Preparing your home for sale – Cleaning and Tidying
Before you start advertising your property, it’s crucial to make sure it’s presented in its best possible light.
There are many ways to do this, including home staging and professional photography. But the first step is always getting your property is spick and span.
Although you can do all cleaning yourself, a professional cleaner is often a better choice. Try to find one who specialises in End of Lease cleaning for rental properties for the best results.
Whether you choose to take the task on yourself or hire a professional, we’ve put together a handy checklist guide showing you what to focus on to make your property shine.
Whole of house
These are the jobs that often get overlooked in weekly cleaning efforts but make a huge difference to how a buyer views your property in person and via photography.
- Vacuum entire house
- Mop and/or scrub all uncarpeted floors
- Wash windows and flyscreens
- Remove cobwebs throughout
- Remove and wash all light fittings, replacing any broken globes
- Remove dust, dirt, and marks from windows and blinds
- Wipe down walls, fans, smoke alarms, and air conditioning units
- Remove any old bits of tape, blue tack, or thumb tacks on walls
- Wipe down all window sills, skirting boards, and door and window tracks
- Polish mirrors until mark and streak-free.
Kitchen and Bathroom
A sparkling kitchen and bathroom are imperative to making a good impression on buyers – they’re the two rooms that often sell a house and boost the asking price.
- Clean and disinfect all surfaces of shower, laundry, kitchen, and toilet
- Scrub and remove any mould with mould cleaner
- Wipe down inside and outside of all cupboards
- Deep clean oven with oven cleaner
- If you have a dishwasher, buy and run a cleaning rinse for it to make it shine
- Wash stove top with a non-scratch sponge removing any baked on food
- Use mould cleaner or bleach to brighten drains and grout.
External Areas and Gardens.
Street appeal is vital for capturing a buyer’s imagination from the moment they arrive. Cleaning up external areas means the first thing they see is ship shape – and first impressions count!
- Remove all rubbish and tidy any toys
- Mow and edge the lawn, consider doing your neighbours too! Your neighbouring homes affect your value as well.
- Remove any weeds and cut back overgrown plans and trees.
- Rake any leaves
- Plant some vibrant new flowers or shrubs.
- Mulch the garden.
- Clean those marks off the driveway.
- Oil the noisy gate in your yard as well as the squeaking door hinges inside.
- Remove any cobwebs in corners and clean out light fixtures
- Sweep out garages/carports, patios, and pathways.
A clean home is one of the easiest and most effective ways to increase the sale price of your home. Keeping your property tidy and clutter-free lets buyers see the potential your home offers. We hope this checklist gives you a good place to start but, if in doubt, hire a professional to get the job done right!
And, if you’ve got questions about how to sell like a pro, don’t hesitate to ask. We’re here to help with friendly advice and expert know-how.
Need more advice? Reach out to us.
Did you know PropertyNow can list your property on all the major real estate websites, and give you all the real estate support you need to sell your own home and help you save thousands in agent commissions? You do now!
Contact the PropertyNow team to learn how easy it is to sell your home without an agent:
Call 1300 664 773
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