SELLING?
30 MINUTE CLEANING TIPS
If you only have thirty minutes before a showing or an open house.... here is a last minute cleaning checklist you can go through to help you spruce up your home.
Tackle the entry way and main areas of the house first working your way to the less visible areas as time allows.
1. De-clutter paperwork.
Grab a bag and toss in all the piles of mail and paperwork lying around and stash the whole thing in a closet out of sight. For the future, keep an attractive basket with a lid on hand for last-minute storage.
2. Clear kitchen counters.
Quickly move dirty dishes into the dishwasher or if it is full and you are desperate, rinse them off and hide them in the oven. (Just remember to remove them afterward!) Store excess appliances in cupboards or closets to open up kitchen counters.
3. Demagnetize the refrigerator.
Remove all magnets, photos and miscellaneous stuff from the front and sides of the fridge, stashing them out of sight for an instantly neater kitchen.
4. Clear the toys.
Remove toys from main areas of the home. Grab a laundry basket and fill as you go from room to room and place in the kids' bedrooms.
5. Remove dust bunnies.
Use a hair dryer to quickly dust bookcases and knick-knacks and use a broom to knock down cobwebs. Vacuum whatever falls to the floor.
6. Vacuum carpets.
Spot vacuum high traffic areas and those most in need.
7. Clean floors.
Spray some paper towels with all purpose cleaner, place under your bare feet and slide around the hard floor to spot clean dirty areas.
8. Banish Fido.
Put the pets outside or in an out of the way room (if you are unable to take them with you) and use a lint brush and run over furniture to pick up pet hair.
9. Spruce up furniture.
Drape a clean blanket or an attractive throw over the couch and loveseats to hide worn or stained cushions.
10. Shine bathrooms.
Wipe down counters and sinks with a damp paper towel and swipe some glass cleaner over mirrors. Spray water on the inside of the shower doors as hard water spots tend to be less visible when wet.
11. Empty trash cans.
Empty full trash cans into whatever large-capacity canister you have that is out of sight.
12. Freshen the air.
Spray air freshener or deodorizer in kitchen and bathrooms and any other room as desired. But be careful not to overdo; remember, some people have allergies, plus, you don't want them to think you are trying to hide something. Turn on a stove burner for a moment and then put a drop of vanilla extract on it. It will smell like you have been cooking (rather than cleaning).
13. Let the light in.
Open shades and curtains to let natural light in and open up rooms. Turn on lights. At night, a lit home gives a "homey" feeling when viewed from the curb. During the day your home will appear more cheerful with the lights on and it will help diminish dim areas or harsh shadows.
14. Last minute walk through.
Grab an empty laundry basket and walk around the house grabbing anything that catches your eye that can be stashed out of sight for a cleaner, less cluttered look.
Great! Job well done!
MAINTENANCE TIPS THAT WILL BENEFIT YOU WHEN SELLING YOUR HOME &
FIRST TIME BUYER TIPS FOR HOME MAINTENANCE
Here is a maintenance checklist that will prevent small problems from becoming big headaches:
INSIDE TASKS:
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Change your furance filters monthly. This is easy to do but very critical in helping increase your furnace's efficiency and will help avoid breakdowns.
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Drain your water heater at least once a year. Sediment will drain out along with the water from the water tank. Removing sediment can prolong the heater's useful life.
- Clean the coils. If you have baseboard heating units that use hot water, clear dust from the coils inside the units to maximize heating efficiency. Clean dust whenever you see it accumulating. If you have a hot water boiler/furnace, you should also oil the pump inside the furnace twice a year. Look for the three spots on the pump designated for oiling.
- Check your circuits. Test the performance of the circuit breakers in your electrical circuit box twice a year by flipping them off and back on. If you have a circuit that keeps shutting off with normal daily electrical use, call an electrician. A faulty circuit breaker could indicate a short in the wiring inside your walls.
- Watch for drips. Check under sinks periodically to look for leaks or water stains that might indicate leaks. Catching a small problem early can prevent water damage. Use a plunger to clean out sinks and tubs whenever water doesn't drain normally.
- Replace regularly. Water heaters, furnaces, roofs, and other key components of your home should be replaced before they fail, based on their average useful lives. See below:
Schedule for Replacement:
Exterior Painting 5-10 years
Furnace 15-50 years
Roof 13-15 years
Water heater 7-15 years
Wood deck staining 4-7 years
OUTSIDE TASKS:
- Keep the wet out. Water is a major enemy of your house. Check each season for signs of water damage to your home. Flashing, the metal pieces used to seal the areas between roofs and chimneys and around doors and windows, are especially vulnerable to damage by wind or age. Loose flashing can let water seep under a roof or inside walls, which in turn can cause mold.
- Get to the bottom of things. Check your home's foundation for cracks or gaps that could let in water or varmints. Also look at the ground around your house. As homes age, they often sink slightly below the surrounding ground. This settling lets water puddle against the foundation and possibly damage it. Doing major landscaping work also can cause changes to the ground's pitch that let water flow toward the house.
- Look up. Chimneys take a great deal of weather abuse. Visually inspect them each year for signs of loose mortar or loose or missing bricks. Have the insides of chimneys cleaned every two to three years. Also check your roof for loose shingles or dangling gutters.
This information was published in the Realtor, February 2008 issue.
REMODELING? SELLING OR SIMPLY UPDATING?
Major kitchen remodels can be expensive, but a good value in selling your home because most of the cost is recouped. In the down market we are experiencing now an edge in the market will be an updated/remodeled kitchen or bath or master suite. It is important to remember that you aren't remodeling to increase the sale price of your home. The remodeling will increase the value of your home, but not usually beyond the cost of the work. If your home as been on the market for awhile an update/remodel may make it stand out more to prospective buyers but may not increase the amount you will net on your home. Replacing worn, outdated carpet, refinishing hardwood floors and certainly repainting will be beneficial down the road.
Just looking to have your home more livable while you wait for the market to improve? Kitchen and bathroom remodels have the highest recoup ratio when selling a home. In a "Cost vs Value" report for 2007 it was noted that a minor kitchen remodel at $22,000 saw a 103.5% cost recouped at resale. Major kitchen remodels with an average job cost of $61,000 were recouped at 96.6%. National averages came in at 78.3% for bathroom remodels.
The remodeling should be for YOU. It's exciting and uplifting to get rid of the tired, worn look and turn your home into something completely different - you may decide not to sell after all.
Things to remember/consider: A brand new kitchen will take 3 to 8 weeks depending upon the changes.
Bathroom remodels take 2 to 3 weeks. Hopefully you have another usable bathroom in the home while undergoing this remodel.
Allow 1 to 2 weeks for new carpeting for the entire home. Look for an installer who will dispose of your old carpet after the tearout.
It may take 1 to 2 weeks to have your home's interior painted. It will take longer if you are having ceilings, trim and doors painted as well. Do as much preparation for the painting yourself - by moving the furniture, removing all items (nails included) from the walls and having a place for the painters to wash up will help in this process.
Remember, the end result will be worth the temporary disruption in your lives.