Want to sell your home faster and for more money?
Every homeowner wants to sell their house quickly and for the highest price possible. The problem is sellers often overlook a huge opportunity staring them right in the face.
Here’s the secret…
Clean homes sell FAST. They appeal to buyers emotionally the second they walk through the front door. And in a hyper competitive real estate market, first impressions are EVERYTHING.
That’s why many savvy sellers are hiring professional cleaning companies before listing.
In this article you’ll learn:
- Why Pre-Listing Cleans Are So Powerful
- How a Clean Home Influences Buyers Emotionally
- Which Areas of Your Home Are Most Important
- Why Professional Cleaning Leads to Higher Offers
Why Pre-Listing Cleans Are So Powerful
Pre-listing cleaning simply means having your home professionally cleaned before listing.
So what’s the big deal?
Home sellers should care about pre-listing cleaning because real estate agents feel strongly about it. A recent NAR report revealed that 88% of REALTORS recommend cleaning the ENTIRE home pre-listing. That ranked right up there with decluttering and enhancing curb appeal.
Buyers typically find homes online. They’ll scroll through pages of listings before choosing which homes to actually visit. If your place looks dingy or dirty in photos, it’s doomed. No buyer will want to see it in person.
Professional cleaning companies like Karla Maids Cleaning Services specialise in preparing properties for sale. They know which rooms influence buyers most. And how to deep clean every nook and cranny.
Don’t confuse professional pre-listing cleaning with your DIY sweeps and tidy-ups. Professional cleaners have experience, products and tools you don’t. They’ll reach spaces you probably never will.
Why a Clean Home Matters to Buyers Emotionally
You might be wondering…
Why would buyers care about a clean home?
Emotionally.
When potential buyers walk into a immaculate property, they feel it. They can envision themselves living there. There are no distractions like dirty countertops, dusty floors or greasy appliances. All buyers see are their furniture and belongings in that space.
The National Association of Realtors found that 82% of buyers’ agents said staging helped buyers imagine themselves in the home. A clean home is the first step to creating that visualisation.
Keep reading for more science-backed reasons why buyers love clean homes:
- Filthy Homes suggest NEGLECT. Messy homes make buyers assume owners ignored maintenance and care. Buyers worry about what problems they can’t see. Hidden issues become bigger selling obstacles with each grout speck and dust particle.
- Cleanliness Equals ATTENTION. Buyers equate clean homes with owners who cared for the property. Showings become about the features and attributes, not struggling to ignore messy decor.
- Buyers ASSOCIATE a sparkling home with good condition. Focus shifts from what buyers DON’T like to how much they LOVE the home.
Keep in mind, buyers form these opinions quickly. Research shows buyers create first impressions in UNDER ONE MINUTE of entering a home. Your pre-listing clean will set the stage for those first few seconds.
Another cool fact…
If your home looks well maintained, buyers are prepared to PAY MORE for it. To them, a clean home equals less risk. That means stronger offers and less negotiating just because your home looked good.
Which Areas of Your Home Are Most Important
Every square inch of your home represents an opportunity to woo buyers. But try to focus where matters most.
Just because you deep clean your floors doesn’t mean you should ignore the bathroom. You get the idea.
Inside the Kitchen Wins
Buyers will spend more time in the kitchen than any other room. Dirty appliances, grimy walls and grease covered countertops scream NEGLECT. Invest time and energy into the kitchen. Have cleaners scrub the insides of your oven and fridge, too.
The Bathrooms Are Close Second
Who wants to think about showering in a dirty bathroom? Whether it’s the toilet, tub or countertops. Scum, mould and grout stains leave buyers feeling disgusted. Professional cleaners can eliminate bathroom dirty.
Don’t forget about:
- Floors (Everyone walks on them)
- Windows and Mirrors
- Lighting & Fans
- Baseboards
- Carpets and Furniture
Oh and kitchens and bathrooms aren’t the only rooms that matter. Entryways, living rooms and primary bedrooms are just as important. Buyers look at these rooms and see places to live, play and sleep. They better shine!
And finally, smells matter too. You could scrub your entire home from floor-to-ceiling and still turn buyers off with funky smells. Pet odours, food smells and even that “new home smell” can be taken care of.
How Cleaning Influences Sale Price
You may be thinking…
Does cleaning my home before listing REALLY increase my sale price?
Definitely.
Staged and cleaned homes perform better than average on the market. According to The Real Estate Staging Association, staged homes sell 23 days on average. Compare that to non-staged homes which sit for 184 DAYS on average.
Who wants to pay those carrying costs?
Not only will your home sell faster by cleaning it. You’ll also sell it for more money. Studies show homes that are cleaned and staged sell for 5-15% MORE than homes that aren’t prepared.
Back to our $400,000 example house:
You could sell your home for $20,000 to $60,000 MORE by simply cleaning and staging it. And professional cleaning costs a lot less money than that.
See how easy it is to justify professional cleaning?
- Cleaning Costs << Increase Selling Price
- Lowers Days on Market
- Limits Price Reductions
- Creates More Motivated Offers
Wrapping It Up: Why You Should Care About Pre Listing Cleans
If you’re going to invest in one thing to sell your home… make it cleaning!
Don’t waste money on silly expenses that don’t move the needle. Cleaning is proven to help you sell your home quicker and for more money.
Remember:
Clean Homes Sell Faster
Which translates to…
More Buyers
And that means…
Higher Sale Prices
Buyers make emotional decisions first, then justify them with logic later. If they fall in love with your home the second they walk in, there’s a good chance they won’t let logic talk them out of it.
Emotions lead to offers. And if you have more offers, you’re far more likely to get the sale price you want.
Let’s face it. The real estate market is more competitive than ever. Don’t put your sale at risk by skipping professional pre-listing cleaning.