SELLER’S CHECKLIST

DECLUTTER, DE-PERSONALIZE, CLEAN, REPAIR/REPLACE

Deep cleaning a house for sale sets the stage for quality professional listing photos and effective staging, which enables buyers to visualize a property as their future home. When your house is clean from top to bottom, buyers are more receptive to overlooking missing wishlist items like a must-have fireplace, gas range, or covered deck. But the chore of deep cleaning an entire house on your own can feel overwhelming.

To help make the task more manageable, we’ve put together a house cleaning checklist.

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1. Declutter each room first

Start your pre-sale house cleaning by taking photos of each room, wall, ceiling, and floor. Viewing the pictures will give you a fresh look at what potential buyers will see when they walk through the front door. If buyers can’t see past your things, they won’t be able to imagine their family living there.

Go room to room and divide your items into three categories:

  1. Keep: Pack as much as you can into boxes for the move.

  2. Donate: Give gently used items to charity stores.

  3. Toss: Get rid of broken items that fall into the “Why are we keeping this?” category.

2. De-Personalize

While you declutter, you’ll want to keep an eye out for personal items that “make the house feel'“ like you. It may not feel great to take down family photos, remove your bowling trophies, or pack up all of your Disneyland memorabilia, it is important to remember that personal belongings dissuade buyers from imagining themselves living in your home. When your house is heavily decorated and piled with your personal items, potential buyers see someone else’s space instead of their future home.

To begin, again go room to room starting at your front door and working your way deeper into the home.

You’re looking for items that fit the following categories

  1. Family: Pictures of friends & family, awards, education degrees, plaques, etc all should be tucked away or packed.

  2. Hobbies: Man cave decked out for game day? Time to put it away if possible. Believe it or not some people wont by a home from a person who supports their opposing team. Sewing room? At the very least make sure that it is as neat and tidy as possible. Could you make it look more like a simple office?

  3. Political & Religious Items: Pack up and store books, signs, posters, banners, and anything else that highlights your personal beliefs.

3. CLEAN CLEAN CLEAN (A Room-by-room house cleaning checklist)

Kitchen

Step 1: Countertops. Dust off the top of countertops and apply the appropriate cleaner according to the manufacturer’s instructions. For granite, marble, quartz, and natural stone, use specialized products for cleaning and polishing.

Step 2: Refrigerator. Remove magnets and kid’s drawings from the front of your refrigerator. If your fridge is stainless steel, spray it with a stainless steal polish and wipe it with a clean cloth. Other surfaces can be wiped down with soap and water.

Make sure to remove all the shelves. For tough stains, use a non-scratch scouring pad. Then finish the job with a disinfectant.

Step 3: Oven and stove. Most ranges come with self-cleaning ovens that deep clean with 900-degree heat. Once the oven cools, wipe down dirt with a non-abrasive sponge. If you have an older range, pick up a can of oven cleaner spray and follow the instructions on the label.

Step 4: Dishwasher. To deep clean your dishwasher, remove the racks and clean with soap and water. For odors and heavy cleaning, add a cup of vinegar and a cup of baking soda or fresh lemon peels, which also removes odors in garbage disposals.

Bathroom cleaning steps

Step 1: Toilet. Pour a toilet bowl cleaner inside the toilet and let it soak for about 15 minutes to dissolve stubborn stains. Scrub with a toilet brush and flush the toilet when done. Freshen things up with a deodorizer in the tank.

Step 2: Sink, bathtub, and shower. Clean out hair from the sink and drain. Utilize a drain cleaner for clogs. Polish the fixtures with a vinegar and water mixture or a product formulated for the finish. Dry with a paper towel and throw away. You can also use glass cleaner on some sink fixture finishes such as chrome. For showers with glass doors, use a tile and shower cleaner for the inside, and a glass cleaner on shower doors.

If your bathroom grout has mold, you can usually remove it with a bleach cleaner spray. Cracking caulk makes an easy DIY project. Just dig out the caulk and reapply with the new caulk.

Step 3: Mirrors. Mirrors make great accent pieces and can give the appearance of more light and a larger space. Glass cleaners are a great way to clean mirrors for a streak-free shine. Just spray glass cleaner and wipe with a paper towel.

Bedrooms, living rooms, and the rest of the house

For the bedrooms, living rooms, and the rest of the house, work from the ceiling to the floor since dust and dirt falls down. When cleaning floors, work strategically from the back to front, so you don’t have to backtrack over an area you just cleaned.

Step 1: Dust and clean the walls. Remove artwork, decor, and nails from the walls. If your wall has a lot of holes, consider patching the nail holes in the drywall. Now you’re ready for dusting. Use a mop with a towel around the mophead or an extended duster used for cleaning ceiling fans.

Remove cobwebs from the ceiling and dust the walls, and baseboards. Don’t forget doors and window frames between the walls as well as ceiling fans, and lighting fixtures. Dust window treatments or remove them for cleaning. Always follow the manufacturer’s instructions.

When you’re finished dusting, prepare a bucket with soapy water and a large sponge, then wipe down the walls. Work in small areas gently cleaning walls and wipe with a dry, clean towel. Always work with a clean bucket. If it gets dirty, refill with soap and water. Clean windows inside and out with glass cleaner.

Step 2: Dust and polish furniture. Next, you’re ready to tackle the furniture. Use a feather duster or microfiber cloth. If the furniture is dirty, multi-surface cleaners are often safe to use on most hard surfaces, including electronics. Clean TV screens according to the manufacturer’s instructions.

For laptop and LCD screens, always follow the manufacturer’s instructions. For keyboards, use compressed air dust cleaner.

Start with ceiling fans, hit the bookshelves and shelving units, and media cabinets.

Step 3: Clean upholstery and drapery. When cleaning an upholstered couch, lift the cushions and vacuum using the upholstery attachment. For leather furniture, you can use a leather cleaner and conditioner. Always spray the product on a soft, clean cloth rather than directly on furniture.

Dust window treatments. If they’re dirty, throw them in the laundry if they’re machine washable or have them dry cleaned.

Step 4: Sweep, vacuum, and wash the floors. Move furniture out of the way and clean floors and carpets with a broom or vacuum. Use the brush attachment to get tough dirt on the baseboards and in crevices. Shampoo carpets. If they’re dirty or dated you may want to have your carpets professionally cleaned. If they’re in real bad shape, and it’s in the budget, you may want to consider replacing your carpets.

Mop floors with a mop, bucket, and the recommended floor cleaning solution. When washing hardwood and laminate, your mop shouldn’t be too damp. Make sure your mop is cleaned and sanitized after cleaning the bathrooms.

4. Repair/Replace

As you clean, you may come across damaged parts of your home. Some items may be too big to take on, but for smaller items (burnt out light bulbs, broken outlet covers, nail holes in the wall) the goal should be to eliminate any question marks from potential buyer’s minds. You want them to experience your home in a way that leaves them feeling like it was always well taken care of.

Please feel free to contact us about which projects have more value when selling so that we can make sure you use your time & resources on the most important items.