Put precious items, such as family photos, into a safe or offsite storage. Once you declutter, you will be amazed how much roomier and nicer your home feels. The goal is to depersonalize the home so potential buyers can envision themselves living there. Deep clean: Hard-core cleaning: Now that the clutter is gone, move on to hard-core cleaning. The goal is to make your house 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 plan on painting. • 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—especially remove paint drips. • Wipe down any leather furniture. • Clean out and reorganize closets and cabinets. • 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, shampoo carpets, and mop as if your life depends on it. A professional steam cleaning is a good 30
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