11 House Cleaning Tips When Selling Your Home

  Your deep cleaning checklist will help you learn how to clean your house to sell. It will help you to ensure that you don’t forget anything and, importantly, that you pay attention to those items that can be overlooked. If you’re ready to clean your home, you’ll want to start with the big things before you get to the little things.        The Big Things A big part of learning how to clean your house to sell is knowing what the most important parts of your home to clean might be. These are the places and things in your home that are easiest for prospective buyers to spot. If they’re dirty, you can lose a sale. As such, you’ll want to pay special attention to cleaning the following areas:        The Fridge, Dishwasher, and Oven These are bigger than you think. While you might be used to how your appliances look and smell, new buyers are going to view them with fresh eyes. You’ll want to make sure they are all cleaned inside and out. There are special products for cleaning out ovens and dishwashers, so invest in those. Make sure that your fridge is emptied and that you’ve cleaned out every shelf and drawer. Put in some extra effort to make sure The Bathtubs, Sinks, and Toilets You already know that these are high-traffic areas, so make sure to take care of them appropriately. You’ll need to spend some serious time scrubbing here, removing every stain and bit of stray dirt. Make sure to pay extra attention to both the sinks and bathtubs, as they’re very easy for even casual observers to look into. These are areas in which a little extra effort can go a long way. Empty the garbage cans, no one wants to see trash when viewing a home. Glass and Mirrors The goal here is to eliminate all of the streaks and smudges that you can find. Use a good glass cleaner and make sure to leave any glass surfaces as clear as possible. Good mirrors help to make rooms look larger, so you’ll want to make sure that they are clean and that they reflect the light well. Glass also needs to be dusted, as the dust particles can make your entire house look a little bit dingier than it should. Walls and Counters Your walls and counters have a few different issues that need to be addressed. First and foremost are the basic marks that have accumulated over the years – a good scrubbing should get rid of most, but don’t be afraid to invest in a special cleaner if you can’t get them out. More pressing is any damage to the walls or counters, which might need to be fixed with either new paint or even putty. Make sure that these areas look as close to new as pots Floors and Baseboards Your floors are the easiest area to see in your home. If they’re not properly cleaned, the rest of your home will look incredibly dirty. Take the time to clean any carpets and use cleaners that you might have on your hardwood floors. You may also need to invest in methods to clean up scratches in some areas. Your baseboards should also be vacuumed and then cleaned by hand in order to get the best results. The Little Things In addition to the big items, figuring out how to clean your house to sell requires being able to identify the most important little things in your house. These items might not seem like they’d cause problems, but they’re things at which most serious buyers will look before they put in an offer on a home. Light fixtures All of your light fixtures need to be deep cleaned before you move out. This is a multi-part task, so be prepared to put in a little work. Start by removing the lightbulbs so that you can replace if necessary. Next, you’ll want to clean out the inside and outside of the fixtures with a microfiber cloth. Finally, finish by removing any stains and using glass cleaner if necessary. Once you’re done, you can replace the bulbs and you should have not only cleaner fixtures but also much brighter lights. Switchplates Your switchplates tend to accumulate a lot of wear and tear over time. Not only are you constantly switching lights on and off, but you’re also constantly touching the plates without noticing what’s on your hands. It’s very important to examine each individual plate in order to determine exactly how much work you’ll need to do. Disinfectant wipes will help with most, but you may need to replace those that are scratched up. Don’t be afraid to remove the plates in order to make sure that they are clean, as there can often be a fair bit of build-up around the edges of the plates. Vents and Fan Blades When was the last time you really looked at your vents and fan blades? You might have done a bit of dusting from time to time, but these are areas of the home that tend to get neglected. You’re going to want to remove your vent covers and clean them both inside and out, getting rid of any accumulated dust. If possible, you should also remove each individual fan blade and wipe it down. Make sure that you clean the parts that are generally covered by any lighting fixtures as well so that you can really make the fan shine. Hardware Much like your switchplates, your home’s hardware gets a lot of wear and tear that you probably haven’t noticed over the years. At a basic level, you’re looking to get rid of fingerprints and the kind of random dirt that accumulates over the years. If your hardware is metal, though, you’re going to want to use metal cleaner in order to restore it to its original look. You’re not just dealing with wear and tear here, but very real environmental damage. You’ll need to use a little elbow grease to get the best results and make the hardware look pristine. Windowsills Your windowsills are another area that tends to attract quite a bit of dirt and grime. Unfortunately, most people tend to clean these areas with a light dusting, trusting that most visitors won’t give them a second glance. When buyers come to your home, though, they’ll use your windowsill as a test to see how well you have actually cleaned your home. It’s recommended that you don’t just dust these areas, but that wipe them down and remove any stains. If possible, you may also want to give them a quick coat of paint in order to make them look like new.

MORE

Why Professional Photography Matters When Selling Your Home

We’ve all heard the old saying “A picture is worth a thousand words.” And, in real estate, pictures make a huge difference in how quickly you sell your home. Now, thanks to the continued advancement of technology, buyers can have an intimate look into your home they are interested in without ever leaving their couch. And buyers are doing their research, more now than ever before. They are filtering through sites based on location, prices, school districts, square footage, etc. Once they have narrowed down their search to their liking, they are immediately flipping through photos. And you need photos that make buyers want to see your home in person! One of the most important things that will set your property out from others the photographs. When a buyer is looking at Realtor.ca or other homes for-sale websites, photographs draw their attention. Is this shallow? Well, yes and no. Your house might be stunning and beautiful, but if someone browsing your listing online can’t see that, then you’re losing out big time. Also, just because photos have been taken doesn’t mean that they’re high quality. The appropriate lighting, angles and staging are all key components of well-done real estate photographs. Once again, this is why leaving the job to a professional real estate photographer is best. Remember that this future buyer is probably scanning through dozens of different listings within a matter of minutes, so attention-catching photos is a must. You would be shocked how many people put little or no effort into the photographs of their property. As an old commercial slogan stated – Image is everything. A shallow statement, but true. Your photographs represent the first curb appeal impression buyers will get of your property. As time goes on and technology continues to advance, online platforms and visual tools become more robust allowing home buyers more and more insight into a home before ever connecting with the seller or agent.  One of these ways is to take your professional photos and provide buyers with a 3D Tour where they can take a virtual walk through your home. So, if you are thinking of selling your home make sure that professional photos are being used. After all the hard work you did getting your home ready to sell.  You want to make sure your home stands out!! If you want more information about this topic or need help getting started, feel free to reach me.

MORE

Six Chilling Ways To Find Out If Your Home is Haunted in Edmonton

Have you ever had that eerie feeling that someone else is in your house? During Fall, it’s sometimes normal to sense more darkness and otherworldly energy around us. Nights become longer and it tends to be more cold and gloomy. But if you’ve been feeling haunted at home lately, here are six signs to know whether you are just imagining things or if there is really a ghostly presence at home. The first thing to know is whether your home has a spooky history. When you buy a home, there’s always a home disclosure that should include any crimes or grim events that have happened in the house. Make sure that you also asked your real estate agent of the home seller about the house’s history. Aside from that, you can also do your research. You might be surprised to find out that the house was built on top of an old cemetery or hospital. Once you’ve figured out your house’s past, let’s move on to other signs that you might be feeling personally when at home. Are there any cold spots at home or do you feel sudden changes in temperature? Unless your HVAC system needs some repairs, cold spots or sudden temperature changes can be a sign of a ghostly presence. Try to purposely heat up the area where you feel cold spots and see whether it still stays cold to know if something is really up. Do you hear weird sounds or see mysterious shadows? Sometimes, it’s normal to see things and to hear random noises at home. It could be your neighbours, the wind, or trees and animals outside. But when you are constantly experiencing unexplainable scenarios, maybe it’s time to consider calling a medium. The fourth sign of having a spirit at home is when things aren’t always where you left them. Although sometimes, it can be your memory or other people at home moving things. But ghosts can be playful and mischievous and there can be moments when you know exactly where you left something, and the next instant, it’s not there or in a different location. The fifth sign is when your pets suddenly behave strangely. Many believe that pets can sense spirits and ghosts. Take note of your pet’s weird behaviours at home - barking at thin air, whimpering, or crying - and you might realize that they are sensing another presence. Last but not the least, technological glitches are sometimes caused by ghosts. Spikes in electromagnetic field readings (EMF) are often used by paranormal experts to detect whether there are spirits. If you’ve noticed technological glitches or high EMF readings at home, then it could either be faulty wiring or ghosts - both of which are alarming! Having a haunted house can be cool and creepy at the same time. No one knows your home better than you, so if you think that there might be ghosts or spirits lurking, then it can be best to trust your gut. Don’t be afraid to contact a professional if you need help handling any paranormal activity at home. If you have questions about ghost-free homes in Edmonton, feel free to reach me.

MORE