Prep Your Home to Sell: Deep Clean and Declutter

Prep Your Home to Sell: Deep Clean and Declutter

One of the best things you can do to prep your home to sell is to deep clean and declutter!

When it comes to decluttering, here are a couple of methods to help you get through the task:

  1. The Marie Kondo aka Konmari Method – Does it spark joy? Why do you keep everything that you do? Pick up each item and only keep those items that spark joy in your life.
  2. The Minimalist – Is it a necessity? Minimalism tries to free you from unnecessary clutter and items in your life. For each item, think if you truly need it. Remove anything other than your true necessities.
  3. The Four Bin Method – Critically look at each item and determine where it belongs. If it doesn’t belong in the room you are currently in, put it in the appropriate bin: Relocate, Sell, Trash, Donate. The key here is not to “relocate” everything!
  4. The One Year Method – For each item, think have you used this in the past year? If you have, it can stay. If not, it should go.
  5. The Moving Method – Imagine you just bought a home. For each item you sort through think, would you pack it and bring it with you? If you’re not sure, chances are, you could live without it.

As for cleaning, we could all use some good tips and tricks, couldn’t we? Take a look at ten tips and tricks to get your home in tip-top shape:

  1. Use a damp rubber glove to remove pet hair from furniture, carpets, curtains, and other fabrics.
  2. Stop squeaky floorboards with baby powder.  Drop some onto the floor and sweep into the cracks, wiping away the excess.
  3. Clean your dishwasher out with these two tips:
    1. Take a damp sponge with some baking soda on it to wipe out the surfaces.
    2. Fill a cup with white vinegar and place it in the middle of the top rack of your dishwasher. Run an empty load.
  4. Clean smelly jars and containers by dropping in a spoonful of mustard and some water. Shake and rinse! (This one actually works – Emily approved!)
  5. Rub a dryer sheet along baseboards to keep dust away.
  6.  Use wax paper on faucets to rub off water spots and fingerprints, and add a layer of protection.
  7. Clean your blinds by using kitchen tongs wrapped in microfiber cloths.
  8. Get rid of hard water stains by rubbing a lemon on the surface, letting it sit for 3-5 minutes, and rinsing with warm water.
  9. Clean out your bathtub with grapefruit and salt, then simply rinse out.
  10. Tie a microfiber cloth to the end of a broom to dust crown molding, ceiling corners, and hard to reach door/window trim.

That should be enough to get you started! If you’re looking to deep clean and declutter to prep your home for sale, contact me today! Let’s set up a private consultation to ensure you’re set up for success.