Cleaning & Other tips to make your home look its best.

The Exterior

Keep grass trimmed and edged
Water &fertilize the lawn
Keep shrubs & bushes neatly trimmed.
store toys, bikes & other outdoor equipment.
sweep the porches, decks & garage
Use a commercial cleaner to remove any oil spots on the garage floor.
Remove or repair & paint any fencing that needs it
Remove all items in disrepair (porch & lawn furniture, appliances vehicles).
Clean the trash cans and keep them out of sight
A fresh coat of paint on the trim, shutters & railing will do wonders for the initial impression of your home.
While you’re in the Mr. Fix-it mode, clean or replace any old caulking around the tub & shower.

Get rid of the clutter !!

Clear all appliances and containers off the kitchen counters to make your kitchen look larger.
Leave the shower curtain open to make the bathroom look larger. Put out a basket of potpourri to make the bathroom smell fresher or use an air freshener.
Make your closets look larger by discarding all those extra clothes that are cramming the closet. No self-respecting woman wants to buy a house that looks like doesn’t have enough space for “The shoes”. Show kindness to the less fortunate by taking your spare clothes to the charity shop (and pick up the tax deductible receipt as well). A neatly organized closet appears larger.Clean & organize the garage. You’ll feel great when you get rid of all that junk anyway. You don’t want to be carting that stuff to your new home anyway.

And now to break your heart…


I know and you know that Fluffy is the sweetest, softest, most beautiful, most gorgeous and most adorable puddy-tat in the whole world. There is absolutely no doubt about it. And there is no question that Rover is without doubt the kindest, gentlest, most loyal and quite clearly the very best friend you could ever ask for. However, the harsh, cruel and unforgiving reality is that there are heartless monsters out there who just do not like pets. The courts seem unwilling to apply the death penalty to these heinous individuals.
Unfortunately, for these folks, just the sight of a food bowl or hint of any odor (especially cats) will have them backing out of your front door and spinning gravel on their way down the driveway.
If at all possible, why send your precious ones on a short excursion to socialize with a friend or to a lodging establishment commensurate with their undoubtedly lofty requirements. (Dare I say it,… The Kennel?)


A word to the wise: Eliminate problems before they begin.

 
Last  minute reminders just before a showing:


1.During the day, leave the curtains and shades open to give the room a light and airy feeling.

2.Clean up any dirty dishes and clean out the waste baskets and kitchen trash.

3.Use an air freshener to eliminate any musty odors.

Cleaning the interior of your Home

Show your home in its best light. Give it the appeal that it deserves. Nothing puts off buyers faster than a dirty or disorganized home.
Make sure it’s clean and well organized.
  Bedrooms:

1.Wash, or dry clean curtains.

2.Take blinds outside and wash them with a mild ammonia solution Rinse with that good old stand by-the garden hose!

3.Put clean linens and dust ruffle on the bed

4.Polish wood furniture and dust knickknacks.

5.Vacuum everything, the floor, behind and under the bed, the carpet lampshades and pictures.

6.Clean mirrors and wipe down light fixtures and lamps.

 

 Livingroom:

1.Dust and vacuum corners and crevices from high points to low.

Remember dust falls downward so you want to clean from the top to the bottom of any room.

2.Vacuum furniture, lampshades and pictures. Remember all those gadgets that come with your vacuum cleaner? Use them here, and experiment with different attachments for furniture and corners of rooms.

3.Vacuum or wash curtains.

4.Dust wood furniture.

5.Dust mop floors.

6.Vacuum carpet.

7.Take plants outside for a gentle washing with a fine spray from your hose.

 

Kitchen:

1.Let cleansers do the scrubbing for you! Spray your oven with cleaner the night before you plan to clean your kitchen this will literally “marinate” the grease and grime, making it simple to sponge off. Make sure the burners look spotless. Replace the drip pans if necessary.

2.Here is a great microwave cleaning tip: Fill a paper cup with water and a few tablespoons of baking soda. Nuke it for about 30 seconds, or until you see the contents explode! Then just take a paper towel to wipe and wipe it all off. The explosion spreads the cleaner over the entire area, and you can even use the moistened rag or paper towel to wipe outside the microwave and its surrounding area.

3.Vacuum stove vents, refrigerator coils, floor and counters.

4.Clean outside of fridge with glass cleaner

5.Clean counters, appliances and stovetop with an all purpose cleaner or the baking soda solution as listed above.

6.Wash out the trash can and spray it with a good disinfectant before putting in a new liner. Leave it outside the kitchen for the next step.

 

 Bathrooms:

1.Take down the shower curtain and give it a wash in the washing machine. It may be time to just buy a new one.

2.Spray shower and tub with strong cleanser.

3.Pour toilet cleaner into the bowl, and spray the outside with a strong cleaner. Let the chemicals do the cleaning while you do the next steps.

4.Clean mirrors, chrome, bathroom scale, light fixtures and shower door with a glass cleaner.

5.Vacuum everything! This will remove dust and hair that is hard to get up when surfaces are wet.

6.Empty and clean the wastepaper basket.

7.Clean the sink and wipe off the cleanser you already applied to the shower and tub.

8.Working from the top of the toilet down, clean the outside, and brush and flush the inside.

9.Scrub the floor with a strong cleanser. Tough tile floors can be most easily cleaned.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Licensed Realtor in Wake, Chatham Orange, Johnston, Alamance, Lee, Franklin, Granville, Harnett, Vance, Warren, including Raleigh, Durham. Cary, Apex, Holly Springs, Garner, Pittsboro, Siler City, Moncure, New Hill, Goldston, Sanford, Chapel Hill. Servicing residential homes, raw land, new homes, sub-divisions, commercial land, & business buildings, flex office warehouse, office condos, Investment properties, 1031 Tax exchanges, foreclosures, river property, waterfront property, equestrian property, horse farms, builder, spec homes, townhomes, business condo units, golf course communities.

 

  

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