A home buyer should impressed by the cleanliness of your home from the moment they step
over the threshold. PERIOD!
While the first step in home staging is decluttering, the
second is to be cleaning. Not just “surface clean” either. A
seller must DEEP clean the home! Potential home buyers will be assessing your
property to determine if it is THEIR dream home. Whose dream includes a half-eaten peanut
butter sandwich on the kitchen counter and a dirty cat box in the utility room?
Sadly, there are places sellers will overlook when too eager
to get their home on the market. Here a few spots to have clean and shining so your
listing will be known as where Mr & Mrs Clean reside:
Refrigerators—Clean inside and out! Yes buyers will look
INSIDE the refrigerator. Throw out
half-eaten food or store in sealed storage containers. Get rid of that moldy bag
of cheese that is lodged back behind the drawer. Remove all drawers and shelves
and clean until all grime is removed. Take down all notes, photos and drawings
from the front door if you have been using as a magnetic bulletin board. If
they a If your white refrigerator has discolored, try
car wax works to remove the yellowing. Open the doors and check along the
inside edge—especially note the rubber molding around the edge where dirt can
collect and cause mold.
re not essential, don’t put them back on.
Range/Ovens—Clean your stove from top to bottom, inside and
out. Use non-abrasive cleaners to remove all of the stuck on food from the
range top. If it is stained and/or damaged, consider replacing the appliance.
Clean the microwave and oven. Just like with the fridge, potential buyers will look inside. Don’t use
your ovens as extra storage. Buyers will
think the oven/microwave doesn’t work!
Bathrooms—Take an honest look at your shower and the
flooring around it. If it looks grimy and covered with mildew, it will literally
gross out a potential buyer. Remove discolored, cracking caulk and put replace
with new, matching silicone. Open the toilet lid and make sure that it is clean
inside. Clean out every cabinet and
drawer….make sure there is no “DNA” with leftover hair, nail clippings etc. at
the bottom.
Walls—Wipe down walls by often used light
fixtures--Especially if you have little ones. Also, move that trash bin in the
kitchen and towel in the bathroom and check behind. It may require some
scrubbing. If the stains cannot be removed, consider repainting.
Basements and Garages—These just cannot be a dumping area
for all of the things you don’t know what to do with! Clean them out so that
potential buyers can open the doors, walk around and see all the way to the
corners. If you have to store some items in your garage or basement, they need
to be boxed and stacked neatly with plenty of room for a buyer to see what the
foundation looks like.
Litter Boxes and Kennels—Pet areas must be cleaned every day
and before every showing. Beautiful homes are not considered if it appears that
the pets have destroyed the home. If there is an odor, potential buyers assume
that the smells have permeated the floors and walls. If possible, let your pet
stay with a trusted friend during the duration of the sale of your home.
Light fixtures and Vents—Look up! Sellers will spend hours
on their hands and knees scrubbing the corners and sweeping the floors but
forget to look up toward the ceilings. Dirty ceiling fans and light fixtures
are commonly overlooked in the frenzy of preparing a home for sale. But home
buyers often turn on a fan and several months’ worth of dust bunnies are
suddenly airborne. Remove the glass from every light fixture and clean off the
grime. Wipe down every blade on every ceiling fan. Vacuum the top of every
curtain and drape. Check every corner for cobwebs. Remove every vent whether
bathroom or air return and wash in mild soapy water to remove the dust.
So before you have your first showing, take
another look around your home from a buyer’s point of view and clean it until
it shines!
READY TO MAKE A MOVE? Let me be your professional guide. If
you are buying, selling or relocating to Minnesota and need help from a
professional REALTOR®, give me, Teri Eckholm of Boardman Realty, a
call or visit my website for a FREE Home Buyer Success Guide or FREE Home Value Report. I specialize in
acreage and lakeshore properties in the north and east Twin Cities
metro area including Ham Lake, Lino Lakes and all communities in the
Forest Lake School District. Serving Anoka, Chisago, Ramsey and
Washington Counties in Minnesota.
Copyright 2015 www.terieckholm.com
