| Some home sellers just don't get it. They've | | | | bathrooms and empty waste baskets every morning. |
| upgraded their home with every whistle and bell, had | | | | You won't always have much notice when buyers |
| an interior designer in to spruce everything up. | | | | might be touring your home, be ready. I like the new |
| Potential buyers though take a brisk tour with their | | | | Mr. Clean (melamine) sponges, they cut the elbow |
| arms folded, before you realize it the showing is | | | | grease required for daily spruce-ups and work great |
| over, but maybe it never began. Outside they can't | | | | on painted surfaces.-Buyers love natural light, make |
| wait to wash their hands and breathe some fresh air. | | | | sure that your drapes are fully open, the blinds or |
| Dirty homes no matter how fancy are more difficult | | | | shades work properly and your windows sparkle |
| to sell.Home sellers need to understand that | | | | inside and out. Use newspaper or fresh coffee filters |
| marketing a home is not like living in it day-to-day, | | | | on windows with a vinegar and water solution, dry in |
| and you have a very limited window of time to make | | | | opposite directions to determine which side is |
| a good first impression from the cleanliness quotient. | | | | streaked.-Dust turns into dirt. You'll never know in |
| The cleanliness quotient can seal or kill a home. Mark | | | | advance when Mr. or Ms. Clean will be coming |
| Nash author of 1001 Tips for Buying and Selling a | | | | through. You might have a high tolerance to dust, but |
| Home cleaning tips for home sellers who want to get | | | | now is not the time to be lax. Vacuum dust first and |
| it right the first showing. Nash offers ways to say | | | | follow up with a micro-fiber cloth. If you're in a pinch , |
| clean to buyers five senses.-Sense of smell rules the | | | | used dryer sheets make a great recycled |
| cleanliness quotient. No smoking inside the house | | | | duster.-Hardwood floors are a must-have for |
| from the day you decide to sell. Stale cigarette smells | | | | homebuyers. Before you market your home take the |
| says yuck to buyers. Forget the exotic spices in | | | | time to thoroughly clean and polish your floors. Black |
| recipes, even if you have an exhaust fan, they | | | | tea is a green pick-me-up for hardwood, the tannins |
| permeate upholstery and carpeting. Clean the litter | | | | in tea leave a lovely shine.-You can't hide dirty |
| box and bird cage every day. Many buyers are | | | | showers. Every buyer pulls back the shower curtain. |
| allergic to pets and in hot humid weather, | | | | Rid yourself of mold and dirty grout. I use a solution |
| overwhelming urine smells are not the right greeting | | | | of vinegar and water, followed by toothpaste for |
| or a red allergy flag for your home. If you cheat on | | | | those hard to remove stains. Don't forget to wash |
| this one, open all your windows and turn on every | | | | the shower curtain liner, throw it in the washer with |
| bathroom exhaust fan for an hour.-Buyers need to | | | | some towels and line dry.-Buyers always peek inside |
| see the house not your stuff or dirt. Stepping around | | | | refrigerators. Make the time to give your appliances a |
| or over books, clothing or misplaced furniture | | | | good cleaning, because if they're included buyers will |
| frustrates buyers because they focus on | | | | inspect them. Old food, gummy spills and moldy |
| maneuvering and not on the home. Dirt is your | | | | condiments don't sell homes. My dishwasher takes |
| number one enemy on home showings. Kitchens and | | | | everything from the stove top grates to the |
| bathrooms should shimmer and shine. Baseboards and | | | | vegetable drawer in the fridge and even the lint filter |
| moldings should be clean and chip-free. Hardwood and | | | | from the dryer.-Change furnace and air-conditioner |
| ceramic floors should glow. Clutter follows dirt on | | | | filters. This is often ignored but many buyers and |
| buyers top turn-offs.-Sound is an often overlooked | | | | home inspectors see dirty filters as a sign of an |
| but important part of the cleaning quotient. | | | | under-maintained home. Clean the blade tops on |
| Background noises such as barking dogs, out-of-sight | | | | ceiling fans too, I've see too many rainstorms of dust |
| ringing cell phones and loud neighbors are noise | | | | bunnies from dirty ones in unused rooms.-Clean light |
| pollution when house hunting. Ditto busy streets, | | | | switch plates, door knobs and kitchen cabinet |
| overhead planes and nearby trains. To set the right | | | | hardware often. These are the number one places |
| tone, play some light jazz or new-age music at a low | | | | that all buyers interact with on showings, if they |
| level, especially in rooms adjacent to your entry | | | | keep running into dirty ones, it could be their over all |
| way.A few details of the cleaning quotient.-You must | | | | take-away.-Don't be afraid of hiring some cleaning |
| pick-up and de-clutter every day. The mail piles, | | | | help. It can be over-whelming with all you have to do |
| newspapers and toys need to have a place, purchase | | | | to get your home ready to sell. Consider hiring a |
| some decorative wicker baskets for catch-alls. My | | | | professional team for a top-to-bottom cleansing. |
| motto is "when in doubt, throw it out (or recycle)". If | | | | Once you have everything up to the same clean |
| you are moving soon, will you really have the time to | | | | quotient, it will be easier to maintain. |
| read all that stuff?-Wipe down the kitchen sink, | | | | |