since you didn’t take the
time to clean your home before selling it, you also have not taken good care of
it. As agents, we always tell our sellers that they need to do the best
cleaning they can to the house before pictures are taken and their home
officially goes active. The problem is, everyone’s standard of clean is
very subjective. I have created a check list of items that absolutely need to be done by sellers prior to putting their home on the market.
Floors &
Baseboards:
o
Vacuum
o
Mop
o
Remove pet hair
o
Remove stains
o
Fix bad scratches
Kitchen:
o
Scrub clean fridge/freezer
o
Scrub clean microwave
o
Scrub clean dishwasher
o
Scrub clean sink
o
Scrub clean oven/range
Bathroom:
o
Scrub clean tubs/shower walls/shower head
o
Scrub clean toilet
o
Scrub clean sink/faucet
o
Scrub clean counters
o
Organize linen closet
Windows & Mirrors:
o
Dust
o
Clean/shine
Light fixtures:
o
Dust
o
Clean
o
Replace bulbs (if needed)
Lawn:
o
Mow
o
Remove weeds
o Bring in plants (helps with curb appeal)
Clutter:
o
Remove/empty trash
o
Declutter garage (if applicable)
o
Declutter basement (if applicable)
o
Organize every closet, room and cabinet as
possible. (Good time to throw stuff away you no longer need and put things in
boxes that can be ready for when you move)
Smells:
o
Get rid of any strong smells
o
Do what you can to get rid of cigarette smoke
smell
o
Do what you can to get rid of pet smells
There is always more that can be done to make your home look
market ready. The more cleaning and decluttering you do, the more attractive
your home will look to buyers. Best way to think about this is what would you
want a home you’re potentially buying to look like when you walk in for the
first time?
