Spring Cleaning Tips to Help Sell Your Home

Are you thinking about selling your home this spring? Believe it or not, there’s a lot more to it than pounding a “for sale” sign in the front of your home and hoping for the best. Taking the time and effort to spring clean and declutter your home can make a big difference when selling – it can help you sell your home faster and potentially for more money.

To get your home prepared to be sold on the market this spring, the two things to do are declutter and deep clean.

Declutter

When prepping your home for sale, the first thing you should do is declutter your home. Few things will turn away a potential buyer quicker than a cluttered, messy home. A clutter-free home looks bigger and more appealing than one that’s stuffed to the brim with, well, stuff. Here are some decluttering tips:

Set up three boxes: Keep, Donate, and Not Sure. This will help you divide and conquer your stuff. Also, keep some trash bags on hand for stuff to throw out.
Do your research to find out where you can donate your gently used items (i.e. clothes, toys, books)
Focus on one room at a time. Set a timer so you don’t overthink or overdo it.
Set aside time daily or weekly for decluttering. Treat it as you would any other meeting or appointment.
Ask your family for help. Your kids can participate in decluttering by divvying up their stuff in Keep or Donate boxes.
Don’t hold on to items or clothes for someday; sometimes you have to let things go. If you’re unsure of an item, put it in the Not Sure box and return to it later.

Deep Clean

Once the clutter is gone, it’s time to do a deep cleaning. From baseboards to fixtures, from appliances to windows, everything should be spotless and gleaming. If you don’t feel it’s clean enough, it probably isn’t. Here are some areas to focus on to make your entire house sparkle!

Dirty Details. These are things you may not think about when living in your home, but potential buyers will inspect everything with kid gloves.
- Remove heating vents and clean behind and around them.
- Carefully clean light switch plates, outlet covers, doors, doorknobs, and frames.
- Dust light fixtures and ceiling fans.
- Scrub grout and caulking in your bathroom.
- Clean the insides of your oven, refrigerator, and kitchen cabinets
Scrub each window pane on the inside and outside, as well as the sills or trim. Wash the curtains or drapes, and dust the blinds. Squeaky clean windows let the sunlight in and brighten your home for sale.
Front Entrance. Clean the floors, and install a new welcome mat to ensure they stay clean. Make sure the door is free of smudges, or consider repainting it if the color is faded. Declutter space so visitors have space to hang their coats during showings.

If you don’t have time to deep clean your home to perfection, or can’t stand the thought of cleaning, consider hiring a professional to do the dirty work.

Remember, the more items you get rid of, the less you have to move. Let go of things you no longer use or love for a fresh, clean, and decluttered start in your new home.

The best way to sell your home is to hire an expert real estate agent that looks out for your best interests and markets your house appropriately. If you are ready to sell your current house and start the search for your dream home, Berkshire Hathaway HomeServices John M. Brabham Real Estate would be honored to help you. Visit our website or call 803-775-1201 to schedule an appointment.

Sources

https://apersonalorganizer.com/decluttering-tips-selling-house/

https://www.thespruce.com/decluttering-your-entire-home-2648002

https://www.houselogic.com/organize-maintain/cleaning-decluttering/