Getting your home ready for sale can sometimes feel daunting. Apart from the emotional connection to your home, selling your house can be physically draining as it requires a thorough cleaning and decluttering. Luckily, it doesn’t have to be that way. Where to start when preparing your house for sale? Follow our handy cleaning tips for selling your home to make it look as good as new in a flash.
Preparing your home for sale is a big job, but with effective preparation your home can look better than ever. With quality cleaning products like Jif and the right cleaning tips for selling your house, you’ll be done in no time!
Plan the sale ahead
Before preparing your house for sale, it’s key to take the time to step back and look at your home from a buyer’s point of view. Have a look around the house and check each room. Do they look welcoming? Preparing your home for sale also involves making sure everything works. Are there any repairs needed? Replace the cracked floor or counter tiles and check for potential holes in walls and leaky faucets. Fix any faulty door or jammed drawer you notice in the house and consider hiring a contractor to handle everything that needs fixing that you can’t do by yourself.
Declutter your home
Once you have completed this first step, you can really start preparing the house for sale by decluttering. It’s essential to depersonalise it by removing anything that prevents potential buyers from picturing their life in this house. Follow these decluttering tips for selling your home, and your house will look more welcoming for visitors:
Empty all cupboards, drawers and closets, remove books from bookcases and put everything in the middle of each room to sort your belongings.
Get rid of everything you don’t need. If any of these items are in good condition, make sure to donate them to a charity. You’ll get more space, and it’ll make moving way easier.
Clean off everything that’s left on kitchen counters – no one needs to see your used sponges! If you’re still living in the house, put everything you need on a daily basis in a box or cupboard you can easily access.
Throw away broken furniture and move furniture you want to keep in your new house. You only need to leave what’s necessary to help potential buyers imagine their life in the house.
Remove family photos and personal items from the shelves to depersonalise your interior.
Safety warning
When using cleaning products, always follow the instructions and safety guidelines on the label and test your cleaning methods on a small area first. Use protections such as gloves and ventilate the rooms while cleaning.
Preparing your home for sale checklist
Now that your house is all fixed and decluttered, you’re ready to start a thorough cleaning of your house. When preparing your home for sale, a checklist is really useful to make sure you don’t forget to clean anything. You’ll be done much quicker with these cleaning tips for selling your home:
Start by dusting furniture and light fixtures. Don’t forget to check the ceiling for spider webs.
Scrub tiles in the kitchen and bathroom. Make sure the sinks, shower and toilets look sparkling clean by using quality cleaning products.
Wash windows inside and out and polish mirrors so potential buyers will see how good they look in their future home!
Get rid of stains and marks on the walls and floors by gently wiping them with an efficient cleaning product such as Jif.
Steam clean carpets and drapes and consider replacing them if they look too old.
Sweep or vacuum floors thoroughly. Don’t forget the corners! Dip a mop in a mixture of floor cleaner diluted in warm water. For wooden floors, don’t use a wet mop which could damage it. Clean wooden floors with a lightly damp mop or cloth.
Ventilate the rooms. You don’t want to break the sale because of bad smell!
Don’t forget the exterior
The house needs to look welcoming from the outside too. When preparing your home for sale, this checklist will help you take care of the exterior. Follow these tips for selling your house and it will look as good as new!
Have a look at the shutters. Do they need fixing? Is the paint flaking off?
Consider renting a pressure washer to spray down the exterior of your house.
Mow the lawn and remember to check that there’s no toy or old pair of muddy boots lying in the way.
Add the final touch
Preparing your home for sale also requires a bit of creativity. With these tips for selling your home, your house will look as good as new:
Rearrange furniture to maximise space
Paint the walls with neutral colours
Replace burned-out light bulbs
Hang up fresh towels in the bathroom
Decorate with few plants
Preparing your house for sale is easy when you have the right tips to get you started. Now you just need to relax and say goodbye to your old home, as it’s going to sell like hot cakes!
Plan the sale ahead
Declutter your home
Follow a cleaning checklist
Don’t forget the exterior
Add a final touch to make your house look cosy