If you've been thinking about putting your Columbus home on the market, the warm seasons are the time to do it. According to Realtor.com, 50 percent of homes are sold in summer alone because moving is easier thanks to the break in the school year and the lack of snow to contend with.
But no matter the pleasant weather or desirable location of your home, there's one thing that turns potential buyers away faster than you can say "depreciation." According to Bankrate, that's a dirty house. To improve the chances of enticing buyers and getting your asking price, put these cleaning tips to use.
Columbus Open House Cleaning Tip #1: Deep Clean the Carpets
If you want to get your home in the best condition it's ever been in, you have to put forth the extra effort. Unfortunately, if you have old carpeting, this can be a particular challenge.
To make sure your carpets don't send potential buyers running for the hills…
- Thoroughly vacuum your carpets (preferably with a Dyson vacuum for a deep-clean sweep).
- Make sure to get all the corners and behind furniture.
- Shampoo the carpets to get rid of any musty smells and to make them look their best.
This step is especially important if you have pets! Dander and odors can sink into the carpet over time, so don't cut corners.
No carpet? Check out this guide on cleaning wood floors to get them in top-notch shape.
Columbus Open House Cleaning Tip #2: Get Rid of Odors
Here are some ways to keep your home smelling fresh for the open house showing:
- To avoid lingering odors in the kitchen, try not to cook fried food or fish the day before your open house.
- To combat funky garbage disposal smells, send a couple slivers of a citrus rind down it and grind them up.
- To get rid of musty smells, open up the windows to let in some fresh air.
And even though you love the puppy-breath smell of your tiny Pomeranian, potential buyers may not. For pointers on getting rid of pet odors, read "Pet Problems: How to Rid Your Home of Pet Smells."
Columbus Open House Cleaning Tip #3: Clean Cabinets, Drawers, and Sinks
Buyers are curious, and they almost instinctively peek inside cabinets, closets, and drawers so they can start envisioning how they might use the space. Unfortunately, these are often the most overlooked areas when it comes to cleaning.
Exceed visitor expectations by paying attention to these details. You can start by…
- Wiping down the inside and outside of cabinets and drawers with disinfectant wipes.
- Cleaning the outside of the fridge and its drawers and shelves.
- Cleaning kitchen and bathroom sinks, including the drains and faucets.
- Making sure closets are clean and organized (and half empty with nothing on the floor).
- Steam-cleaning the tile and grout on backsplashes and in bathrooms.
For more tips on cleaning hard-to-reach or overlooked places, read "5 Places Around the House You Don't Clean but Should."
Columbus Open House Cleaning Tip #4: Minimize Personal Belongings
There's a reason real estate agents recommend you paint your home's walls beige before it goes on the market. After all, beige is as blank a slate as paint gets. The more you can do to make the buyer imagine themselves owning the home, the better.
While you're cleaning up and organizing your home, try to minimize the appearance of personal items, such as family photos, children's toys, or pet bedding.
Columbus Open House Cleaning Tip #5: Bust Up the Clutter
Organizing your home can emphasize how much space potential buyers will be getting. Even if you're not selling a sprawling piece of property, tidying up always makes a space look bigger.
Here are some easy ways to make your home look more spacious:
- Don't put more than three appliances on kitchen countertops.
- Keep bookshelves only one-third full of books, one-third full of vases and décor, and one-third empty.
And if your basement is clutter's paradise, check out "How to Actually Clean Your Dirty Basement."
Columbus Open House Cleaning Tip #6: Get Some Help
Getting your house ready to put on the market is stressful enough – why add more to your plate when you can outsource the extra work?
When you enlist our Columbus house cleaning services, you can rest assured that your home will never look better. We customize your cleaning program to your exacting needs, and for home sellers, we can make sure no nook or cranny goes unattended.
Ready to see how we can help your house look its best? Simply book a free house cleaning consultation with us today.