We are starting to feel like we’re outgrowing our home and in the early stages of considering a move. It’s exciting to think about a fresh start, a clean slate. And it will be equally exciting for someone who is the new owner of our home. It will be their fresh start, and there are some simple things you can do to make your home attractive to a potential buyer.
Cleanliness is at the top of the list, and that’s made easy with Swiffer and Magic Eraser products. I’ve partnered with them to bring you these tips on prepping your home for sale. Hope you find some helpful ideas here, and if you have more to add, please leave a comment below!
7 Easy Tips to Prep Your Home to Sell
Declutter
Both for your own sake and for your buyer’s sake, get rid off as much as you can. I consign my kids’ clothing and toys twice per year at a huge sale in my area, and we regularly donate to Purple Heart (which comes right to my door – bonus!) to get rid of anything else we’re not using. This is going to make moving SO much easier on you, and it’s going to make your home so much more appealing to potential buyers.
Don’t forget to look in your closets, cupboards, and drawers. Those are places that people will be peeking in when they are considering your home.
Simplify
Decluttering to me really means getting rid of things. Simplifying means putting things away that you don’t need. Potential buyers are going to want to be able to picture themselves living in your home, and that’s hard to do when you have 25 pictures of your kids and dog all over the walls.
Grab yourself a bunch of totes and store things away until you move. Double win here, because you’re starting the packing-up process, and you’re also making your home more appealing to sell. I had several more pictures and candles and other random things on my entryway table before simplifying it. I think it looks a lot better now with less on it.
Consider toning down the paint colors in your home, and if you’re going to replace carpet (we definitely need to before we move), go with something neutral.
Fix What’s Broken
We have a running list in our house of things that need repair. (Seriously, homeowners. It never ends, does it?) They are small things but they get noticed and you want to take care of them before you sell. If you have a broken lock, slow-draining sink, lights that don’t work, spackle nail holes…you get the idea, fix ‘er up.
Freshen Things Up
First of all, watch the smells. The day before an open house is not a good day to fry fish in the kitchen. Use an air freshener or candle if needed, and be mindful that sometimes you are immune to the smells in your own home. The onions will have to wait, folks!
Open the blinds and let in some light. Add a few houseplants to your living space to make it look fresh and brighten things up a bit. A vase of fresh flowers can add a lot to a kitchen table.
Clean, Clean, Clean Some More
I remember when we were shopping for homes, and if a house was dirty it was a NO from me. Ick. Shopping for a home is exciting, and it’s a clean slate for people. Your home will one day be a fresh start for another family, and they want to walk in and be able to feel that vibe right away. If you’ve got a dirty house, it ain’t happening.
You only need a few basic tools on hand to keep things clean and fresh without spending a ton of time on it. I’m a big fan of the Magic Eraser because this thing is, well, magical! There’s a job for it in every room of the house. I’ve used the Magic Eraser to clean crayon off the walls, grime off the doorknobs and light switches, my bathtub, my microwave oven, and more. It’s my go-to for any job that requires scrubbing.
I’m a floor person too, so if my floors are clean I feel like my house is in relatively good shape. Vacuum your carpets regularly especially if you have pets. Swiffer products are perfect for cleaning your hard-surface floors. I use the Swiffer Dry + Wet in the bathrooms because the dry cloths trap and lock hair and the wet ones are perfect for cleaning the floors quickly.
In my kitchen and high-traffic entryway, I use the Swiffer Wet Jet. This is great for my dirtiest floors! My entryway is finished hardwood and the kitchen is vinyl and this is safe to use in both areas so I can quickly move through the house and get the job done. The Swiffer Wet Jet allows you to add more cleaning product to the pad and is tough on dirt and grime. Perfect for your mudroom, too!
Finally, don’t forget to dust. Ugh, I hate dusting. It’s my least favorite cleaning task but the good news is that the Swiffer 360 Duster makes it SO easy. Easy enough, in fact, that this is now the kids’ job. They think it’s fun! Hey, whatever gets the job done, friends, right? Instead of just pushing dust around your house, the Swiffer 360 actually locks dust and allergens into the duster to remove them completely.
Spruce Up the Front Entrance
I just did this recently for a baby shower I hosted and it was not only fun for me to do, but noticed by a lot of people. Your front entrance is the first impression, so make it a good one! All you need is something pretty for the door (craft stores always have 50% off deals and coupons), a couple of potted plants for color, and a welcoming, clean doormat.
Sweep the porch or front stoop so it’s clean of dried leaves and debris, and hose off any other messes. We have a lot of birds that visit our front door and like to leave ‘presents.’ Make sure you clean anything like that up regularly.
Have a Plan for Showings
My Mom sold her house a few years ago and I remember her telling me she’d get calls for showings the same day. And hey, you want to show your house because you want to sell it! But the stress of getting it ready to show at the last minute was no fun. And I have two young kids at home so that means double the mess for me to clean up.
The first tip to prep for showings is really to stay on top of all of the tips above. Don’t let your house spiral out of control into a giant mess. If the kids are little have have tons of toys, try to have a designated play area and keep a few spare totes on hand to throw everything in and tuck it in the trunk of your car if needed. I know it’s hard to keep up with all of it, but remember that buyers will notice these things and get a message about how well you’ve taken care of the house. If they think you’ve trashed it because your bedrooms are trashed, they’re not going to be impressed.
Next tip? Be prepared to do a quick clean up. The tools I mentioned above, Magic Eraser, Swiffer Dry + Wet, and the Swiffer 360 Duster will allow you to VERY quickly go through your house and clean it up so it’s sparkling for a showing. Keep all of these things together in one place and maybe add a microfiber cloth and spray cleaning bottle to quickly wipe counters. You’ll be ready for that showing in no time!
What tips would you add to plan to get ready to sell your home?
Laurie says
One of the big things that people look for in homes is storage space, and if you have all of the closets full or stuff lying around everywhere – a potential homebuyer will assume that there isn’t enough storage in the home. So, either putting stuff in storage or going through and donating items you no longer need is a great idea. Thanks for sharing!
Lindsay Frank says
Great tip! We just had a donation pick up this morning and I cleared tons of clothes I never wore out of my closet!
Lillian Schaeffer says
These are some great tips, and I appreciate your advice to simplify your decorations when trying to sell your home. I have an entire wall of family photos in my living room, as well as some other pictures scattered throughout the house. My husband and I are going to be putting it up for sale in a few weeks, so I’ll definitely simplify the decorations and take a lot of those down so potential buyers can envision themselves living here. Thanks for the great post!