How to Keep Your House Clean When It’s for Sale
While there’s plenty of sound advice for sprucing up a property with a professional carpet shampoo and house cleaning, fresh paint and some minor maintenance, keeping the property clean while it’s on the market is also important. Without hiring a maid service to come in once a week, how does one keep a house clean during the listing period?
Put half your house in storage
We are a country of collectors. We have junk cluttering up closets and cabinets, furniture jammed in every corner, toys lining the floors of kid’s bedrooms, and shelves stuffed to the gills with stuff. Simplify your life while the house is on the market, and put half that stuff in storage. Clear off the bric a brac, box up the good dishes, pack up the books, toys, games & shop tools, pack up the seasonal clothes and linens, empty the closets, and move out as much furniture as you can stand.
Getting the non essentials out of your house will make what’s left so much easier to clean and will make your home much bigger than it really is. A prospective buyer will ooh and aah at the spacious garage, closets, and storage space and wide, open passageways throughout the house. Best of all, when the house finally does sell, packing up the rest of your belongings will be a snap.
Invest in Rubbermaid Storage containers
As much as we’d sometimes like to put all our kids’ toys in storage, the reality is they do need a few toys and books for around the house. Buy a dozen or so storage totes, and stash them in strategic locations around your home. When the Realtor calls from the sidewalk with prospective buyers, quickly toss the toys, games, blankets, dropped clothing, and all the other loose junk into the totes.
Leaving shoes at the door
Our families track dirt in the house all day long with their sneakers and treaded shoes. Set a mat and a stool by the door, and take shoes off in the foyer. Sure, it’s a inconvenience, but it really does keep the floors much cleaner which means less vacuuming and sweeping.
Aroma Therapy
Some homeowners like to light candles around the house to mask stale odors. A better, more stealthy solution is to smear a drop of real vanilla extract on all the light bulbs. Instead of prospective buyers wondering what odors you are trying to mask with those candles, you’ll have them wondering what kind of cookies you baked instead.
Keeping bathrooms clean the easy way
Clean bathrooms are a must. Get in the habit of hanging up towels and dumping dirty clothes in the hamper. Invest in some cheap plastic baskets to contain cosmetics and other counter top toiletries, which should be stored beneath the sink. In between Saturday cleanings, wipe down counters, sinks, and faucets with Windex to keep them looking sparkly clean.
Clean sweep with a Feather Duster
Dusting can take an incredible amount of time, which is why removing Bric a Brac and excess furniture helps streamline the cleaning process. Invest in a collapsible lambswool feather duster, and walk through the house every day to knock dust and cobwebs off the furniture and the light fixtures. You’ll be surprised at how little time this takes!
Keeping the kitchen spotless
Kitchens are probably the most important room in the house for prospective buyers and should be kept as clean as possible. While your home is on the market is not the time to let dirty dishes pile up. Keep the counters clear, empty the cabinets of old food and unused dishes and cookware, and use Windex everyday to keep the counters, sink, and faucet sparkling.
There’s no magic solution for keeping your house totally spotless while it’s on the market. However, by keeping it free of clutter and removing things you can live without for a while, will make the task of cleaning for unexpected customers so much easier.
