Once you have made the important, and often difficult decision, of selling your home, one of the first
things you must do before listing your home (hopefully with Earth Origins Realty if you are in the Albuquerque, NM area!) is to Clean - Decluttler - Start Packing - and Clean Again. Did we mention clean?
When buyers walk into your home for sell, they need to envision and imagine themselves cooking in the kitchen, reading a good book in the living room, and feel calmness in the bedroom. If all they notice is the dirty kitchen countertop, dust piling up on the bookshelf, a dirty bathtub, and crumbs on the floor, believe me, they will likely not be feeling the peace, joy, and "welcome to my new home warm feeling" you want them to experience when walking through the house. Instead, they might be wondering about the
home sellers (like how can anyone stand living in this dirty house?) as compared to envisioning their
future happiness created within the walls of this home.
Keep in mind that many people are sensitive to strong smells, so consider using non-toxic, healthy
cleaning supplies when cleaning your home. And you might also want to avoid spraying any
perfumes or cologne - smelling things in your house. And cigarette smoke- a definite turn off for
many buyers, so if you have to smoke- keep it outdoors away from any entry or exit areas a buyer
might walk by. If you have pets, ask non-inhabitants to be honest and tell you whether or not the
house smells of animals (as you know, most pet parents are immune to their furry or feathery
friends' smells). If the answer is yes, wash your dogs, clean the litter box, wash bedding, air out the
place, throw baking soda on the floors before you vacuum the floors, etc. Try to keep the air fresh.
Take out the trash. If you want to clean with scents, try adding natural essential oils like citrus or
peppermint to your spray. Boil some water with cinnamon before the buyers arrive. And if you have
the time, bake some bread or cookies (a time effective trick is to throw some pre-made frozen
dough into the oven and bake - you will get the same comforting effect).
One the of best ways to make your job cleaning easier is to have less stuff to clean. Which bring to
the next essential tip: declutter and depersonalize. Remove any excessive decorative items. Take
down family photos. You want to see the buyers see themselves in their new home - not see you
(no offense). What items to keep out? Think simple. Calming. Neutral. (Which are still subjective
adjectives, I know). Stage your home to sell. And think of this process as one step closer to handing
over the keys to the new homeowners. You are going to have to pack up eventually. Why not get
the energy flowing early and start the process of moving on now!
Other things to consider: a fresh coat of neutral paint with accent colors here and there (ideally
product that contains low or no-VOCs) can go a long way to sprucing up the home. Most buyers are
not looking for a fixer-upper. They want to move in and settle right away. So why not make any
minor repairs, be it cosmetic or structural, before buyers walk through the front door. Some home
improvement things you can do before putting your home on the MLS are: patch any holes in walls,
fix leaky plumbing, replace cracked floor or counter tiles, replace burnt out light bulbs (go for
energy efficient ones), and re-caulk tubs, sinks, and showers.
And if you can afford it, have a home inspection company come in to inspect your home. They will
find any minor or major issues that likely come up when the house is in escrow. Better to fix any
problem spots before rather than after to keep the buyers confident in their decision to purchase
your home.
Best wishes on your home selling venture!
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