Cleaning Your Home After Selling
SOLD! What a relief! Your house is sold and soon you will be moving out. Pride in ownership means that you will likely want to leave your house in good shape for its new owners. In some states, the Real Estate Purchase Contract may stipulate that the home is to be “swept clean”, meaning the seller should at least sweep the floors and leave walls and ceilings bare. But the language can often be vague. Here is a list of cleaning tips for home sellers to help you leave the house reasonably clean and to create a feeling of goodwill toward your buyer:
Cleaning the Interior of the Home Before Moving Out:
- Remove all personal property.
- Vacuum the floors.
- Clean kitchen appliances including the inside of the refrigerator and over. Wipe down the counters.
- Scrub sinks and tubs.
- Wipe down interior cabinets and shelves.
- Wash tile/vinyl/wood flooring.
Cleaning the Garage Prior to Closing:
- Remove personal belongings.
- Throw away trash.
- Properly dispose of toxic chemicals.
- Sweep the floor.
- Stack items pertaining to the home such as paint cans, roofing materials or extra flooring. Check to make sure the buyer wants the extra materials first.
Basically, you want to leave the home in the condition that you would like to find your new home. Your buyers will appreciate it! What Are House Cleaning Expectations When a Seller Moves
If you are in the market to sell or buy a home, let Sandra Nickel and her Hat Team of professionals assist you with all your real estate needs! Call them today at 334-834-1500!
Photo Credit: tm-cleaning.com
.jpg)
Cleaning the Microwave - No matter how dirty your microwave is, you can have it clean and shining in less than five minutes with this trick! Slice a lemon in two. Put it in a cup and add some cinnamon. Place the cup in the microwave and “cook” on low power for 10 minutes. Wipe the inside of the microwave clean with a damp cloth. The cinnamon makes it smell nice..jpg)
Dusting That Lasts - The secret here is to wipe your furniture down with a little bit of cooking oil on a paper towel. This will do two things. The first is that it will make your furniture shine nicely. The second is that it adds an anti-static layer which repels dust. You will need to dust again eventually, but not for a much longer time..jpg)
Getting Kids’ Artwork Off the Wall for Good - Finding that your creative child has used a wall for artwork with a pen or permanent marker is the worst! The good news is that the stain can be removed. Try squeezing toothpaste (not the gel kind) onto a damp cloth. Rub the toothpaste over the stain and watch it disappear. 
Keeping Window Tracks Clean - If you’re showing your house on a nice day, you’re going to want to have your windows open. But if you do that, you want to make sure that the window tracks are super clean. The easiest way to make sure they are, is to sprinkle the area with baking powder and then add vinegar. Don’t worry when it starts to bubble; it’s supposed to do that! Leave it for 15 minutes. Then wipe it clean with a paper towel and done!
Shiny Bathtubs - You won’t believe how easy it is to clean your bathtubs this way! First, warm (don’t boil) some vinegar in the microwave. Mix it with equal parts soap solutions in a spray bottle. Spray all over the bath. Leave it for about 30 minutes. Come back and wipe clean. The shine you get will amaze you! .jpg)
Keeping Animal Fur off Blankets - Do you have pets that shed? If so, you know the struggle of keeping your house fur free. Vacuuming regularly helps, but doesn’t keep the fur off things such as blankets and throws. Believe it or not, there is a way to do that. Wash them once in white vinegar and you will discover that the fur never sticks to them afterward!
