Sometimes, despite even your best efforts, there’s dirt, dust and grime in your home that you miss during a deep clean. And while that’s okay if it’s just for your own benefit, unfortunately it could be something that prospective buyers will see when your home is on the market.
So here’s a quick guide to remind you of all those tricky places that can easily get forgotten but are still just as important to take care of.
Inspect your home like a buyer
The first step is to try and view your home as a house hunter would. It can be very difficult to put yourself in the shoes of someone who has never set foot in your home, but by being very thorough and taking the time to inspect your property’s interior (and exterior) from top to bottom, you’re sure to spot things you wouldn’t normally see.
Make sure you do this at different times of the day too, as movement of natural light can uncover all sorts of things you may not have noticed at first glance. (This is especially important in winter when the light isn’t as good and it’s easier to overlook dust and dirt.)
At the end of the day, buyers don’t want to spend hundreds of thousands of dollars on a home they think they will need to scrub before they can even move in!
Cleaning your Inner West home
Dirt at eye level is usually pretty obvious and you’re probably taking care of that on a regular basis, so what’s key is looking up, and down to get that stuff that is often missed.
Hidden dirt that buyers will notice includes:
– Top of the fridge (and inside) and kitchen cupboards
– The cutlery and all-purpose drawers
– Doors and even inside door jambs
– Behind large furniture and your toilets
– Your windows and window treatments (curtains, blinds, etc.)
– Skirting boards
– Light fixtures (especially cords on pendant lights)
– Top of artwork
– Lintels
– Ceilings and ceiling fans (particularly if you have a place flies like to congregate)
– Grouting (if you don’t have time to regrout, then get out the Exit Mould)
– Shower heads and taps: clean off any verdigris or water stains.
– Crevices of sliding windows and doors
– Leaves of indoor plants
– Pictures and frames
– Corners (cobwebs)
Tips for a squeaky clean home
Doing a deep clean doesn’t mean you have to use lots of harsh chemicals or spend a tonne of money on products. There’s plenty of things you’ll already have in your home that, in conjunction with a bit of elbow grease, will have your house shipshape in no time.
- Use leftover hand sanitiser to make taps and metal drawer handles sparkle. Great for cleaning monitors, phones and iPads/tablets too. If you don’t like the chemical smell, use a cut lemon to rub over tapware; you’ll not only have sparkling tapware, but also a nice lemony scent.
- Around taps, use an old toothbrush and a mix of concentrated dishwashing liquid and bi-carb soda.
- A baking soda paste (three-to-one ratio of soda to water) and vinegar is ideal for a glass stovetop. Spread the paste over the stove using a brush or spatula, then spray it with vinegar. Lay warm, wet paper towels over the top and after 30 minutes, remove the towels and using circular motions, wipe clean with a dry cloth.
- In the shower, hard water stains can be removed with vinegar. Simply fill a spray bottle and mix 50/50 with water, then spray onto the shower surfaces, leave for 15-20 minutes and wipe clean.
- While you’re in the shower, tackle that pesky shower head which can really let the bathroom down with a build-up of scale. Half-fill a small plastic bag with white vinegar and tie it around the shower head so it can soak for several hours (however only 30 minutes maximum for brass, gold or nickel-coated shower heads).
- Wait! Don’t leave the bathroom yet! Give your mirror a streak-free shine with half a cup of distilled water, half a cup of white vinegar and one tablespoon of cornstarch. Mix in a spray bottle, spray onto the mirror surface and using either a microfibre cloth or screwed up piece of newspaper, wipe across the mirror in a wide S pattern from top to bottom.
- Clean your ceiling fans with a pillow case! Pop the pillow case over a blade, and gently pull it off ‒ taking the dust with you, but keeping it inside the pillow case.
- For an all-purpose dust spray that cuts through grime, polishes wooden surfaces and helps to keep dust away for longer, you can make your own spray using two cups of water, one cup of vinegar, two tablespoons of olive oil and a couple of drops of dish wash liquid. (You could also add a few drops of an essential oil to create a nice, fresh scent. Just check if it is one that is safe to be applied to furniture.)
Can we help with your Inner West home?
Whether you’re ready to sell or need help to rent your investment property, we have the experience and local knowledge to make your property journey easier.
Looking for help selling your home or renting your investment property? Our team at Belle Property Balmain support homeowners across Balmain, Balmain East, Birchgrove, Rozelle and Lilyfield. Feel free to get in touch for a no-obligation discussion or property appraisal.
