There are a million things to think about when you’re preparing to sell your home. Often, selling a home comes with going through the motions to buy a new home, scheduling movers, packing, and more. When you’re busy, cleaning your house can fall to the wayside, but that’s the worst thing that can happen at this point.
Your home needs to make a great first impression on every buyer who walks through the front door. Clean homes sell faster, and that means you can get past this stage of the process and potentially move into your new home sooner. Use these essential tips for home sellers to keep your home clean while listing it for sale.
Why Cleanliness Is One of the First Things Potential Buyers Notice
Before a buyer even decides to tour your home, he or she will check out the photos of the online listing. Aesthetics matter just as much as the layout and size – and maybe even more, in some cases. A dirty house with grimy windows, smudged walls, and filthy carpeting simply isn’t going to attract many buyers.
Even if the dirt isn’t easily visible in photos, it’ll be unmistakable when buyers walk in the door. They’ll notice every dust bunny and all of the pet hair piled up around the corners of the baseboards. They’ll smell the dirty garbage disposal, and they’ll see dust built up on the ceiling near the air vents.
Mold and mildew in the bathroom can be equally problematic. When selling your home, a potential buyer needs to imagine himself or herself living in the home. Unfortunately, they won’t want to imagine living in a filthy space.
Declutter Every Room Before You Clean
Clutter is a challenge in most homes, and it’s particularly problematic when you’re selling your house. Clutter makes a house feel dirty even if it’s just been cleaned. It elevates your stress level, and it makes the space feel smaller and less welcoming.
Before deep cleaning your house and preparing it to list on the market, spend time decluttering every room. Remember that potential buyers will open doors, cabinets, and drawers. They need to see how big the pantry is and if there are organizational features like shelves in the garage. Count on every inch of your home being explored many times over before receiving an offer.
To declutter your home, remove anything that you no longer need, want, or use. For many of the items that you do still use and want, consider packing up a good portion of them to present your home with minimal or no clutter.
Remove personal items, such as the kids’ sports trophies, religious items, and family photos. You should also remove bulky furnishings from areas that seem crowded. Each room should have a comfortable amount of space for foot traffic. The entryway is particularly important. Remove all coats, shoes, and bags that normally accumulate there. In addition to deep cleaning the area, ensure that you give it a once-over one last time before each home tour.
Focus on High-Impact Areas Buyers Notice Most
While buyers will explore every nook and cranny of your home, there are a few high-impact areas that require more attention when you’re decluttering and cleaning. These include the entryway, the main living areas, the kitchen, the master bedroom, and all of the bathrooms. These rooms must be absolutely spotless and have no clutter. The knobs and drawer pulls need to shine.
The appliances need to be perfectly clean. Every spot and stain on the floors and walls should be removed. Tile grout should be cleaned. You also need to focus on improving the smell in these high-impact areas. Rather than having a bad or neutral scent, a home is more inviting when these areas have a light and universally appealing scent. Avoid overdoing it, though.
Don’t Forget the Details That Leave a Lasting Impression
It’s easy to focus on the big picture when you’re cleaning your items. After all, things like the floor, counters, and walls take up a lot of space. When they’re dirty, the entire space will look dirty. However, even small details will leave a lasting impression in the mind of a potential buyer.
You’ll need to do your regular cleaning more frequently than usual when your home is on the market. More than that, your home should be deep cleaned every month until you have a solid offer in. When deep cleaning, turn your attention to the baseboards, trim, doorknobs, and light switch plates.
The ceiling fans, vents, windowsills, and blinds also need regular attention. You’ll also need to clean out the interior of drawers and cabinets frequently. These areas tend to accumulate both dirt and clutter pretty quickly.
Why Professional House Cleaning Can Help You Sell Faster
Hiring a professional house cleaning team yields dividends when selling your house. Pros know how to tackle tough stains and odors, and they often clean areas that you might overlook on cleaning day. Because of this, they can leave your home cleaner than it might otherwise be.
In addition, routine cleaning services can be scheduled for the entire period while your home is on the market. This can dramatically reduce your stress level and let you focus on other important things, like negotiating sales contracts, packing boxes, and more. Regular professional cleaning also ensures that your home is always clean regardless of how busy you get.
One of the few things in life that is more stressful than moving is trying to sell your home before the move. Once you get an interested buyer in your home for a tour, you need to make the best impression possible. You can enjoy all of the benefits of having a clean home when selling your house without the hassle of doing the work yourself when you hire the TidyHere team. Don’t delay – book pre-move cleaning service for your home today.
