Spring cleaning: tips for selling your home

Person holding a cleaning product.

Spring is just around the corner, and now is the best time to start cleaning your home. Spring cleaning is an excellent way to prepare your home for sale. Especially since you’re likely to be selling in the coming months. But before you call a real estate broker, make sure your home is ready for the market. Here are some spring-cleaning tips for selling your home that you can put into practice right away. They’ll help you sell faster and for a higher price.

Declutter and organize

If you’re not sure what the first thing you should do before selling your home is, here’s the answer: declutter and organize the place as much as possible. When it comes time to move, the more organized your home is, the easier the process will be. Plus, the less clutter you have, the more space you gain. And potential buyers want to see rooms that are light and airy, not cramped and dark. So start by going from room to room and identifying the causes of clutter. Look for unworn clothes in closets, broken or unused toys in children’s bedrooms, and leftovers and misplaced items in the kitchen. Collect all the goods you find in boxes and label them in three groups: donations, waste or for sale. Take your time, be objective and patient. Decluttering may take a few days, but it will be rewarding.

Organize a garage sale

Once you’ve finished de-cluttering your home, you may find that you’ve got a lot of stuff on your hands that you don’t need, but which may be worth a few pennies. In this case, you can get rid of them by holding a garage sale before you move out. Even if you don’t make a lot of money, it will help you move fewer boxes. So, during your spring cleaning, make the items you want to sell presentable and advertise the sale well in advance. That way, you’ll have a better chance of selling more items and making your garage sale a success.

Displaying items at a garage sale.
A garage sale can help you get rid of some of the unwanted items you’ve collected during your spring cleaning.

Deep clean your home

If you’re in the habit of cleaning your home once or twice a week, there may be hidden areas that you tend to overlook. This may be due to a lack of time or the fact that you always put off cleaning until spring. Well, spring is almost here, and it’s time to take care of those neglected spaces. So put on your cleaning gloves and let’s see what spring cleaning tips to sell your home you can use for a good deep scrub.

Make your windows shine

Windows are an essential part of any home. They allow you to look in and out of your home, let in light and make your rooms appear larger. What’s more, they’re one of the first things you notice when you look at a house. So give them special attention. For example, don’t just clean the glass, but also the screens and sills. You should also wash curtains or drapes and clean blinds. Your buyers will appreciate your attention to detail.

Person cleaning a windowsill.
One of the spring-cleaning tips for selling your home is to wash the windows.

Refresh the look of walls

When it comes to negotiating the price of a home, its appearance can tip the balance. The better it looks, the more it’s worth. The dirtier it is, the longer it will stay on the market. So, if you want cleaning tips to sell your home this spring, invest in the look of the walls. If there are any holes, scuffs or scratches, you need to repair them as soon as possible. If you’re not planning to repaint the walls, wipe off fingerprints and remove cobwebs.

If you want to add a fresh coat of paint, choose colors that aren’t too bright or attention-grabbing. Opt for whites, beiges, creams or grays. These colors allow buyers to imagine themselves moving into your home. And don’t forget that your home has exterior walls too, so make any necessary repairs and repaint them too.

Pay attention to the kitchen and bathroom

These two rooms are the most important in any home. They’re where you prepare your meals and take care of your personal needs. As a result, these are the two places you should pay most attention to during spring cleaning. First, clean above and below cabinets and behind appliances. Next, clean shelves and drawers, the inside of the oven and the freezer. In the bathroom, be sure to scrub around the toilet and shower cubicle. Limescale deposits and mildew build up in these areas and become difficult to remove if not removed in good time. In addition, don’t forget to clean under the sink, wipe down the mirror, take out the trash and replace old towels with clean ones. Buyers may ask to use the bathroom just to have a look around, so make sure it’s spotless.

Bathroom cleaned during spring cleaning.
A spotless bathroom can help you sell your home this spring.

Don’t neglect the facade

As we’ve already mentioned, the outside of your home is just as important, if not more so, than the inside. It’s the first thing someone sees when they arrive at your home, and it can leave a good or bad impression. The attention you pay to the exterior can really determine whether your home will sell or not. Therefore, your spring cleaning must include the exterior if you want to sell your home. First, repair and repaint the fence and front door if necessary. Next, clear debris from your yard and mow the lawn. You can also weed the garden, plant flowers or trim overhanging branches. Finally, you can clean the porch, deck, gutters and driveway.

In conclusion

If you need more spring-cleaning tips to sell your home, you can always consult a real estate professional. A reputable real estate broker can help you prepare your home for sale and take care of all the other details. Paperwork and legal issues will be a breeze if you have the best broker on your side.