7 Places Sellers Forget to Clean
If you plan on preparing your home for the real estate market, consider one of these home staging tips. Many times, when we walk through Montreal area homes and do a home staging consultation, we bring up these areas which we really notice can make a difference.
1. Basement Spiders
We once went to an open house. The realtor, we could tell, was not very enthused about the house and just waved us through while she sat on the sofa with her phone. We went downstairs, and we wanted to get out of there right away because of the HUGE spiderwebs everywhere. I mentioned it, and the realtor agreed there were quite a few. I would have figured the realtor wanted to get rid of them, but that was not happening.
I do not scream when I see a spider, but do not want to live with them in the house either. So — if you have spiders, especially in your basement where it tends to be damp, get them out of your home. You can catch and release them, but the webs should be gone and the walls cleaned.
2. Light Fixtures and Fans
Most people do not think about their fans, chandeliers and just ceiling fixtures as part of their cleaning routine. If you have one of those flush-mounted lamps, clean out the glass because it’s likely full of dead bugs. This will make the bulb shine brighter through the glass. Stand on your staircase and look at the chandelier — is it covered in dust? You can either get a ladder to clean it or find a cleaning company that does this painstaking job. Get the dust off of those fans! It is gross, especially if someone turns it on and dust flies off because you have not used it in years.
3. Ceiling Exhaust Vents
Check especially in your bathroom if your vent is discoloured with dust. You can remove it and wash it or vacuum it. If it is permanently discoloured, you should replace it or paint it the same colour as your ceiling or wall. If you are replacing it, remove it and bring it to the hardware store with you so you know you are purchasing the exact same size as the one you just removed.
4. Interior Doors
One great product to clean the oily grease off of the door around the door handles is a Magic Eraser. It is amazing how you can get scuff marks off of doors, clean the doors and get rid of crayons and pencil marks on walls from kids. This will make your doors look new again, especially if they are white.
5. Between and Behind Appliances
Laundry rooms are not normally a priority for cleaning. Usually we clean them after we have sold the house because they are so heavy to move. If you can slide them over, clean between them, especially if the washing machine and dryer are beside each other. The same goes for the stove — usually it is easy to pull out to clean.
I once staged a house in Brossard, Quebec. The owners said they professionally cleaned the house before I came in with all my furniture and accessories. When I walked into the kitchen, the counters and floor were clean, but as I got close to the stove, the smell of old grease was awful. I peered alongside the stove and it was black. I don’t think anyone cleaned around the stove in years. If I notice it, a buyer will. It does not take a lot of know-how to clean. The cleaner your home is, the more the property will look new, even if it is an older home.
6. Inside Appliances
If you are selling your fridge with the house, don’t cook cabbage or brussels sprouts the night before your buyers arrive to visit. Not only will your house stink but your fridge will too. Make sure all the appliances you are selling are spotless.
7. Corners of Walls
In our Montreal climate, we have ants, ladybugs, boxelder bugs, spiders, flies, caterpillars, and rodents if you live out in the country — the list goes on. Many times in the corners of the walls, you might find these critters. Boxelder bugs stink if you squish them, so look up how to get rid of any bug you have. Having said that, if you clean the corners of your walls, you will know what is living there. If you have dead bugs lying in the garage or basement, clean them up, but find out where they are coming from. Don’t just leave them there. Bugs will make buyers run!