OK, so am I the only one who gets turned off by other people's dirt, grime and in some cases (e-w-w) bodily excretions? I'd like to think not! Yet as a home stager, I can't tell you how many times I have encountered this scenario in client homes!
People please, are you really proud of your home and ready to place it on the market, with a bathroom containing a toilet that hasn't had a visit from the Tidy Bowl Man in quite some time, or a refrigerator that one could make a quick snack for oneself by simply scraping then reheating (NOTE: heat well to be sure to kill bacteria) the gunk off the bottom shelf?
Gross? You bet! Realty? Unfortunately yes!
Staging your home for a quick sale is always a wise choice. After all, a clear 94.6% of staged homes sell in 33 days or less! But if you choose, and unwisely I may add, not to stage your home before placing it on the market, at least have the presence of mind to thoroughly clean it first! Even my son, who let's face it, isn't exactly the best of housekeepers (still working on him!), appreciates a clean, cared for home. And that's key!
A clean home, shows as a cared for home. As a buyer, I would immediately question whether the rest of a dirty home is in the same, uncared for, unmaintained condition. Faced with viewing a dirty, uncared for home, most potential buyers will form a quick opinion about the place and look for the nearest exit!
While staging your home is an affordable investment in getting it sold, cleanliness is free! So grab a sponge, some cleanser, and by all means a toilet bowl brush and clean, clean, clean! Short of staging, cleaning is a very cost effective step in the right direction to selling quickly and for the most money possible!
Remember:
"If it has a smell, it won't sell!"
"If it's coated with grime, it'll stay on the market a long time!"
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