Spring Cleaning Tips to Prepare Your Home for Entering the Real Estate Market

Spring is here! While the flowers are starting to bloom, the real estate market is also preparing to welcome this exciting season as fresh, new listings enter the market. If your home will be among those gracing this season’s MLS listings then we’ve got exactly what you need to prepare! Let the spring cleaning begin!

Outside - Make Your First Impression Count!  

Front Lawn

Much like when you make first impressions when meeting people for the first time, your lawn is your way of making a first impression with your potential buyers. Make it count! Make sure it looks clean, healthy and newly trimmed. Rake it, mow and trim overgrown bushes.

Tip: Mow your lawn diagonally to make it appear larger.  

Front Door

Your front door is the gateway to your home for potential buyers. Give it a good wipe and fix anything that to be repaired. If your budget permits, perhaps a new paint will give it that fresh new look!

Inside - Create a Warm and Welcoming Ambiance

Entry Way

Make sure the entry way is clean, well lit and clutter free. Since the weather here in Vancouver can be unpredictable, make sure you provide an outside mat for cleaning guests’ shoes and an umbrella stand right by the entrance.

Hardwood, Ceramic and/or Linoleum Floors

Refinish your hardwood floors if necessary and polish your ceramic and linoleum floors until they shine. Don’t forget your tile floors and bleach those dull looking grout.

Windows and Mirrors

Clean your windows inside out until you see them sparkle. No kidding! Sparkling homes are sold much faster than gloomy and dull homes so let the sunshine through with sparkling windows and spotless mirrors.

Appliances

Give your appliances a good clean and make sure they are working properly. Remove any magnets or artwork pinned to your fridge.

Walls

Get rid of dust, spider webs and scratches as much as you can. This might also be the perfect time to give it a fresh new layer of paint.

Closets and Cabinets

Inspect your cabinetry and make sure they are all straight and working properly. Also, it would be a great idea to use space saving organizers to maximize the space inside them and give your home a clean and organized look inside and out. 

Drapes, Curtains & Blinds

Wash, dry and press your drapes and/or curtains. Give your blinds a quick wash. You’ll be surprised at how instant freshly washed window treatments change the look of your home.

Finishing Touches

Fragrance

There is nothing more offsetting than a house that smells like strong cleaning products, especially bleach. Schedule your deep cleaning tasks a few weeks before an open house and make sure you air out your house right after.

Linens and Towels

Change the linens and display crisp, new towels in your kitchen and bath. Take extra care in folding them nicely as well. 

Fresh Blooms

Bring spring indoors by sprinkling your home with flower arrangements. An arrangement right by the entryway, in the middle of the living room or right on the kitchen countertop will give your home an inviting and fresh vibe, your potential buyers will surely notice.

Besides spring cleaning, there are a lot of other things you can do to prepare your home for the real estate market and we’ve got you covered! Get in touch with us and we’ll help you get ready to enter the market, no matter which stage of the homeselling journey you are in.

Resources:

The Balance - How to Sell Your Home in the Spring

Lifestyle Denver - Spring Cleaning: Getting Your House Ready for the Market