GENERAL – CAN BE APPLIED TO EVERY ROOM & AREA IN THE HOUSE:

Excess Furniture – Remove any excess, excessively worn or oversized furniture

Excess Decorations – Remove personal pictures, taste-specific artwork and religious artifacts

Furniture Touch Up – You can purchase touch up furniture paint and in various colors including wood finishes

Windows – Clean windows inside and out. Scrape old window trim and repaint. If the window and or screens are broken or have holes in them, get them replaced.

Curtains – Take them down and clean them. If they are washable, wash them. If they must be dry-cleaned, either have them cleaned or purchase inexpensive, tasteful panels in neutral colors.

Paint Condition – Start with washing the walls down. If after you’ve washed them down they still show marks, paint them in a neutral color.

Wall Condition – After you’ve taken down excess wall decorations, fill all the holes with putty, let dry, and paint.

Baseboards – Wash the baseboards down and if they still look dingy, paint them. If you have vents for heating or air conditioning, remove the cover, wash and replace it.

Flooring – If it’s worn and scratched wood flooring, have them refinished; If the vinyl flooring is showing wear and tear, it can be replaced fairly inexpensively. Shampoo lightly soiled carpet and replace worn/stained/damaged carpets.

Switch Plate Covers – Wipe them clean; they they still look worn, replace them with inexpensive ones. Try to make sure they all match.

Lighting – Replace any bulbs not working; make sure ceiling fans, including the blades, chandeliers and ceiling dome covers are cleaned of all dust and grime. Make sure all light fixtures and their corresponding switches, are in working order. If they’re not, get them repaired. Don’t forget to check outside lighting for burned out bulbs, cracked or damaged light covers and that they are in working order.

Exterior Doors – Your front door and garage door(s) are the first thing a buyer sees when they approach the house. Wash them down and if necessary, scrape and paint moldings and doors. Make sure sliding screen doors are in proper working order including sliding on the track properly.

Interior Doors – If it’s broken, has holes in it, doesn’t close properly, or is very dated, the doors can be replaced fairly inexpensively. If they were previously painted, wash them down; if they still look dingy, repaint them. Replace door knobs if they are excessively worn or broken. Also check cabinet and closet doors.

Closets – Remove all items from closets; clean the floors, walls and shelving then reorganize and remove any items that are no longer needed or used. This includes entry closets, linen closets, bedroom closets and general storage closets.

Backsplash – Wash down all backsplash tiles and surfaces in kitchen and bathroom areas.

Stairs – Make sure stairs are in good condition and proper working order, outside and inside the home. Keep stairs swept and cleaned of debris, pet hair, dustballs, etc.

Pets – Avoid sharing kitchen living space with your pets, like crates, litter boxes, pet beds. Keep pet beds and litter boxes clean.

Siding/Shutters – If the siding is dirty, dusty or dingy, power wash.

KITCHEN SPECIFICS:

Counters – Make sure counters are free from excess clutter, like microwave and toaster ovens, toasters, tchotchkes. You want to show that there is plenty of counter space or at least adequate space as related to the size of the kitchen.

Cabinets – Wash all cabinets down. If they are wood, Murphy’s Soap Oil does a good job of sprucing them up. If they still look dingy, dated or worn, repaint them if they were already painted, or paint them if they can be painted. Replace all hardware. I would suggest removing everything from the cabinets, wiping down the shelves, and reorganizing its contents, removing any items that are no longer needed. If there are missing door pulls, or if the door pulls are worn and dated, replace them.

Appliances – Wash down all the appliances. Pay special attention to the stove (MAKE SURE THAT OVEN AND COOKTOP AREAS ARE CLEAN!!). Replace range fan filters, lightbulbs, knobs. If it’s a smooth cooktop, use a cleaner that removes grease but doesn’t strip the finish. If it’s a gas, replace burner grates as needed. Remove fridge magnets, school pictures, personal notes. Make sure the dishwasher is clean inside.

Pantry – Remove everything, wash the shelves down, reorganize its contents, getting rid of expired contents and items no longer needed.

BATHROOM SPECIFICS:

Vanity – If it’s old, dated and excessively worn, it can be replaced fairly inexpensively.

Commode – Clean it so it sparkles. If it’s still stained, worn, or really outdated, it can be replaced fairly inexpensively. If the seat is worn, replace it. Make sure walls, floors, toilet caps and the area behind the toilet is clean, clean, clean.

Tub/Shower – Wash it down good until it sparkles. Replace any broken/missing/mildewed grout and or tiles. If you have a shower curtain, take it down, wash the curtain bar, wash or replace the curtain and put up new curtain hooks.

OUTDOOR AREAS:

Gardens/Patios/Outdoor Landscaping – Make sure your outdoor garden, patio and landscaped areas are free of weeds and dead leaves, and that bushes and ornamental trees are trimmed. Sweep walkways. Mulch. If you have no outdoor landscaping, plant colorful annuals in flowering pots near the entrance.

Roofs and Gutters – If the roof is significantly discolored, you may want to have it powerwashed. If gutters are cluttered, have them cleaned out. Make sure gutter spouts are connected from the roof to the ground and that they take the flow of water away from the house.

Driveways – Make sure it’s in good condition. Have cracks repaired, remove weeds.

Author: Kim Simms
Houlihan Lawrence East Fishkill
1989 Route 52, Hopewell Junction, NY 12533

Created 5/25/2011