Vision, hearing, smell, touch, and taste. OK, OK – maybe not taste or touch. But, we can agree that people are drawn to what they see, hear, and even smell on first impressions.
It varies, depending on the encounter: whether it’s meeting someone for the first time, a business meeting, a first date, or a job interview, just to name a few.
With first impressions, you usually get only ONE shot!
And when it comes to selling your house, it’s no different!
There are different stages in the selling process where you’re going to get your house cleaned, but also will have to worry about maintaining it cleaned in order to get the sale.
“It’s that first impression. And, a dirty home does not sell,” says Coldwell Banker, Broker Associate, Cynthia Fuqua. “As a realtor, if the seller does not want to pay for cleaning, depending on the price of the house, the realtor should invest themselves and hire a cleaning crew. ”
Fuqua has been a real estate agent for three years. She can attest that a clean, first impression will get more buyers interested, and in the end, gets you the sale of your home.
That clean, first impression starts online with your listing – this is where you’re going to get more eyes looking at your property.
Pictures of a disorganized, cluttered, unclean house will turn potential buyers away just by what they see – again, a first impression is established here.
“Those are my thoughts on a clean house - having a cleaning service clean before listing the house, and definitely before pictures and or showings,” says Fuqua. They say you have one chance to make a first impression…so, why not make it a good one??”
According to Fuqua, you’ll be surprised how much a clean window will get more light into your house and help in getting a natural well-lit picture.
You want to make sure the best pictures are taken, in order to get people interested to come to the open houses/showings.
“For a buyer, seeing a home that is dirty – whether it is doors or windows smudged in handprints, tables with layers of dust, floors needing a mop and soapy water and/or stains in the carpet -- is a quick turn off,” according to Fuqua.
“Oftentimes, upon entering a home that has a distinct odor, buyers will end the tour at the front door.”
To avoid that big NO, NO, hiring a professional cleaning company is the way to go if you want to have impressive, eventful showings and open houses for the buyer.
Just imagine having to clean everything throughout the house: the kitchen, bedrooms, bathrooms, office, closets, outdoor areas.
Kinda makes you want to cringe at the thought of doing it all by yourself, which you can do—BUT, the pro’s go deeper into getting that grime right out of your house. Plus, they take the burden and stress off you not having the time to clean so you can focus on other things that matter to you most.
So, if you plan on living at your house throughout the selling process, it’s even more important to keep your house nice and tidy.
You should make it a BIG goal in the cleaning process to de-clutter your house 20 to 40 percent of your belongings.
Other than throwing some stuff out or just giving it away, why not sell some of the decluttered items online and use some of that money to help pay for your next professional cleaning.
Yes, it’s hard to get rid of favorite things that have lasting memories and emotional attachment, but the goal here is to sell the house… and too much stuff can make your house look less spacious, unattractive, and uninviting.
“Entering a home that smells fresh; has clean, streak-free windows that allow the light to shine in; along with freshly shampooed carpets, allow buyers to imagine themselves actually living there,” says Fuqua. “It also indicates that they won’t have to pour money or cleaning sweat equity into the house before they can even move in.”
After all those open houses and showings, a lot of foot traffic has gone in and out of the house— and as the seller, you want to do unto others as you’d like them to do unto you.
No one wants to move into a dirty house! It’s not about you; it’s all about the buyer.
Which brings us to the close of the house. Once the customer has signed on the dotted line, you want to get that last professional cleaning before their scheduled move-in date.
So, whether you’re an empty nester and want to move into something small— or, your family is growing and you need a bigger house for the kids— the end goal is to sell your house as quickly as possible. And, a professional cleaning crew will get the help you get there quicker.
“… it is using all of a person’s senses (sight, sound, smell) that helps sell a house. Seeing a clean house and smelling the freshness will, at least, take a buyer inside,” concludes Fuqua. “And, oftentimes, that is the key. If you can’t get them in….you won’t sell your house.”
