12 Cleaning Tips Before Selling Your Home

If you are selling your home you want to present it in the best possible light. You want to maximise your chance of getting the best possible selling price. Cleaning your house before the sale is incredibly important. It will present your house well and means prospects will find your house more appealing.

In this article, we share 12 cleaning tips before selling your home. 8 of these cleaning tips are “deep clean.” The last 4 tips you should use every time you have a showing.

Here are the tips.

Credit: International Mom

Pre Showing Cleaning Tips Before Selling Your Home

Fix Plaster & Other Maintenance

If you’ve lived in your house for a while chances are you have had pictures and similar on the wall. Picture hooks can leave holes in plaster. There may also be scuff marks and paint stains on the wall. You need to make sure your walls are clean and fresh before you put your house on the market.

Clean Appliances

Clean your oven. Clean your stovetop. Potential buyers will pay attention to the little things. If you can, you should clear as many appliances as possible off your benches. Less clutter is better when you are trying to sell your house.

Dust Fittings

Dust your light fittings. It will make your room smell nicer and look brighter.

Clean Sinks

A dirty sink is noticeable and will make the rest of the house look dirty. Clean your sinks. Make sure they shine.

Clean Windows

A clean window will make the rest of the house look brighter. Make sure you clean your windows thoroughly – inside and outside. Clear up any cobwebs and make sure there are no streaks. Potential buyers will notice.

Clean Floors

You should scrub your tiles and you should steam clean your carpets too (whilst you’re at it you should steam clean your furniture too – or use staging furniture.) You need to clean any floorboards you have too. Don’t forget to do the skirting boards too. They can build up a lot of dust over time so give them a good wipe down.  

Don’t forget outside the house

If you’re staging your house and the cupboards are empty, then make sure they’re clean. People always look inside the cupboards so if they’re not clean, it will put them off.

Don’t forget outside the house

Someone interest in buying your house is going to pay attention to the front yard and backyard too. You should mow your lawns, trim the plants and generally clean up any rubbish.

Before Showings – Cleaning Tips Before Selling Your Home

The 5-Minute Rule

If your house is on the market, you need to be ready for potential showings of your house at any time. If your Real Estate Agent has a potential buyer you need to be ready for them to see your house at 5 minutes notice. Make sure that any clutter around your house, whilst it’s on the market, can be cleaned within 5 minutes.

Focus on Kitchen and Bathroom

The bathroom and the kitchen are two key areas of the house, and can be two of your biggest selling points. Make sure you wipe down any surfaces before someone comes and looks through your house. Whatever you do, make sure that you don’t leave any dishes in the sink.

Take Out the Rubbish

Rubbish is messy, and rubbish smells. If your Real Estate Agent rings you and tells you that he has someone that wants to look through your house one of the first things that you should do is take out the rubbish.

Pick Up Toys & Remove Clutter

 If you have children, then you need to make sure any toys are put away before anyone comes and looks through your house. Clean up magazines, letters and other piles of clutter too.

Someone interest in buying your house is going to pay attention to the front yard and backyard too. You should mow your lawns, trim the plants and generally clean up any rubbish.