24/7 Emergency Service
Prepping your home for sale
4/20/2016 (Permalink)
Cleaning your home for a quick sale
Preparing your home to sell
Want to see your home.. the easiest and most cost effective thing you can do is clean it up.. De-clutter .. and wipe your entire house. Following the simple methodology of Top to bottom and left to right you will ensure no corner is left untouched or missed. A great once over will really spruce up your efforts to provide the potential buyer with the right space to let their imagination run wild.
If you have a lot things all over the home many potential buyers may think there is not enough house for their things. Make it as open as possible. Cleaning up the pathways and stairs to eliminate any potential safety hazards is pivotal to the perception of the home and its inherent value to the potential buyer. Reducing the clutter and providing as much open space as possible invites creativity. This is not only limited to junk but making sure that your counter tops are cleared off daily, and mail is kept out of sight.
Finding a home for all of your appliances, equipment and cosmetics that are not used daily out of sight will really help open up the space. Using a small container or basket that can be quickly stored elsewhere quickly for things that are needed daily will make getting ready for a showing quick and easy. Another good practice is to sweep your floor nightly this will make sure you are ready at any time to have buyers come in
The main rooms that many buyers will focus on are the bathrooms and kitchen. While these rooms are the most important they can be the most challenging. There is usually a lot of opportunity for streaking as well as mold and mildew growth. Creating a clean environment in these two rooms will be very important for your showings. Ridding these two rooms of mold and mildew will ease the mind of potential buyers of the health concerns that have recently been in the public eye within regards to the mold and mildew. Bleach or cleaners that have bleach in them will be best for these types of situations. Should you think that the job it too large call a professional as they have sprays and sealants that can be used to eliminate and prevent future mold growth. Make sure that you wipe everything down, dry all faucets and handles to prevent water spots. Ensure you squeegee all doors walls and mirrors this will keep everything clean and fresh.
When you are cleaning all of the variable surfaces that are throughout your home please make sure you have the proper cleaner for each one, so as not to damage these surfaces before you even get someone to look at your property. With as many surfaces that you may have in your home they will have just as many cleaners. It is important to make sure you read the labels and use the right one. Powder are more abrasive than liquids which is great for deep down stains or dirt but used in the wrong surface and scratch and ruin it. If you are using a concentrate make sure you mix it with the right ratio ***DON’T WORRY the ratio will be right for proper cleaning *** using too much cleaning product will result in a film being left on the surface you are trying to clean resulting in a cloudy or dirty look. When cleaning a floor you must be sure to rinse the floor when finished or use a no rinse cleaner.
Surface cleaning is not the only cleaning that you should be doing when you are cleaning your home. This is one time you need to do a deep cleaning, this includes but is not limited windows, walls, carpets, drapes, tops of window and door frames. Ideally it is best to repaint but if your budget will not allow it make sure you wash the walls, testing in a small inconspicuous spot for the cleaning products interaction with the paint. Also come up with a checklist for the daily upkeep that will ensure a clean home at any moment. Vacuum all rugs and carpets using long slow strokes to get as much debris up as possible. When washing large vertical areas start at the bottom and work your way up in small circular strokes this will avoid any streaking that could occur from cleaner or dirt dripping down the wall.
Use this list of quick daily tips for maintaining a clean home during the sale process.
Use small area rugs at every entry from the outside into your home so that you can collect as much dirt before it enters your home. This will keep large build up of dirt and grime out of the main areas of your house.
Use hot water for a few minutes before you shower, at the end of the shower wipe all surfaces down, the steam that was created will loosed up any residue.
Scented cleaners should be used in the toilet every night to make sure it is always clean and fresh smelling.
Have 2 or 3 levels to your home keep a vacuum on each floor this will make cleanups a breeze and save you a lot of lugging around.
Have disposable wipes handy in the kitchen bathroom or any other high traffic areas of your home for quick clean up, or wipe downs after each use. Spills that are cleaned up immediately are much easier to handle and are less likely to leave a stain.