Selling your house? Selling the house you have been calling home for years is a mixed feeling. The memories attached to the home are overwhelming, and you want to ensure you sell the house to the best people. Also, you want a good price to invest in your future properly. For this purpose, presenting your home in the best manner possible is necessary. When you stage your house through a real estate agent or without one, you should stage a clean and well-furnished house.
If you are not providing furniture, staging one helps you make a better sale. A clean, organized, and furnished house can help you get extra money when you sell it. However, deep cleaning your home before staging it sounds overwhelming, and it is. And if you are not hiring experts for deep cleaning, you need to be smart about cleaning and organizing your home. So, how do you go about it?
Try these tips and hacks to deep clean the house to ensure a flawless sale.
Plan and organize the task
The first step towards deep cleaning the house is to plan. Look in every room to see what you must do and organize tasks. It starts with decluttering, boxing up the things, and cleaning every nook and cranny. Plan to tackle one room at a time. And if it is something big like a fridge or microwave that needs proper cleaning, plan it accordingly.
Start with the appliances
Planning to sell or rent the house with the dishwasher, oven, and fridge? Then, first, tackle them. Even if you are not selling the house with them, you should use them for staging. And that means cleaning it to ensure it looks good and does not smell. You might be used to the weird smell from your fridge, but the people coming to see the house are not. It can be a deal-breaker for them. Steam cleaners are ideal for cleaning nooks and crannies in the kitchen and for microwaves. Find the right one that kills the bacteria without using any chemicals. There are other products that you will need to clean and make the appliances shine.
Fix any holes (maintenance work)
You put pictures or art on the wall when you have lived in a house for a long time. It can lead to holes. The walls might also break down due to normal wear and tear. There can be paint stains or scuff marks. You do not want people to see this and ask for a price reduction. Right? So, fix all the holes and stains. Give it a fresh coat of paint. All this will cost you a bit, but the amount you will receive will cover all that.
Clean the windows
A dirty window is a turn-off. Ensure that cleaning the windows is on your agenda. With a clean window, you will find that the entire house looks brighter. Clean the windows from outside and inside. Clean the cobwebs and other things without leaving streaks. Here is a guide on how to clean the windows properly.
Clean the rugs and carpets, too
Add value to the home’s asking price by cleaning the rug and carpets. The first impression matters. If they smell pet odors or pee in the rugs or carpets, the deal may not happen.
Deep clean the bathroom
The bathroom is a high-traffic area. You must ensure it is clean and smells fresh. It requires serious scrubbing to remove all the stains and dirt. The sinks and bathtubs become yellowish due to constant use. Ensure you use safe products to clean the buildup. The mirrors also require some love. On staging day, light up some scented candles or diffusers to make the bathroom smell nice.
Light fixtures
Every light fixture you have needs cleaning. You do not want people coming in to see cobwebs coming out of the dining room chandelier. Also, replace any light fixture that does not work to increase the value. Use a microfiber cloth and glass cleaner to remove the dirt and stains. Put the bulb back in after cleaning the fixture thoroughly.
Switchplate
When cleaning the house, people tend to ignore switchplates. You should not because it accumulates dirt and mold. When you touch them, it is on your hand and can lead to diseases. Use wipes to disinfect them and clean them up nicely. Replacing the switch plates is also an option.
Declutter and clean the basement
The new renters or house owners will also check out the basement. It can be a turning point for them if you do not make it look presentable. So, move out all boxes and belongings from the basement. Deep clean it, too, using pressure water to eliminate mold, cobwebs, and dirt. Hiring a professional cleaner to deep clean the basement will do you well.
Use these ideas and tricks to deep-clean the house. Use a steam cleaner to clean the dirt from kitchen or bathroom corners or ceilings. It can kill bacteria without using any chemicals. Other tips, like organizing cleaning tasks and crossing them off the list individually, are helpful. These hacks make cleaning and staging the house for a better price easier.