5 Things Sellers Overlook When Preparing a Home For Sale
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Preparing your home for sale involves more than just the big renovations and decluttering. Often, it’s the small details that can make a significant difference. Here are the top five things sellers often overlook when getting their home ready for the market. Everyone seems to know that cleaning and decluttering your home to prepare it for sale is a given. But when I am showing homes to Buyers here in Arizona, I seem to run across a few things that get over looked when cleaning more than others. Knowing that my Buyers (and likely thousands more) are pointing out or noticing these issues regularly, I thought it would be wise to equip my Home Sellers (that’s you) with the top 5 things Sellers overlook when preparing a home for sale in Arizona.
“Often, it’s the small details that can
make a significant difference.”
– Dusti Martin
1. Windowsills, Baseboards, and Door Trim These often-neglected areas can collect dust and dirt, affecting the overall appearance of your home. And anyone who has lived in Arizona for more than 6 months can tell you, that dust catches up to you fast! Cleaning them thoroughly can brighten up a room and give an impression of a well-maintained home. A little elbow grease and some plain water can go a lot way with the right tools. For effective cleaning, consider using Mr. Clean Magic Eraser Original Cleaning Pads with Durafoam which are excellent for removing dirt and grime.
Here you can see that a few dirty spots leave a home looking like it needs paint. In reality, it just needs a good cleaning. Some water and a Magic Eraser are likely all it will take to leave this looking fresh and maybe even new. For tough spots, add a good degreaser. (My favorite is mentioned below later on). You will be amazed what these little eraser sponges can do. Take them to both the door frame and the door itself. Both will look amazing.
I love these things. I use them to clean everything. Yes… everything. For most of the items in this blog, these little guys are going to be your go-to. Might as well just grab a pack the next time you are out. If Amazon is more your speed, you can have them over night HERE.
2. Fingerprints Around Light Switches and Door Handles High-touch surfaces can accumulate fingerprints and smudges. And honestly, we are usually oblivious to it as we go about our day to day lives. But when selling your home, it’s time to look at your home like a buyer would. A simple wipe-down with a magic eraser or microfiber cloth can work wonders as well in making these areas look pristine. My favorite cleaning rags can be found here. Pair them with a little Clorox All Purpose Cleaner and you will make short work of cleaning every switch and door in the house. Bonus: You’ll be disinfecting high touch surfaces for cold and flu season.
Even just a couple weeks worth of grime can make your light switches look awful.
3. Cabinets in Kitchens and Bathrooms Grease and grime can build up on cabinets over time. A good degreaser can help make them look cleaner and newer. For this, Clorox Bleach Foamer is a great option. It also works wonders on stained tile grout in the bathroom and high traffic areas. I have 2 little boys and the mess they make and seem to grind into every surface is both awe-inspiring and horrifying. But I regularly use this paired with some small stiff bristle brushes to scrub the grout and it always comes out. So while you have it out, take a look at your floors. It’s a whole heck of a lot cheaper than having your floors professionally steam cleaned. And honestly, I find there’s never any scrubbing that happens with so-called professionals. My floors may look better after a professional steaming. But it just doesn’t seem to lift ground in dirt and grime like this stuff can.
My favorite for cleaning dirty grout is this little beast right here. It’s just under $5 bucks and arrives overnight. It’s great for getting in tiny areas, too. But for bigger jobs like your vent hood and ovens and ranges, I recommend going with the big guns like a Scrub Daddy. They can cover larger surfaces faster.
And even though it’s labeled for dishes, I highly recommend Dawn Power Wash. If you have grease and grime piled up on your stove or vent hood (trust me, you probably do), it’s a life saver and will make removing it that much easier. Take this to pretty much any surface to break through grime and grease if something else isn’t working. Finger prints, built up cooking oil/grease, pet areas, doors or baseboards, you name it. Careful, though. A little goes a long way.
4. Behind, Between, and Underneath Appliances These areas can accumulate a surprising amount of dust and grime… and even some unnoticed finger prints with grime clinging to them. Cleaning them can improve the appearance of your home and show that it has been meticulously maintained. More than once in my decade as a licensed real estate agent has someone asked me during a home showing to slide out an electric stove/oven range to see if there is a gas hook up behind it. This often occurs when a home buyer has realized that the water heater or furnace is gas… but the stove is electric. With gas cooking being more desirable and gas heating costs being lower than electric, this happens more often than you might think.
When this happens, home buyers are going to see what is behind your stove and under your vent hood. I have seen everything from years of cooking oil build up to rodent feces and dead bugs behind a stove and fingerprint grime on dishwashers making relatively newer stuff look older to years of dust bunnies between laundry appliances making the Buyers think they will need to pay for a professional vent cleaning. So do yourself a favor and clean these areas. You will thank me later.
Here this newer Bosch dishwasher looks a little sad just from a few weeks of finger print build up. Imagine what it would look like if it hadn’t been cleaned in months… or years! Be sure to not just get the finger prints off, but make them shine with a good stainless steel polish (I like this one). Use a microfiber cloth (shown above) and it’s a winning combo.
5. Closets and Storage Areas Organizing and cleaning closets and storage areas can significantly impact how they are perceived by potential buyers. Even if they are first time home buyers, they are usually moving out of a small rental apartment (or other very small place) and will be looking to find something bigger than what they currently have. Utilizing storage and organizational items such as these Large Fabric Storage Baskets for Shelves can help in making these spaces appear more orderly and spacious. You can also find a decently priced dupe of the ones shown below on Amazon. Trust me… those buyers are going to look in every bedroom, hallway, and storage or linen closet. Make sure they like what they see.
By addressing these often-overlooked areas, you can enhance the appeal of your home and make a lasting impression on potential buyers. Remember, a little effort can go a long way in the real estate market.
About Dusti Martin Dusti Martin is the experienced Team Lead of The Martin Group at Platinum Living Realty. Specializing in the Arizona real estate market, Dusti’s expertise and dedication to client needs make her a standout in the industry. Under her guidance, The Martin Group is known for its professionalism and exceptional customer service.
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