How to clean your home before selling

Not only is it common courtesy to leave your home in the same condition that you found it when selling, but a clean home can also assist you in the selling process. By taking the time to do a thorough clean before advertising any photos of your home, or allowing any viewings, the property will appear far more appealing, thus yielding more and better offers.

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Let’s face it—selling a house can be stressful. Keeping it clean all the time for a last-minute showing while you are still living in it just ups the stress level times ten!  

It is also truthful to say that if you wouldn’t consider buying a house where the current owners are slobs, you shouldn’t expect anyone else to be interested in your house if it is not clean. 

In light of the pandemic, ensuring your home is physically clean and hygienic can be a major contributing factor to its value. If you’re thinking of selling, consider the following four ways to clean your property to ensure it sells for the right price.

Let’s start with the basics:

Declutter

Decluttering is a standard prerequisite for anyone looking to sell their home. Not only does it leave the property in a cleaner state, but it also allows you to sort through any bits and pieces you don’t need or want to take to your new home. This can also help you with the emotional side of the moving process by managing any emotional ties to particular belongings in the house, allowing you to get a fresh start.

When prospective buyers come to view the property, they want to imagine just how it will look when all of their things have been moved in. This is much more difficult if your old clutter is still lying around. Furthermore, tidying or removing unwanted items can even help to make your home look more spacious, which can further enhance its salability.

For fun, even if you are not putting your house on the market, try scheduling a decluttering day as if you were.  You will be amazed at how much stuff you can clear out by changing your mindset that day. 

Deep clean

Once you have removed any clutter lying around your home, you can then undergo a deep clean of the property. This includes the whole spectrum of cleaning tasks, from the weekly jobs like vacuuming to the more arduous chores like descaling kitchen and bathroom fittings.

Even if you are confident about completing your own deep clean, it could be worth considering hiring a professional house cleaner.

They can complete a vast scope of duties, ensuring immaculate attention to detail to give you the best chance to sell your home. Depending on the property size, professional cleaning services can be affordable (the average is around $130), particularly if you only require a one-off job.

Curb Appeal

One of the most important factors in determining the attractiveness of your home is its curb appeal. According to a 2019 survey, over 68% of homeowners said that kerb appeal was an important consideration in purchasing a property.

The research also revealed that some of the most important elements affecting curb appeal included good-looking windows and a well-maintained front garden.

You can do plenty of quick fixes to improve your curb appeal.

Trimming hedges, mowing the lawn, and removing any weeds can all go a long way to enhancing the appearance of your home’s exterior. 

You should also pay close attention to the state of the windows. This doesn’t simply pertain to their cleanliness, but also the physical condition. For instance, do they require a lick of paint or are there signs of dampness? In many buyer’s minds, the exterior condition of a home can often be representative of the interior state, so pay close attention to your home’s curb appeal as it is a major part of creating a good first impression.

Eliminate any bad smells.

Beyond creating an attractive kerb appeal, there are many more ways in which you can create a good first impression. A survey conducted by GoCompare home insurance revealed that a bad-smelling home is the second biggest turn-off for prospective buyers when undergoing a viewing.

I have dogs and as much as I love them, I am also acutely aware that they cause a house to smell.  It is a constant battle for me and I have written about the steps I have taken before to eliminate the pet odors in my home in a previous post.   

Along those same lines, I shared a review on why I love my Bissell Pet Hair Eraser Vacuum as well. 

Most unpleasant smells around the house will be eradicated during the standard pre-sale cleaning process. However, some smells need to be given more attention by addressing them at the very source, instead of just masking them with a candle or air freshener. 

I do love candles though, but one of my personal favorite ways to eliminate odors is to run my essential oil diffuser with some purifying oils in them mixed with scented oils.  Another thing to consider are the new air purifiers on the market. They are also a great way to continuously clean the air in your home. 

Daily maintenance is a must!

No matter what you do, keeping your house clean and free of nasty smells is going to be a daily chore. 

Check that the trash bins aren’t dirty, drains aren’t blocked and any mess made by pets has been properly attended to. In the same way that a bad smelling home can put off buyers, more pleasant smells around the house can make it seem more appealing.

Whether you opt for the clichéd bread-baking or coffee-brewing approach, or simply invest in some nice-smelling flowers, a small gesture like this can enhance the value buyers see in your home.

It is also important to regularly air your home while it is on the market to prevent any further buildup of unpleasant odors. If the weather is nice, open the windows for a few hours for fresh air. 

If you are considering selling your home, best of luck!