When your Oakland home is on the market, you are going to find that you are showing it a lot to potential buyers and their realtors, whether through private showings, or through having an Open House.  If your schedule is as busy as most, you may not have time to stop everything and clean up the entire house just before they arrive to view your home. Here are some suggestions of things to do on a weekly basis, as needed, so there is no need for last minute scrambling:
a. Wash Your Windows, Mirrors and Shower Doors-Windows are one of the most overlooked items, and as such are often the most in need of attention. Dirty windows, mirrors and glass doors, besides being unsightly, give the impression that less obvious things are being overlooked, as well, throughout the home.
b. Vacuum, Sweep or Mop Your Floors-Over a week, especially with an active family, dust and dirt will build up. Add two or three pets to the equation, and you can see the need to monitor the floor situation closely.
c. Dust-Especially in the Out of the Way Places-Once you start dusting, start looking for those out of the way places that hold unappealing dust particles. Examples would be the tops of bookcases, under sofas and chairs, corners of desks, computer areas, kitchen cabinet tops, etc. . Again, the goal is to have everything clean and sparkling and inviting.
d. Replace or Keep Fresh All Floral Displays and Remove Unattractive or Dying House Plants-It is a good idea to have fresh, sweet smelling floral displays throughout the house. It is appealing to buyers. However, sad or drab plants or planters should be removed for the duration, especially if they are just hanging on to life.
e. Keep All Pet Areas Clean and Sweet Smelling At All Times-This includes bedding and litter boxes. This should be done daily, because the odor builds up.
f. Keep Your Bathrooms Sparkling Clean--Cleanliness in this area is mandatory. First impressions here count a great deal.Â
g. Organize and Clean Outside--Front and Back--Make sure you have the best front curb appeal possible, and the neatest back yard with all things picked up and stored properly, and all yard debris and dead plants and large groups of children's toys removed.
The good news about what appears to be a huge amount of work is, that once things are put in some kind of initial order, it is easier to keep it that way because there is now a plan in place. If possible, make different family members responsible for certain jobs, so that it does not all fall onto one or two people. That way, with a premade set of goals, it gets done in the most efficient way possible in the shortest period of time.
Posted by Bruce Wagg on
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