Guest Author - Heather DeGeorge

First, PLEASE clean and stage your home before you start interviewing realtors. There are two reasons: 1) realtors will base their marketing price and decisions on the condition of your home because, 2) they will wanted listed IMMEDIATELY and they know you won’t be able to tackle all of the work before they can convince you to have that home listed and seen by potential buyers.

It’s work. Do it first. It’s not a small undertaking to do it right.

In preparing your home for sale, suffice it to say that NOTHING should be untouched in terms of cleaning. I’m talking right down to wiping down the top of the furnace and hot water heater. Every nook and cranny—every last area that you never look at or spend time in—it all needs to be cleaned. This is not cleaning for living in: this is cleaning for the buyer that will be inspecting every last inch of your home and making judgments about how well you’ve cared for this home based on the cleanliness and condition of every last inch of your home. Therefore, in addition to cleaning, you’ll be doing repairs and touch-ups all over your home.

I told you it was work. ;)

If you’re in a situation where you have to rush to market, obviously you need to focus on the living areas first. Make sure that they are impeccably clean. Every piece of moulding and baseboard, every floor mopped, every window cleaned… it should come across as a model home. If you use chemical cleaning products, try to use citrus scented or citrus based products. If you use natural products, add some orange or lemon essential oils to your water or mixtures. Realtors that still advise to “bake a pie” or that cinnamon scent are behind the times: buyers now want clean and maintained over “homey”. Citrus is the scent to use to invoke that feeling, and that doesn’t appear to be changing any time soon.

Keep in mind that any storage area that stays with the house is going to be inspected. Closets and cabinets are going to be opened and viewed. It’s best to keep them only half to 2/3 full. Any less and it looks like extra space that someone doesn’t want to pay for; and any more looks like there’s not enough room. Remember: people are not good at visualizing their stuff in your house. Don’t make it any more difficult for them. Clear out anything you can live without (or live with it stored in a box in the basement/attic) for 3-6 months.

Clear out first, then clean. Clean drawers and cabinet shelves—especially if there is obvious debris or spillage. If your drawer bottoms or shelves have stains, go buy some drawer liner. It’s best not to adhere anything, but lay it down without adhering it.

You will know that you’re done when you walk through your house and think to yourself: “If this were someone else’s house, would I stay here for a month? What would I think of them?” If you find yourself having to explain why things aren’t “just so” that would make it “okay” for you, you’re not done.

See my article on maintaining the cleanliness once you’ve completed the initial task!