I Need to Sell Fast. How Clean Does My House Have to Be When Selling?

Sometimes sellers need to get rid of a home quickly, and don’t have a lot of time—or a lot of money—to make it look great. It could be that they are in a time crunch to move into their next home, or they are selling a parent’s house. While big upgrades and repairs aren’t always necessary to attract buyers, a clean home is important. 

But just how clean does a house have to be to sell it? Here is some advice from our experts, and how a realtor can help get your home in the best shape possible.  

The Benefits of a Clean Home When Selling

In the real estate world, there are multiple advantages to cleaning a property before putting it on the market. 

A better first impression. Photos that appear online need to show buyers all the potential space the home has. If clutter and filth are the first things they notice, they likely won’t even schedule an in-person showing. 

Higher selling price. It literally pays to clean a home before selling. According to a Top Agent Insights study by Homelight, a deep cleaning could add on average, about $3,700 to the sale of a home. Decluttering could add as much as $6,500!

Faster sale. Average homes in the St. Louis area are currently selling in 30 days or less. Since buyers are likely to walk away from a filthy house, it makes sense to clean the home if you don’t want it to sit for longer. 

Essential Cleaning Tasks Before Selling 

Even if it’s not possible to make a house for sale perfect, at the very least, it needs to be presentable. You can do this by:

Decluttering

Chances are if you or a loved one has lived a long time in the house you’re selling, a lot of stuff has accumulated. Too much clutter is distracting to buyers, so whether it’s furniture, small appliances, knick-knacks, toys, or junk, it needs to go. 

Schedule a few rooms at a time. Tackling an entire home at once can be overwhelming, especially if it holds a lot of memories. Try dedicating several days to decluttering, and do the basement one day, attic and garage the next, bedrooms the next, etc. Before getting rid of anything, make sure to gather all important financial documents and file them in a safe place.  

Decide what can be sold, donated, or tossed. There are some things worth selling, like your parents’ expensive dining room table or a box of vintage baseball cards. But especially when in a hurry to put a home on the market, there may be no time to plan an estate sale or sell items online. Pick a day to take donations to the Salvation Army or Habitat for Humanity St. Louis, where someone is sure to be able to use them. Or check with local charitable organizations to see if they’ll pick them up. For the rest of the clutter, toss out whatever is no longer usable — whether that means filling up a few trash bags or renting a dumpster. 

If time doesn’t allow you to pick through everything yourself, your realtor can bring in an estate cleanout company like 1-800-Got-Junk. They are professionals at deciding which items can be recycled or donated, and they even coordinate with local organizations to help those in need.

Store what’s left. Even after getting rid of unwanted stuff, there are sure to be sentimental items or things that need to go to the next home. Box up everything and label it carefully, then store it in the basement, attic, or garage. Because buyers like to see the maximum storage space available, it’s an even better idea to rent a storage unit temporarily. Your realtor can provide recommendations for storage rentals that meet your budget. Average units start around $75 per month.  

Removing Dirt, Grime, and Dust

When clutter is out of the way, it’s time to clean. Vacuuming and mopping floors, dusting shelves, and wiping down countertops are the minimum essential tasks for getting a house ready to sell. Other important cleaning tasks include:   

• Washing windows to let natural light in
• Scrubbing toilets, showers, and tubs
• Wiping scuffs off of walls, baseboards, and doors
• Clearing cobwebs out of corners
• Wiping down the inside of cabinets and appliances
• Dusting blinds

Surface cleaning is sometimes sufficient if you’re in an extreme hurry to sell, but a professional deep clean can do wonders for making a house marketable. Your realtor can recommend a cleaning company that offers move-in/move-out service that will make your home sparkle for around $360. 

Getting Rid of Odors

Just as the scent of freshly baked cookies makes buyers feel right at home, smells of cigarette smoke, pet odors, and mildew can make them walk away. When selling a house, taking care of odors requires more than dusting, vacuuming, and spraying air freshener. 

Research shows that sellers who smoke in the house can expect to get about 30% less for their home than non-smokers. To get rid of the smell of smoke before putting the home on the market, you will need to have carpets and rugs replaced, or at least cleaned by a professional that your realtor can recommend. And because smoke odors linger in walls and ceilings, they should be scrubbed down, primed, and painted. Furniture and curtains will need to be removed too; your realtor will be able to replace them with staging supplies or hire a professional stager. 

To get rid of pet urine in rugs or carpets, spray soiled areas with products that have enzymes that break down odor molecules. If that doesn’t help, you will need to throw out the rug or replace the carpet. 

A home that smells musty will definitely deter buyers. Such an odor could indicate mold, or a leaky roof or foundation. Make sure to have a mold inspection and mitigate the problem before putting the house on the market. If professionals don’t find any mold, minimize humidity in the home. Use a dehumidifier in the basement, turn on the attic fan if you have one, and open windows to let fresh air in whenever possible. 

If odors still linger despite efforts to remove them, or if you just don’t have time to address them, companies like ServPro offer odor removal services to neutralize bad smells.

Cleaning a House That’s Selling “As Is”

If making a profit is not your priority, you may consider selling the home as is. Buyers of as-is properties understand that they are paying a lower price because they’ll be taking on a tedious project — possibly including the previous owner’s belongings, a dirty home, and needed repairs. Because they are responsible for cleaning the home themselves, as-is buyers won’t expect much. But in today’s competitive market, it doesn’t hurt to clear out what you can in hopes of getting the highest sales price possible.  

How a Realtor Takes the Stress Out of Selling a Home

Whether you are going through the emotional experience of selling your childhood home, helping your parents downsize, or just can’t put much effort into getting a house ready to sell, agents at Berkshire Hathaway HomeServices Select Properties can help. We have the experience to price your home fairly and plenty of resources to declutter, clean, and even stage your home to attract buyers. We will make sure you get the maximum sales price for the home and coordinate your closing to work with your busy schedule. Contact us today to get started.

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