Easy Ways to Save Time Cleaning Before an Open House

Many homeowners are tempted to throw their belongings into boxes before an open house. What most don’t know is that decluttering before packing saves time and money. It helps them to save money they would have spent paying professionals to move and pack the items. So, how does one streamline his stuff without losing his mind? By shedding extra baggage before a move. Here are some important tips to share with your sellers.

Create a Strategy

Sellers who don’t have a plan are doomed to fail. Those who create a cleaning strategy will be more successful than those who try to do everything in one weekend. Advise homeowners to create efficient cleaning strategies which allow them to focus on one room at a time. They must work on each room until it is complete and devote a few hours a day to cleaning.

Clear the Clutter First

The major reason why people buy houses is because of limited space in their current homes. Clutter takes up space and prevents buyers from seeing the available space. It also hinders them from seeing the best features of a home. Tell your sellers to declutter so as to show off space. Decluttering helps buyers to focus on what’s important.

Buyers often overlook what they should be focusing on and concentrate on learning more about the people living in a house. If a home is filled with personal items, they will think that there is no room for theirs.

Ensure Thorough Cleaning

Sellers are different, some love to clean, others loathe it. Additionally, some are so busy that they rarely get a chance to work on their to-do cleaning list before an open house. Advise busy sellers to hire professional cleaners to clean their homes. Those who can’t afford it can enlist the help of their friends or families. A gleaming home is inviting and shows off the best features. It also makes buyers feel more comfortable about their purchase.

Get Rid Of Unpleasant Odors

No homebuyer will want to inspect a home filled with unpleasant odors. Bad odors not only have a negative effect, they can trigger unpleasant memories. Lovely scents have the opposite effect. This is why many homeowners use air fresheners, fresh flowers, and home baking to welcome guests to open houses. However, sellers should not try to cover up bad odors with lovely aromas as they can worsen the situation.

Create a Balance in your Home Staging

Some sellers don’t know when to stop when it comes to staging. They have a great eye for décor and think they know which decorating styles appeal to buyers. They end up removing too much furniture or leaving too much. According to professional stagers, there are four mistakes many home sellers make when it comes to staging:

1)     Overdoing it: While decluttering and neutralizing is important, it must not be overdone. Removing too much furniture can make a home look vandalized. In addition, buyers are turned off by homes with little to no furniture.

2)     Removing color: Many sellers avoid colorful paint and furniture when staging. This shouldn’t be the case. While experts advise sellers to neutralize their spaces, homes should have some color for interest.

3)     Leaving too many items out: Many homeowners have too much furniture in their homes. Cramped spaces are never appealing to buyers.

4)     Ignoring major defects: While home staging is all about highlighting the positive features of a home, sellers must avoid being deceptive by hiding the major defects. They must disclose all the problems which may affect the health and safety of the occupants.

Buyers don’t want to clean up a home’s dirt or clutter; they want to buy clean homes which are appealing and free of defects. Therefore, sellers have to do all the work. They must give buyers what they want in order to make a quick sale and get a good price. Besides, cleaning is one of the cheapest home staging tasks.

Need more helpful tips for your clients? Look to the iHouse blog for staging, home improvement and other ideas to help gain buyer appeal.