A buyer who makes an offer on your house is investing in a future home. Getting a house ready to sell means getting potential buyers to imagine themselves living there, to feel “at home” as they look around. And, of course, they will absolutely look around: every drawer, closet, fixture, and corner may get scrutinized. Can you blame them? You’d want to do the same. The problem is even a clean house may not be deep cleaned enough for that scrutiny. A little dust, a little build-up in grout, corners, or the backs of cabinets, a dull mirror, that slight hint of diaper or litter box in the air: it can happen to any homeowner busy living a life. But it won’t make that great first impression you need. Even if they like a house, buyers sometimes negotiate price around cleanliness issues, or simply leave for the next open house on their list. If they see deep clean that sparkles and shines, they’ll stay and perhaps make that offer. Realtors have consistently found that clean, well-prepared homes not only sell faster, but impressive cleanliness can lead to 3-5% higher offers. What Does Deep Cleaning Involve? Frankly, it involves a lot. The house must be spotless and sparkling, and it has to be kept that way, always ready for a showing. Every inch requires dusting, washing, scrubbing, wiping, sweeping, mopping, and vacuuming. “Every inch” includes:
- Floors, carpets, walls, windows, ceilings, and mirrors
- The inside of every appliance, such as the oven, fridge, freezer, dishwasher, washing machine, furnace, and AC
- Every visible surface, including shelving, counters, molding, and the inside of toilets and tubs
- Every invisible surface, such as under the sinks, storage shelves, drawer hardware, back corners of cabinets/closets, behind appliances, the chimney, and every other nook and cranny.
It’s quite a list, and added to it, all the odors of daily life, from pets, diapers, laundry, trash, and cooking, must be eliminated. Also add the outdoor cleaning for curb appeal, such as decluttering the yard of branches or toys, mowing the lawn, weeding, and bush trimming. The Best Plan You are making a plan with many steps, from finding one of the top real estate agents in Washington, DC to sell your house, to sending out your new address, and everything in between. To achieve and maintain the deep clean that will help sell your home, consider a professional cleaning service like Ecoverde Solutions or Charm Clean. Since the results will appear in your profit, it’s a good investment. Ask about services particularly designed for the home seller that will get this one step off your mind and off your schedule. The pros know what a house needs to look it best and to sell quickly.
