While your instinct may be to clean up everything, you can also go crazy trying to do it before each presentation. Instead, focus on what the potential buyer will likely notice, Haynes recommends cleaning it every day or two, and then doing a deeper cleaning once a week. Three weeks before Christmas, with a newborn baby (and our 4-year-old son, Olive, of course), our family received unexpected news that prompted a quick decision to leave Salt Lake City and put our newly renovated home on the market (top to bottom, I might add with just a touch of resentment). But over the course of the past 60 days, with the help of my husband and the hindrance of our two children, I have developed a handful of tricks to keep a house “sparkling” while living in it.
As mentioned, this is the most important step. Make sure everything shines, from hardwood floors and crystal clear windows to kitchen and bathroom countertops. By completing some crucial cleaning tasks, such as washing windows, pressure washing the deck, and using a carpet cleaner to scrub the carpet, the home can be revitalized for visitors, increasing the chances that the sale will reach or exceed the indicated price. Am I crazy? Should I cancel the presentation and tell them that I need more time or should I just get it the best I can? Leave mobile storage items, such as dressers and closets, for later and focus on cleaning all wardrobes and built-in cabinets throughout the home.
Presenting your home in the best light to potential buyers requires some minor aesthetic upgrades, but it's also essential to spend some time cleaning walls, patio, floors, windows, and more. As someone else mentioned earlier, cleaning in the housing market is equal to the minds of homebuyers how much care was put into the house over the years. In a crazy race to get out of the house before potential buyers arrive, it's easy to forget about small trash cans all over the house. If you can't keep the part where you live clean, then logic makes you wonder how you can keep up with important things like house mechanics.
And, depending on how long it takes for your house to sell, cleaning your house to the umpteenth degree is not a one-time thing; it becomes everyday, or at least a new ritual before each visit, until your house is sold. While cleaning is the most obvious step in preparing your home for exhibitions, it's just one of several things you need to do before inviting potential buyers to your home. Remove the vacuum cleaner and clean any loose debris and hair from the carpet before using the carpet cleaner to clean the carpet fibers of oil and dirt. Scrub the dishwasher as well as you cleaned the refrigerator and oven, and take the time to remove and clean the racks as well.
We looked at many houses before buying and yes, the cleaner the house was, the better I thought it was maintained. One of the hardest things is keeping your home clean while taking the other steps necessary to sell your home, such as removing personal items, organizing the house, and increasing outdoor appeal. Appliances should also be thoroughly cleaned with the right product at least once every 2 weeks, which means removing the heating elements from the stove to properly clean or replace drip trays; taking out refrigerator drawers to get inside, back, bottom and sides; and throwing away toaster over the sink to clean breadcrumbs safely. I need to have a structured time to clean up so I don't find myself panicking when a house is shown.
I may be the minority here, but for me a clean, clean and tidy house shows pride in ownership and that's what I look for in a new home. They ran around the house and threw anything out of its place in the box, put the box in the trunk and walked away while the house was shown. .
