by The Library of Congress

If you want to sell your home, then there is nothing more important than the presentation. As such, you need to ensure your house looks fresh, clean, and well maintained when the “sale” sign goes up. This article will give you the tips you need to know in order to make your house as clean as possible and give yourself the best chance of making that sale.

The first time you clean your home, you really need to clean everything in sight. There is nothing that should be left alone. This includes the carpets. Once you have cleaned everything, ask a friend to come around and assess how clean he thinks it looks. It is always good to get an outsiders opinion on how clean your house looks. Remember that the first impression counts; so dont overlook this.

The smell that your home gives off is another very important factor. This is something that will put prospective buyers off right away. There are certain odors that repulse people and other others that draw them in. You should ensure that you have cleared away anything that could be releasing a bad odor. If you had pets in the home then it is important that you remove the smell, especially from the carpets. As the owner, you may not notice any smell so ask someone else to check your house first.

You also need to wash the windows and the mirrors. Having clean windows and mirrors is something that adds light to your home, and window cleaning is very important in selling your home. The light and brightness of the house is something that everyone comments on when they enter a new house. Everyone wants to have as much light as possible in their home, as it adds a nice atmosphere, adds a perspective of more space and makes the living environment more pleasant. As such, ensure that you wash the windows thoroughly before you show your home. Besides this, dirty windows imply that the house was not well cared for, or looked after. Remember the primary rule when selling a home, presentation is everything.

The next big cleaning job is to ensure the oven, fridge, microwave and other appliances are very clean. There is nothing worse than seeing a smelly or dirty kitchen appliance. It implies that the people living there did not care about the house and that it was ill maintained. This is going to put off potential buyers. Kitchen appliances are very easy to clean and they look great with just a small time investment, so it makes sense to clean them. Ensure that any grease splatters are removed. You also need to polish any chrome fixtures and surfaces that you have around the home. This will aid in the presentation of your home.

It is a very good idea to clean the clutter from your home before you show it. Clutter and dark colors turn most buyers away, so remove everything from your house that you can live without. If you have a storage place, then use this to your advantage. Dont just move all the clutter into another room in the house, as this makes no sense. Always show your potential buyers the space your house offers, instead of making them guess. A good method to gauge how much clutter you have is whether you can see your baseboard. If not, then you need to remove something.

Always clear the kitchen top before letting buyers into your home. If possible, you can use bright colors to make the home seem bigger and make it seem more airy and comfortable. This will help to sell your home.