Selling your home, how to show it and keep it clean!

In speaking to several clients this week while viewing homes to purchase or rent, one common complaint I hear from them is how much they dislike a dirty house.  When I am showing homes, I notice that the clean, brand new feeling of a model home or a brand new vacant home gets the buyer every time.  Being that I truly believe there are some amazing deals out there for a buyer to purchase a resale home as well, it is important for me to help the seller of resale homes understand the importance of a well staged (clean) home.  I know that keeping a home perfect everyday is tough sometimes but if you are clean, very clean it shows when your home is shown.  Real estate, where I live in Jacksonville, NC is extremely competitive between a builder and a seller of a resale home. If you are trying to sell a resale home, keep all appliance very clean, potential buyers look through them.  Play music in the house when you have a showing, turn all the lights on, keep it very cool in the home during the showing as well.  Floors are important keep them clean.  I found this article on apartmenttherapy.com as I searched for ways to keep your appliances clean and fresh.   Clean Clean Clean... here is the article or you can go to their website.



It might sound unnecessary to clean the actual dishwasher, but it is a necessary evil if you want your dishwasher to run efficiently. Not to mention, your dishes will be cleaner and your dishwasher will smell fresher, too!

What You Need

Distilled white vinegar
Baking Soda
Microfiber cloths or soft rags
Toothbrush
Stainless steel or multipurpose cleaner

Instructions

1. Run your dishwasher or wait until just after you've ran a cycle. Empty dishwasher.
2. Remove the racks. Check the spinning arms to make sure all the holes are open so water can run through them freely. Clear out any debris that has built up in the holes of the spinning arm. Needle nose pliers, a toothpick, or any other small pointy tool should work (be careful not to scratch the spinning arms).
3. Clean under the bottom of the door. In some dishwashers, this is a spot where water doesn't go, so it can accumulate debris. Wipe this off. Inspect the floor of your dishwasher, around the drain where the wastewater exits. There will be a grate or grill around it, under the arm. Look for debris clogging up this area and remove any solid matter that has built up. If you have a filter, like I do, remove and dissemble the parts in your sink.
4. Remove any food remnants. Using a soft toothbrush, wash filter parts with a baking soda paste or soapy water. Do the same thing on the inside where the drain is. Reassemble and replace all parts.
5. Wipe around the seal with a damp cloth soaked in white vinegar. For tighter areas, you can use a toothbrush or q-tip.
6. Wipe around the edges and sides of the machine.
7. Remove the utensil holders and racks. Check them for any stuck-on food pieces and then wipe down.
8. Remove hard water deposits/scale by running one cycle of your dishwasher empty, with distilled white vinegar. Do this after you've done the other cleaning steps, so that it will also take care of anything you missed during cleaning. Add 2 cups of vinegar to the bottom and turn the machine on to an energy saving or low wash. Stop the machine mid-wash, so the vinegar can set on the bottom and work. Let it stand for about 20 minutes, then turn on to finish cycle.
If you have rust stains, you can tackle them with a dishwasher-safe rust remover. If the finish is chipping or flaking off the wire baskets in your dishwasher, try a sealant made just for dishwasher racks.
If you have problems with mold and mildew, bleach will work effectively by adding ½-1 cup in the bottom of the dishwasher and run a full cycle. (NOTE: DO NOT USE BLEACH IN YOUR DISHWASHER IF YOU HAVE A STAINLESS STEEL INTERIOR).
9. Clean the buttons and panel thoroughly.
10. Spray the handle and front of your dishwasher with a mild spray cleaner or stainless steel cleaner, depending on the type of dishwasher you have. I find microfiber cloths work best for stainless steel and always wipe with the grain. To obtain a streak-free finish, spray cleaner on one towel and wipe on. Go behind with the second towel and wipe off.
Additional Notes:

• It's good practice to do this (or a briefer version), about once a month.
• Be wary of dishwashing gels. They typically contain bleach and over time will cause the rubber seal to break down and leak.

Images: Kimberly Watson

Paver / Brick cleaning

In viewing several homes this week for listing appointments I noticed several homes that have the front of their houses in the shade.  This leads to dirty and green stairs... in fact when I got home I noticed mine are starting to look the same and I immediately jumped online and found this great video that shows what a difference it makes to clean your stairs or driveways and sidewalks for that matter.  Happy pressure washing!

How much to fix when you know your moving soon?

Today, I met with two clients who will be moving out of their houses within the next two months for a job relocation.  They met me with a list of items that needed to be done to their home.  One of them wanted to spend $4000 to redo the kitchen cabinet for the buyer so it would look nice for the buyer.  My suggestion to them based on the kitchen, was to spend just half of that and still make the kitchen look great for the buyer.  When you are leaving a home and you know you will have to be aggressive with your purchase price in order to sell, it will help the buyer more if you lower your price for them.  In some cases the buyer wants to make the kitchen upgrades according to his own taste.  Sooo, in order to spruce up the kitchen I looked up some information online and found this great informaton on tlc.howstuffworks.com about remodeling a kitchen on a budget. Just wanted to share it as it was great information and helped. 

Appliances, Cabinets and Lights

One of the best ways to improve the look of your kitchen is to make changes to your old appliances. Unfortunately, the popular stainless steel models are out of your price range if your budget is under a grand. But depending on how you want to allocate your finances, you could spend some on a used fridge or range to provide a bit of a modern look. Use community ad listings to find cheap, gently used appliances. Craigslist is a great place to start. If you're persistent, you can find a used stainless refrigerator for less than $500, which would leave you another $500 for some of the other DIY projects we'll talk about next. If you aren't a slave to trends, look for ads for new non-stainless appliances. Stainless is so popular, you'll often find people selling their brand new black or white units on the cheap.
Most appliances can also be refaced for as little as $300 each. Look on the Internet or in your Yellow Pages for appliance refinishing companies and find out what kind of deal they'll give you for multiple units. You may be able to refinish your range and fridge for just half of your budget. Auto body shops will paint your appliance fronts for an updated look, or if you want to go even cheaper, you can buy appliance paint at the hardware store and do it yourself. You can also switch out the worn-out knobs for little money. Contact the manufacturer and see if they sell new hardware for your range. It's amazing what small changes like brand new knobs and handles will do to make your appliances look better.
Updating your greasy old cabinets is another great way to liven up your kitchen for cheap. If you're good with a utility knife, you can reface them yourself with materials ordered on the Internet or at a home-improvement store. You can also paint them for even less. A little washing, light sanding and a primer coat, and you can be as creative as you want to be -- it won't cost you more than a couple of hundred dollars. Even though you're on a budget, don't go for the cheapest paint available. Kitchen cabinets take a lot of wear and tear from heavy use and fluctuating temperatures, so buying good quality paint is money well spent. Every home-improvement store has discounted paints that customers get mixed, but never pick up. You can find some exceptional deals if you're willing to be flexible with your color palette. For more detail on exactly how to reface or paint your existing cabinets, please read our DIY article How to Resurface Your Cabinets. If you really want to go cheap and use your money elsewhere, try removing the old cabinet doors altogether and go with an open shelf look.
Replacing the hardware on the cabinet doors and drawers is another great way to spruce them up, with or without resurfacing. Take one of the pulls or knobs off and take it with you to your local hardware store to ensure that you get the right size. If you stick with the same size, it's just a matter of grabbing a screwdriver and switching them out. If you find the perfect drawer pulls and they're a different size, just fill the old holes with wood putty and repaint the drawer fronts before drilling the new holes. Hardware can be pricey, but you can also find some bargain pieces that might fit your taste.