David G. Brown - HOW TO REDUCE YOUR RISK IN REAL ESTATE INVESTING

Here are some common staging improvements that agents recommend: Deep clean: The goal is to make your property shine. Be meticulous. Tidy each room from top to bottom. For a good deep cleaning, you should do the following: • Get rid of cobwebs first. This keeps you from getting dust bunnies all over freshly cleaned floors and furniture. • Dust ceiling fans and lighting fixtures while you clean the cobwebs. • Replace any burned out bulbs. • Dust your blinds. • Wash walls unless you’ve recently painted them. • Clean all glass surfaces: mirrors, television screens, patio doors, and windows. • Polish all wooden surfaces, including wooden floors. • Dust baseboards and window trim. • Polish door hardware and make sure you remove any paint drips. • Wipe down any leather furniture. • Attack all appliances with cleaning fervor. Make them shine! • Sinks, toilets, tubs, showers, faucets, and countertops need to be impeccable. Every room is important, but the kitchen and bathrooms will take you over the top. They need to be eat-off-the-floor clean. • Vacuum rugs and furniture, shampoo carpets, and mop

as if your life depends on it. A professional steam cleaning is a good idea for anything not new.

Avoid Clutter: Clutter makes you want to flee your own home, so imagine its impact on a buyer. The problem is, everybody has his own clutter threshold. You might think a refrigerator covered

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