If you're selling your house during the hectic holidays, it can be hard to keep it clean and tidy. Use these tips from the experts and your home will be showcase ready in a moment's notice. (They're great for dealing with unexpected guests during the holidays too!
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Check the kitchen. Clear the counters, that includes tucking the vitamin bottles and clipped coupons out of sight. Keep an attractive canvas bag or closed container nearby that you can just whisk the clutter into and hide in a closet.
Wipe down counters and don't forget the stove top. Keep a bottle of window cleaner and paper towels handy to remove fingerprints from appliances and splashes from the window over the sink. Check the floor too.
No time for a quick mop? Use a sponge or paper towels to quickly pick up crumbs and wipe up noticeable spots. Wash dirty dishes or put them in the dishwasher.
Empty the trash and light a candle to remove lingering odors.
Do a quick walk-through of every room. Tuck papers and other clutter out of sight into a drawer.
Don't stuff it in a closet or cabinet. Anything that is part of the house is fair game when buyers visit (and they will peek to check out potential storage space). Take a roll of clean trash bags with you and dump big clutter from each room into a different trash bag.
This works particularly well for children's toys. A row of "trash bags" in the garage looks much tidier than stacks of stuff all over the house. When the buyers leave, it'll be easy to return items to their appropriate rooms.
Give dusty surfaces a swipe with those pre-moistened furniture wipes or a Swiffer. Before you leave each room, do a quick clockwise scan to make sure you haven't missed anything.
Wipe down the bathroom.
Close the shower curtain but wipe up any hair in the tub first. Wipe the sink, mirror and counters, then give the toilet a swish. Keep a container of pre-moistened towelettes under the sink for quick wipe ups.
Swipe a damp paper towel or towelette over the floor to pick up hair. If the throw rugs are dirty, roll them up and hide them in the dryer. Don't forget to empty the trashcan and replace the liner.
Floors. Vacuum high-traffic areas, particularly walkways between rooms and the stairs. Buyers aren't going to poke behind furniture or check under the credenza.
Suck up any cobwebs in the corners while you're at it.
You want to create the impression of cleanliness and tidiness to help your house sell. If you deep clean your house before you put it on the market, quick clean ups before a buyer walks in the door should be adequate.
An uncluttered house looks amazingly cleaner than it might actually be so attack the clutter first. A dirty bathroom or kitchen will make the whole house seem dirty, so put a little extra elbow grease into those areas. For more tips on speed cleaning, click the post title to read the article by Lee Stratton in the Columbus Dispatch.
The real estate experts at Sky Development Corporation realize how stressful it can be to sell a house during the holidays. We'll help you stage your house for quick sale at the best possible price. We can give you lots of tips on getting your house ready to sell and keeping it in show-ready shape.
And we'll always try to give you as much notice as possible before we bring over potential buyers. Visit our and . If you're selling or buying a home in Virginia, Maryland or the Washington DC area, you can rely on the experienced real estate professionals at Sky Development Corporation.
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