Homes Staged To Sell - Cleaning, Everything Else

Okay, we cleaned the living room, dining room, den, kitchen, bedrooms, and bathrooms.

What other rooms do you have?

A library? Clean it. Top to bottom, and everywhere in between, clean it.

A media room? Clean it.

A bedroom closet? Guess what.......

A coat closet? Yep, you got it.....

A garage? We will talk about Staging the garage in a later blog. For now, not a scuff on a wall.

A front porch? A patio or deck? Not a cobweb should be seen.

A foyer? A finished basement? An unfinished basement?

Are you seeing a pattern here?

If you are reading this while standing in an unStaged house, you are probably thinking I am crazy. Of course, there are times my husband and family would go along with that diagnosis.

If your house is for sale and is not Staged, and you do not plan to Stage it, clean it as best you can. Try to clean deeper than you do when company is coming. Then set a schedule. For example: daily, check the overall status; daily, pick up; weekly, clean the public rooms; monthly, sweep the garage and unfinished basement. It is your house and your life, you are the best person to set that schedule.

On the other hand, if you are reading this while standing in a Staged house, you don't see how it can be done, take a step back, it is very likely your Staging is not complete. Maybe more accessories should be packed away, may more furniture should be removed.

The point is: when a house is truly and correctly Staged, you should be able to get it clean and keep it clean and still have a life. Will it be fun? That depends on whether you enjoy cleaning. Will it be easy? That depends on how well you set up and stick to your schedule. Will it be more fun and easier than it was before your house was Staged? Almost certainly....you are just, purely not going to have as many things to clean.

Well, okay, if you hate housecleaning, this is a duty, not a joy. This is a duty you do because you are dedicated to selling your house. Because clean houses sell.

Homes Staged To Sell - Cleaning, Bedrooms

Usually, potential buyers start with the front yard and look at the living room, dining room, and kitchen before they get to the bedrooms. By the time the the potential buyer walks into the bedroom their emotional reaction to the house is established. They may love the house. Or they may like the house and be on the lookout for reasons to fall in love. In either of those cases, the bedrooms, the places where so much private living happens, can clinch or lose the deal. On the other hand, the buyer may have the feeling this is not the house for them. In that case, the bedrooms can still impress them, can put the house on their short list of houses to revisit and reconsider if they do not quickly find the house that can be their home. It is very rare for a potential buyer to feel completely neutral about the house when they reach the bedrooms.

Obviously, we want to clinch the deal or make the short list.

The bedrooms are Staged at this point. We are cleaning them.

Top to bottom; ceiling, walls, and floors, just like before.

And just like before, clean under all furniture. Banish dust bunnies and make sure, when they sneak back under the bed they are quickly removed.

Vacuum soft surfaces like chairs or sofas. Polish hard surfaces like end tables, dressers, and armoires.

When we Staged the room, we may have replaced the bedspread. We may have added throw pillows, tossed a decorative throw on the foot of the bed, or placed a tray and coffee cup vignette on the bed.

Make the bed and Stage it with the throw pillows and/or throw and/or tray very soon after you get up every day. Take pride in the way you make the bed. Tuck the sheets in tightly, get rid of all droops. If there is a dust ruffle, keep it even to the floor and around the bed. Pull the bedspread or comforter so the mattress is completely, evenly covered and so no deep wrinkles mar the surface of the bed. Position the pillows, throw pillows, and decorative throws with pride - they are the bedroom's jewelry.

If the bed is in use, the sheets and pillow cases are picking up organic debris. Over time, this does begin to smell but, but you may be acclimated and not notice the odor. Wash the sheets and pillow cases on a regular basis. Use a furniture brush to remove dust from the dust ruffle.

If the regular cleaning schedule is close, wash sheets and pillow cases just before an Open House.

Before an Open House run the bedspread, the throw pillows, and the throw through a dryer cycle with a fabric sheet. This plumps and refreshes them so they look their very best.

Pick up every day. The only things that should be out when potential buyers visit are the things we put there for Staging.

We are getting close my friends. Tomorrow we will finish cleaning this house!

Does anyone have a Staging topic they would like to see addressed? Please add a comment or send me an email.

Homes Staged To Sell - Cleaning, Bath & Kitchen

Yesterday, we cleaned main rooms that do not have running water. There, we started at the ceiling and cleaned every surface down to the floor. Of course, we are going to do the same thing, clean top to bottom, in the bath and kitchen. But, before we do, we are going to concentrate on water-related cleaning.

Clean sink traps. Clean the sink pop up / stopper.
Over time, debris gathers, stays wet, and decays. This decaying matter can make the sink drain slowly and smell. Potential buyers are very likely to test sink drainage. If performance is poor, or if, even subconsciously, they notice an odor, they may pick up the impression that the bath or kitchen is not clean.

Kitchens and baths sell houses. Clean kitchens and baths sell houses faster and at better value. Kitchens and bathrooms that give the impression of not being clean are a big hindrance to selling.

Below, I list links to cleaning instructions (that I find valuable). But, you can do an internet search to find the instructions that make the most sense to you. And, of course, if you are already doing this kind of in-depth cleaning, do a special cleaning just before you list your house, then return to your normal pattern.

Here is the link to the eHow.com instructions on cleaning your sink trap.
http://www.ehow.com/how_4468637_clean-out-sink-trap.html

Some sink stoppers pull right out for easy cleaning. Others are attached. Here are instructions on releasing attached stoppers.
http://www.sandiego-plumbers.com/info/cleaning_sink_stopper.htm

Does your kitchen have a garbage disposal? Clean it.
http://wiki.answers.com/Q/How_should_you_clean_your_garbage_disposal

Got a trash compactor? Clean it all surfaces, including the chute and ram twice. First clean with a degreasing cleaner, follow up with an antibacterial cleaner. If there is a filter, replace it.

If you have any other specialized products, clean them according to their instructions.

If the fridge, the wine cooler, the whatever is on wheels pull it out and clean beneath/behind it. Therein lies odor.

Replace every filter in the room.

Open and clean inside every cabinet, drawer, linen closet, and pantry. If the bottom is stained or scarred, put in a vinyl liner. If the bottom cleans up well leave it alone. You might have done this during the Simplify Contained Spaces step. Check to ensure everything is still clean.

Now, start with the ceiling, go on to the walls, then clean the floor. Clean the outsides and rims of cabinets and drawers.

Finally, follow the instructions and clean counter tops, sinks, toilets, and tubs. Make them shine. And, every day, keep them shining.

Unless anyone has something about baths and kitchens they would like to discuss, tomorrow we clean the bedrooms.

I hope you have a great day!

Homes Staged To Sell: Cleaning, Living Room/Den/Dining Room

So, you are standing in the middle of the living room. Hopefully, the Staging is done and the number of things in the room is significantly reduced - that will make cleaning easier. If you have read the Science And Art Of Staging on my website and have been following this blog, you realize you actually just thought, "I know how to clean this room to Live, how do clean it to Sell?"


Before you start on the first major cleaning after you Stage, I suggest you get a phone book and call several professional cleaning services. Ask questions: do they truly clean from the ceiling to the floor? Get quotes and find out if your budget can handle a one-time deep, deep cleaning. If it can, then consider paying someone to start you off right. Thereafter, if you usually use a maid service, continue to do so. If you usually do the cleaning yourself, go for it.

Clean sells houses. My family lived in one house for four years, then moved and put the vacant house up for sale. I still lived close by, so I checked for touch up cleaning every few days. Once every two months, I had a maid service come in. When we sold the house, the buyers asked me if anyone had ever lived in the house because it looked and smelled so pristine.


Okay, there are no professional cleaning services in your area, or your budget will not cover the cost (and that can happen).

Time to DIY clean.

I keep a supply of vinyl (waterproof) tablecloths, old washcloths (I buy these in bulk when the Stuff For A Dollar store has a sale), Swiffer dry dusters, krud remover, antibacterial generic household cleaner, glass cleaner wipes with vinegar (or, I just use vinegar), granite wipes, and floor cleaner/polish.

Start at the top and work your way down. Get a dry duster with an extension and wipe down the ceiling then move on to the walls. Be prepared to be surprised at how much grey matter you remove and how many times you have to change the dust cloth. Keep it dry. You risk smears otherwise.

If you have to use a ladder to reach the ceiling, be very, very careful. Move the ladder frequently. Do not try to reach too far and risk losing your balance.

Even if you painted, if it has been more than two weeks, dust the ceiling and walls.

Now, check for scuff marks and discolorations. If you find any, try using the krud remover. In many, if not most, cases this will remove the scuffs without leaving a patch that shines and looks out of place when seen against the rest of the ceiling or wall.

Clean chandeliers and ceiling fans thoroughly. While you are up there, install all new light bulbs.

Dust or damp wash the all around the window and door trim. Damp wash baseboards, chair rail, and cornice moulding. Again, remove scuffs.

Depending on how dusty you location is, plan to clean the ceiling and walls every six months or as needed. In other words, all the Staging we have done is aimed at only having to do this cleaning once.

Take down and clean (or clean in place) your wall art. Plan to do this every two weeks or as needed.

Vaccuum everything fabric: sofa, chairs, ottomon. Take the cushions off and vaccuum underneath. The dust that settles on fabric includes organic detrius (dropped popcorn kernals and other meal oopsies, your hair and skin cells, your pets' fur and skin cells, and so on). As time passes and the organics decay, that dust does develop an odor. It tends to be mild, but it is there and many people are aware of it. Get rid of it.

Polish hardwood furniture, make it shine. Deep clean other surfaces, make them glow.

If you have carpet that has been around awhile, either have it professionally cleaned or rent a steam cleaner. Ditto any rugs in the room. Do not use one of the scented carpet deodorizors. Many people are allergic to or dislike this kind of scent.

If you need to, go to the pet supply store and get an enzyme spray. Follow the directions on the bottle to remove organic odors from you furniture and/or carpet and/or rugs.

If you have hardwood, laminate, tile, or vinyl flooring use the appropriate cleaning and polishing solutions. A clean floor is not slick - that is dangerous. But a clean floor reflects light upwards into the room. This makes the space seem more open, the room feel larger. In fact, that glow tends to lift most people's spirits. We move closer to selling when buyers feel happier as they walk around the house.

Now that you have it clean, keep it clean. Walk through the house every day and check to see if any touch up cleaning is needed. In a very short time, if everyone living there pitches in, you will find things stay clean longer and it is easier and faster to clean when you need to, than it ever was when you were cleaning to Live.

Some of you will not be able to do everything I just described. But, remember, clean sells. So, do as much as you can. And look for other things you can do to make or keep your house cleaned to Sell.

Does anyone have additional advice? Special cleaning tips? Please post a comment and share your knowledge with the rest of us!

Tomorrow we move on to cleaning bathrooms and kitchens.

Homes Staged To Sell - Cleaning

I seem to be in a pattern: words that mean one thing when you are selling house, and another thing when you are living in your home.

Imagine a brand-new, just completed house as it goes on the market. There is not a mar on any wall. Not a scuff mark on the floor. The kitchen and bathroom counter tops gleam. The interior of each cabinet and drawer is so clean it reflects light when opened. The sinks and tubs look like the faucets have never been turned on: not a watermark in sight. The baseboards, chair rails, window sills, yeck, the molding above the doors and windows appears to have never been touched by human hands or by dust. The filter in the fan above the stove does not know the meaning of the word "grease". Not a single dust bunny has hopped it's way across the carpet.

The builder has probably furnished the house. Each piece of furniture gleams. Not only are the carefully placed accessories spotless, if you pick one up you see the furniture underneath is spotless as well. Each model bed is exquisitely made. The bedding is immaculate. Dust has never touched the decorative fruit glowing in brightly colored bowls.

In many cities, when you sell your house this is your competition.

I imagine many of you are looking around your rooms and thinking, "yeah, right".

Yeah. Right.

On my website, I describe the steps I use to Stage an occupied house, the steps I suggest you use if you are going to live in your house while it is for sale. Cleaning is one of the last steps. This is because it is easier, and more practical, to clean a house once it has been Staged. And it is much easier to keep it clean.

So, don't panic and don't give up. If you have not yet finished the Decluttering steps, if you have not yet started arranging furniture and accessories, it is not yet time to worry about cleaning.

And, if you think you have finished Decluttering and Arranging, look around each room. Will it take days to do the initial cleaning, and hours each day to keep it clean? If so, it is very likely you have not really finished Decluttering and Arranging. On the other hand, if you see the initial cleaning may take some time but keeping it clean is going to be much easier than it was before the Staging, well, congratulations, you are there.

A Staged house looks a bit sparse when you compare it to lived in home. Running a vacuum around each room is straightforward because there is not a lot of furniture. Dusting is simple because there are not a lot of decorative items to dust around and under. The bathrooms and kitchen are easy to wipe down.

In the upcoming days I am going to discuss tricks and techniques to get it clean and keep it clean. Really, it can be done. And, you can have a life while doing it.

Home Staging To Sell - Decluttering, the final chapter

I began this stream by saying I strongly suspect that what Stagers and Realtors mean when they ask a client to declutter, and what the clients hear, are two different things.

Then I explained decluttering as a series of steps: Simplify Contained Spaces, Depersonalize, Neutralize, and (finally) Declutter.

I do not necessarily mean you have to do four complete sweeps of your house. That depends on how you work best, the size of your house, and the number of things in it. You can declutter one room at a time, or you can make four sweeps, or you can work a completely different pattern. The important thing is to declutter thoroughly.

Decluttering and cleaning are the two most fundamental activities in Staging. If you do nothing else, you will decrease the time it takes to get an offer, and you will increase the likelihood of that offer being at or close to full price.

I hope this has helped.

Unless I hear any objections, tomorrow I will begin discussing cleaning: another verb where the Stager/Realtor and the client may experience a disconnect.

As always, if there is a particular topic you would like to hear about, or, to open a discussion around any topic, just contact me. Your concerns and opinions really matter to me.

Home Staging To Sell - Decluttering

We began this stream with my belief that most people do not know what their Stager or Realtor means when they say, "the house should be decluttered".

We have simplified all contained spaces, then used some of the freed up space to store items when we depersonalized and neutralized. Free space in all cabinets, drawers, closets, and pantries should be about 50%.

So, once again, start at the curb and look at each space. Finally, finally, we are looking for clutter.

One more time, what does that mean?

Collections or more than five like items, piles of magazines and newspapers, small pictures on tables and walls (especially groups of small pictures), small occasional tables, extra unused chairs, tschotkes of all varieties take up visual space and give the buyer the impression the space in the room is smaller than it really is.

Really. Put six small to medium sized framed pictures on wall - say the outside edges of the picture grouping measures four feet by four feet. Then, out one large four by four foot picture on the same sized wall in another room. Most people, after looking at the two walls, will say the first wall and the room around it is much smaller than the second wall and room.

Most people are hard-wired to be distracted by groups of small and medium sized things.

Our intention is to make the room appeal to the greatest number of people. Clean, uncluttered surfaces make the room feel spacious and welcoming. So, find and remove those small groupings and distracting objects. The only time I use small objects in Staging is when the room is cavernous, huge, and poorly proportioned and I need to reduce the visual space. This does not happen often.

A further example. That lovely mirrored tray you put on the counter in the bathroom to hold perfume, tiny vases, a decorative hair brush, fingernail polish, and bath salts? Pack everything you use up and store them in a box under the counter. Store everything else, including the mirrored tray, away from sight. That little diorama is for living, not for selling. The clean, empty counter top tells people there is plenty of space in the bathroom. That is what sells.

When I Stage a house, or when I write a Staging Plan for DIYers, I out the largest tschotkes, all lamps, and a few little tables aside. They may used when we arrange the furniture and accessories. Everything else vanishes.

Tomorrow we will cover some final thoughts about decluttering.

Does anyone have a request about our next subject? Email me at anorderleehome@gmail.com.