Clean Up Your Act! - For Sellers

My number one rule for selling a home would be cleaning.

(this would be AFTER pricing it correctly, of course)

My Nana always kept a house that "Mr. Clean" himself would be proud of. Her husband, my Papa, was a renowned minster, and they always entertained company every day. Some were senators and congressmen, others were even famous actors and actresses, but the majority were their everyday parishioners, neighbors, colleagues and friends. Unless my Nana was serving the afternoon tea, you would most likely find her with plastic gloves on, a mop in one hand and a scrub brush in the other. She was never satisfied unless you could achieve the "white glove test" without the faintest scrap of dust revealing itself.

She may have been a fanatic, but she never had a tough time selling her home.

My grandparents built many churches in different areas of the country and were, therefore, forced to move constantly. In any move and during any market, they never experienced a tough time selling their home. Why? Because they took care of the home and kept it so clean that it would be the first home sold in every neighborhood they lived in.

She used to tell me:

Cleanliness is next to Godliness.

or, my favorite:

There is a big difference between a messy home and a dirty home.

Many of us realize the great messages that can be passed down from generations or simply from the older and the wiser. Well, this is true even when they comes from a simple minister's wife. And they can certainly be translated into messages for the real estate business.

You don't have to have the biggest and best home to be able to sell it in this market. But you DO have to have a clean home! I know, I know, I can hear you sighing already. But instead of considering putting thousands of dollars into that big kitchen upgrade, think about putting one week's worth of elbow grease into deep cleaning your home, getting rid of excess clutter and revealing the original beauty that once was your home. Don't be embarrassed to admit it if your home needs a good thorough cleaning, we are all human and we all let life get in the way!

A good cleaning could potentially yield you a higher selling price (and faster!) than an expensive upgrade, it all depends on your current situation.

Take a look around. You want your home to look a chic hotel room. Spotless, inviting, a retreat! Does it look that way now? Would people want to move in right now with their suitcases to spend a week resting at your place? If not, consider revamping your home to prepare for selling.

One good week of cleaning could make all the difference between SOLD and PRICE REDUCTION!!

pssst......MERRY CHRISTMAS AND HAPPY HOLIDAYS!!