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Checklist for Preparing a Home for Showings

General  Checklist
Use this general checklist to keep your house in the best condition possible.  If necessary, hire a professional cleaning service, once every few weeks while the house is on the market. Remember to share the tasks with family members.

Carpet & Flooring Improvements :

• If you have pets hire a professional to deodorize carpets
• Mop and vacuum floors
• Thoroughly clean linoleum/tile floors in kitchen and bathroom

Clean & De-Clutter Improvements:

• Appliances should be cleaned – inside and out
• Clean the entryway carefully; it creates the buyers first interior impression of your home
• Clean the inside of all kitchen and bathroom cabinets and neatly organize items on shelves, remove medications from bathroom vanities
• Clean windowsills
• Empty trash cans, recycling bins and ash trays
• Get rid of pet odors, check to make sure there are no pet odors in pet beds or blankets, litter boxes, pet food, some buyers will reject a house because of pet odor
• Keep baseboards clean and dusted, especially corners behind doors and furniture
• Keep bookshelves, entertainment units organized neatly, pack media material that is not in constant use.
• Recycle newspapers & periodicals weekly so that they don’t pile up
• Keep clothing hung and folded neatly, shoes organized, put dryer sheets in smelly boots, athletic shoes or gear
• Keep screens clean and vacuumed, in the cold months, remove screens to maximize light
• Keep shower curtains fresh and free from mildew, replace stained or limed shower curtains
• Keep stairways and corridors clear, no little tables or tippy statuary
• Make bathrooms sparkle; sinks, toilets and tubs should be immaculate
• Make stairwells and corridors clutter-free
• Mop and sweep all floors
• Organize closets, box out of season clothes and gear
• Remove appliances from kitchen counters to give a look of spaciousness, coffee makers or toasters should be tidy, no crumbs or grounds around them, but maximize the space available

Lighting Improvements:

• Clean all windows, inside and out
• Clean existing shutters, blinds or drapes
• Clear skylights for leaves and other debris
• Increase the wattage of bulbs to maximum possible wattage, especially in unfinished basements
• Keep curtains open and use natural light as much as possible
• Make sure all outdoor lighting works
• Prune outside trees to allow natural light inside
• Wipe all light fixtures with a rag and cleaning solution

Plumbing & Electrical Improvements:

• All drains should be clean and free flowing
• All toilets should be in good working order
• Make sure that all bathroom and kitchen faucets are in good working order
• Make sure that all smoke, carbon monoxide and burglar alarms are functional
• Remove mildew stains and repair any loose, crumbling caulk or grout around tile and tub areas

Editing Improvements:

• Clean fireplace and prepare with logs for display
• Clean out the entry closet and put only a few hangers so that the buyer can visualize their winter coats
• Hang extra clean towels in the bathroom
• Have beds made
• Lock pets up in a kennel or take them away from home during showings
• Remove all unnecessary articles in basement or attic
• Pack all out of season gear and clothing
• Remove magnets and notes from refrigerator
• Remove personal possession, like photos, trophies and mementos
• Edit the garage – clean up oily floors, straighten tools and other equipment

Yard Improvements:

• Add colorful plants or flowers near front door and porch area
• Keep trash area clean and organized
• Keep walks, steps and driveway obstacle-free
• Mow, trim, fertilize and water lawn
• Power wash deck
• Prune trees and bushes
• Rake fallen leaves
• Remove unnecessary items such as gardening equipment
• Remove debris and personal items on deck and porch
• Remove weeds and dead or dying plants or flowers

Steps to Pristine

When selling your home, it’s important to keep the house in immaculate condition.  This will increase the value of the home and help get the most interest from homebuyers. Be prepared to spend a few hours each week maintaining your house while it’s on the market. It doesn’t have to be done on the weekend. In fact, you should stagger the tasks throughout the week, so that the house isn’t it its worst shape on the Friday before weekend showings. Share the workload with other family members too.

• The first place to head is the bathroom with cleaning products and rags! Nothing turns off buyers more than a dirty bathroom. Clean it. Make it sparkle. Get rid of any grime or lime. A clean bathroom tells a buyer the house is both clean and well maintained. Watch the grout and caulking to make sure it is always in good condition too.
• The next area is the kitchen. Again, cleanliness is going to be a key. Potential buyers really want to see new appliances and marble tops. If you can’t afford them, the next best step is to make sure everything looks absolutely clean. Clean the refrigerator, the stove and oven, the cabinets inside and out, top of the refrigerator and the walls behind the stove and sink areas…. buyers will look.
• Off to the bedroom we go. It should go without saying that the beds need to be made. The floors need to be vacuumed and clothes put away. For some reason, many homeowners assume the closet area is sacred ground. It is not. Sellers will open and walk into closets if they can. Keep them clean. Keep “personal” items hidden. Pack out of season clothes, remember the buyers want to see space for their things.
• Indoor plants can add or detract from the allure of your home. Walk around and make sure all dead or partially dead leaves are removed. Next, water the plants an hour or two before anyone comes over. It should serve to spruce up the plants. You might also want to give them a misting.
• At this point, the yard needs a once over. Do a lap around the house to make sure nothing is lying around. Kids are infamous for losing interest in toys and just leaving them in the yard along the side or back of the house. Make sure everything is cleaned up and where it is supposed to be, give outside plants a quick drink to keep them fresh too. The same goes for the garage.
• In the winter, all walks and porches should be free from snow and ice. Buyers need feel safe walking around the house and should be able to see the condition of the exterior living spaces.t

Guide to Pristine Cleaning Tips for SELLERS

Presentation is Everything!

This list of places people peek gives sellers some perspective on how best to compete in this real estate market where buyer expectations are set by HGTV and the endless bloggisphere.

Places Buyer’s Peek…

• Around the Front Porch…while their agent is unlocking the door, they spend a few minutes looking at the floor, doorway, ceiling of the porch, windows, steps.
• Behind Doors…checking for doorknob marks in the wall
• Closets…starting at the front door, they are trying to determine if their stuffed closets would be magically transformed if they had all of the space that your closets offer.
• Under Rugs…they are looking to see if the floor is damaged or if the condition is the same as the rest of the room
• Light Fixtures…not only are they deciding if they like the house, they are deciding if they like all of the fixtures and if they are fully functional
• Built in Drawers & Cabinets…checking to make sure they close properly and trying to figure out if all the the junk they have crammed into their drawers would fit better in your drawers
• Appliances…if the appliances stay with the house, buyers peek inside, even in the veggie drawers
• Bathroom Cabinets & Vanities…they are not looking to see what meds you have, but it’s a good idea to removed them anyhow. They are looking to see if their overcrowded medicine cabinet and vanity will suddenly become organized if they have all of the space that yours will provide.
• Behind Shower Curtains/Doors…buyers are looking for signs of moisture damage, checking condition of grout and caulking and checking for lime build up.
• Behind furniture…while buyers are typically apprehensive about even touching the seller’s furniture, they often peek behind pieces to see the condition of walls, look for outlets or to see if there is a heat vent/cold air return.
• Ceilings…buyers are super cautious about ice dam damage, water intrusion, cracks, drywall tape that has come loose, cobwebs=spiders in many buyer’s minds.
• Windows…besides the view, there are many things buyers are looking for…condition, moisture intrusion, mold and peeling paint or finish.
• Curtains/Blinds…buyers must often look behind the curtains to see the windows or view and the condition of trim, woodwork or walls.
• Basement…as buyers walk down a basement staircase, they are often already giving the sniff test. Again, they are deciding about the amount of space and the use of space/storage. Many times they are checking to see if their piles of stuff will fit into your amount of space. Buyers are also looking for signs of moisture, peeking at baseboards, behind curtains etc.
• Garages…if the garage is attached, they buyer may be entering it in stocking feet. Overall, buyers are again assessing the amount of storage and condition, will all of their gear fit in here?