Before getting to write this article I was trying to count how many times we’ve moved from house to house. Imagine, in our married life we’ve already moved 6 times. Most of the times, I was spending hours on cleaning before we move out and then more hours before we could move in. Last time our agent offered us a really good home; we liked the area, the neighborhoods were lovely, the school was close to our place and the last stop was the best distance from us. But knowing about how much cleaning I have to do, I was to myself: “Oh no, please not cleaning again!” So this time we bought a home that was really average, but very clean and we had a little cleaning to do before moving in.
So, my dear sellers, I’m writing these cleaning tips to help you to sell your home faster and possible for a better price. I’ve learned that it is not enough to have a sunny living room, renovated bathroom, and kitchen. You’ll need to clean your home before selling. Please follow these tips and see how attractive your home will become. If you show the buyer messy and/or dirty home you’ll never have the second chance to see him/her again and sell your home to them.
In one of Realtor’s article I came up to this quotation: “The first thing buyers always notice when they walk inside is if your home has any less-than-appealing smells, whether it is cat litter, a wet dog, garbage, or the fish you cooked two nights ago for dinner”. It makes a lot of sense to me now after my multiple experiences selling my home (s).
Those below are my hard learning 7 tips:
1. Clean everything:
Consider that when people come to see your home they want to see every detail. They may even open cupboards and wardrobes to see if their stuff is going to fit in. Make sure your rooms don’t look overcrowded. Dust on the top of the fireplace, clean windows, dirty carpets are the worst things to show your potential buyers. Even if you don’t have time you’ll need to hire a cleaner. Keep in mind, that the cleaner your home the faster you’ll sell it.
2. Take care of smells:
Ask brokers and they will unanimously tell you, “Don’t make a fish or cook bacon the day before showing”. Your home should not smell like a fast food establishment. Instead, bake a cake or bread.
3. Get rid of clutter:
Although I talked a bit about a mess in the first tip, I want you to pay special attention to that fact, if your home looks overcrowded your rooms will look not only messy and not cozy but they will also look small. Distribute whatever you have to their best places; don’t leave clothes on the chairs or shoes on the stairs. If there are things that you are not going to take with you when moving out, just throw away or if they are in good condition donate them. Your closets will look larger and your room cozier without unnecessary “things”.
4. Mold and mildew:
Pay special attention to your kitchen and bathrooms. Use best cleaning products to clean mirrors in the bathrooms/toilets and shower doors. Pay attention to water taps and sinks.
5. Time to paint:
Paint your walls in natural colors or if it is not in your budget make sure to carefully clean surfaces to remove dust, patch holes and remove fingerprints.
6. Fresh air: You don’t need to use special refreshers and/or aroma candles because some people can be allergic to them. Just open the windows and let in the fresh air, if weather permitted. Also, clean the cat litter box and wash the dog bed.
7. Let there be light:
This tip is more about repairing but I think it is important to mention here. You should repair all broken light fixtures, put in new bulbs and move furniture away from in front of windows.
8. Bonus tip:
Thankfully, day to day people are starting to pay more attention to nature and want many plants in their homes. So bring nature inside. Potted plants or a few buds in a vase will help bring positive energy into your home. Fill empty spaces and put plants where you want your “guests” to pay more attention. Just make sure, your plans are in good health.
That’s it! If you find this helpful please don’t hesitate to share. If you think I missed a very important point, kindly let me know and I’ll edit my post.
By: Hermine Aslanyan
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