Cleaning during home staging is one of the easiest DIY contributions that any property seller can perform towards successfully fulfilling their real estate marketing aspirations. A thorough cleaning is paramount before staging any property for sale and periodic cleanings should be scheduled throughout the remainder of the sales process to keep the home in perfect condition for viewings.
Cleaning is not difficult, but does require time and effort. Therefore, sellers should enlist the help of the entire family to keep their residence in top form. If the job becomes too much of a burden, the other alternative is to hire professional cleaners to maintain the décor.
This discussion focuses on the importance of presenting a clean and fresh home when selling, and provides guidance on the best methods of pleasing buyers with the power of general residential upkeep.
Initial Cleaning During Home Staging
As previously mentioned, before staging any home for sale, it should be decluttered and thoroughly cleaned from top to bottom. Take the opportunity to inspect all the surfaces in the home for wear and implement corrective measures in the form of some easy home repairs, where necessary.
The fewer possessions that remain during cleaning, the better. Therefore, this is a great time to move many personal items to storage, in anticipation of an upcoming move after the sale is complete.
If some areas of the property are resistant to cleaning, it may be wise to hire a professional service to bring in the kind of commercial products and machinery that can transform tired and worn surfaces into renewed property attributes. Some of the most important areas to attend to include all of the following regions of the residence:
Make sure that the carpets are clean and that wood floors are freshly finished and shiny. Likewise, tile, slate, concrete and stone flooring should be clean and free from blemishes.
The kitchen must be hygienic and all surfaces should be made spotless before listing the home for sale. Likewise, all bathrooms should be thoroughly cleaned and disinfected.
Be sure to attend to any water-spots in the basement or oil spots in the garage. These can be removed with specialty products that are available from most home improvement stores.
It is a great idea to pressure-wash outdoor surfaces, such as decks, patios, garage doors and the home’s exterior, as well.
Pay special attention to pet areas and be sure to ask a friend to perform an objective smell test to be certain that all animal odors have been eliminated.
Maintenance Cleaning During Home Staging
Once the house or apartment has been expertly staged, it is vital to maintain the idyllic design with daily and weekly cleanings. This is easy, especially if the entire family gets involved. Here are some pointers towards protecting your staging investment and allowing the design to work as intended:
Keep the dining room set for a meal at all times, but do not use it to actually eat. This will save lots of time in clearing and resetting the table multiple times a day. Instead, utilize an eat-in kitchen for meals or even bring out TV trays.
Make children responsible for making their beds each day. Make sure kids put toys away after each play session. This should apply indoors and out.
If you have pets, keep a vigilant eye on everything they do. No one wants to find any type of unpleasant surprise when they are viewing a home. Be sure to clean up daily after pets, in terms of food, waste and any other considerations.
Vacuum regularly or mop hard-surface floors.
Try to limit use of extra bathrooms, so that they will always be fresh. Likewise, clean the primary bath daily to maintain perfect buyer appeal.
The kitchen should always be inviting. Do not keep dirty dishes in the sink. Do not allow spills to sit on the cook-top. Keep cabinets and drawers, as well as the refrigerator, organized at all times.
Keep the exterior of the home clean, well-manicured and free of accumulated debris. The landscaping must be in great shape and property features should be maintained weekly. If this is too much work, then hiring a landscaping service is an ideal solution.
Cleaning During Home Staging Bottom Line
Cleaning is the best way for any property seller can help out in getting their residence sold quickly and for the most money. Sure, cleaning takes some work, but at least the costs are low. For sellers who realize that keeping a clean home will become too great of a challenge, due to children, pets or lifestyle factors, it is smart to invest in professional help. Hiring a weekly cleaning service and landscaper will allow the property to look perfect, while not stressing the family to heights previously unimagined.
No matter how you decide to clean and maintain your home during the sales process, just be sure that you do a good job. Statistics clearly demonstrate that nothing turns-off a buyer more than dirty, unhygienic conditions in a prospective new home. Meanwhile, a beautifully clean home will seem to hold more value, since it presents an appearance of being better maintained in every way.