Preparing a Home for Sale: Your Essential Cleaning Checklist

Are you preparing to sell your home but aren’t quite sure how to get started?

Selling your home and beginning a new chapter in your life can be exciting. However, preparing for a home sale can also be quite stressful. When preparing a home for sale, one of the first things you need to do is to clean it.

Cleaning your home from top to bottom will help ensure that it’s ready for buyers to see it. Cleaning for a home sale involves a lot more than just your regular dusting and vacuuming routine. 

Read on to discover your essential cleaning checklist for selling your home. 

Conquer the Clutter 

Deep cleaning your home for a big sale all begins with decluttering. There is no point in cleaning a bunch of items if you’re just going to discard them later on. 

Getting the clutter out of your home helps your space look more organized, and it’ll make everything easier to clean. Plus, a decluttered home is easier to sell. When buyers walk into a messy home, they’re not going to notice the nice light fixtures or the new bathroom sink. All they’re going to notice is the mess of toys on the floor. 

Starting a decluttering project can feel overwhelming, but we have some tips to make things easier:

Start Slow

If you have a while before you plan to put your home on the market, then don’t be afraid to take things slowly. Many people find it helpful to start by spending 5 to 10 minutes per day decluttering. While the decluttering project may take hours of your time, if you split it up into smaller chunks, it’ll become more manageable. 

Try the 12-12-12 Challenge 

The 12-12-12 challenge is another way to break your decluttering project up into smaller pieces. To perform this challenge, find 12 items to donate, 12 items to throw away, and 12 items to relocate to their proper place. 

Use the Box Method 

The box method will help you stay organized when decluttering your home. Grab four large boxes and label each “trash”, “donate”, “recycle”, “sell/gift”. 

Go through your items room by room to figure out what goes in each box. When you’re done, you’ll only be left with the items you need to move to your new home. 

Deep Clean the Kitchen 

Once you’ve finished decluttering your home, it’s time to move onto deep cleaning each room one by one. We recommend starting with the kitchen, as it’s usually the toughest room to tackle. After this, everything else will seem easy. 

Before you begin cleaning, start by unplugging all of your appliances. Then, wipe down the microwave, toaster, blender, and any other small appliances. 

Reorganize your kitchen cabinets and drawers, and make sure to throw anything out that’s expired. Run the dishwasher on empty to leave it sparkling clean. If you want, you can add baking soda and vinegar to your dishwasher to make it even cleaner. 

Give your countertops and sink a thorough wipe down, and don’t forget to scrub the backsplashes. If you have a garbage disposal, pour baking soda with a lemon peel or warm water down it to freshen the drain. 

Finally, sweep and mop the floors, and don’t forget the baseboard. 

Deep Clean the Bathroom 

After you finish deep cleaning the kitchen, we suggest moving onto the bathroom. First, make sure you’ve decluttered your bathroom before beginning. Chances are, you have some toiletries piling up in your drawers. 

After you clear out all of the clutter, vacuum all of your surfaces. Use the hose attachment to get into the corners, under the vanity, and around the toilet. You should also vacuum your shower floor and kitchen countertops. 

When you’re done vacuuming, wipe down all of the surfaces with a strong disinfectant spray. Or, you can use distilled white vinegar to wipe things down. Remember to sanitize and scrub the vanity, faucet handles, and doorknobs. Lastly, use an abrasive sponge to scrub off any mildew from your shower. 

Deep Clean the Bedrooms

Before you start deep cleaning the bedrooms, make sure all toys, books, and belongings are put away. If your children are old enough, they can help you with this part. 

Then, strip all of the beds and launder all of the bedding. If you can, you should also wash your curtains. Use an all-purpose cleaner to clean the windows and mirrors. Use a microfiber cloth to dust and wipe down all of the bedroom surfaces, including the ceiling fan, light fixtures, and light switches. 

Finally, vacuum the floors. If the floors are hardwood, mop and sweep them first. 

Deep Clean the Living Room 

Last but not least, you want to deep clean the living room before selling your home. Start by dusting down the ceilings and walls, as well as any art or photographs hanging on the walls. 

Don’t forget to dust the ceiling fan as well. Then, take down your curtains, draperies, and blinds to wash them according to the manufacturer’s instructions. Next, dust and clean out the couches and chairs. We recommend removing the hose attachment from the vacuum to clean from under the couch cushions. 

If you have a washable rug, launder that as well. Otherwise, you can vacuum your rug and use a specially-formulated rug cleaner to treat any stains. You should also vacuum all of the floors. 

Preparing a Home for Sale: Time to Get Ready 

Now that you’ve read this guide on preparing a home for sale, it’s time to start cleaning. Remember, the sooner you deep clean your home, the sooner you can put it on the market. 

If you’re looking to sell your home in the Memphis area, contact us today.