Top 3 Spring Cleaning Projects to Prepare Your Home for Sale

One of the best things you can do to prepare your home for sale is to give it a thorough spring cleaning. And if you stay on top of your cleaning projects in advance, you'll eliminate a lot of hassle and stress when it comes time to list your home for sale. Remember, a clean home can help give a positive impression to prospective home buyers and help you sell your home faster — and for more money.

If you've been asking yourself lately, "is now the time to sell my home," you may want to check out these three spring cleaning projects to get your home in top shape to sell.

1. Start Decluttering

No, we're not calling you a hoarder. It's natural that over time, our homes seem to get more and more cluttered. We've all been there. But when it comes to staging a home to sell, removing clutter is one of the most important things you can do. Excess clutter can make a home appear small or cramped, which can deter potential home buyers. The great news about this spring-cleaning tip is that you can do this slowly over time. If you’re preparing to list your home to sell within a few months, start this project in advance to make it easier to tackle.

Each weekend, set aside time to tackle one room or space to start decluttering. Consider getting rid of any multiples you may have or things you’re simply not using. This will also make the moving process easier! You will appreciate less clutter as you unpack and organize your new space. 

Selling items through Craigslist, Facebook Marketplace, or a simple garage sale is a great way to earn some extra cash as an incentive to declutter. Or, consider donating unwanted items to any of these local donation centers. 

2. Tackle the Kitchen

For many potential home buyers, the kitchen is one of the most important rooms in the house. Prospective buyers will pay close attention to the kitchen as they are walking through your home. Because of that, we'd recommend you clean EVERYTHING - including things you may not even have thought to clean or have never cleaned.

Wipe everything down from the walls to the cabinets to the backsplash.

Other kitchen spring cleaning projects include cleaning the dishwasher on both the inside and outside, cleaning stained grout, and conducting a heavy-duty cleaning of the kitchen sink. 

Another part of the kitchen that is often overlooked when cleaning is the inside of cabinetry. Built-up crumbs and stains can make it seem like your home is not well-cared for. Prepare your home for sale by vacuuming drawers, cabinets, and the inside of the fridge. You may be thinking, "Do buyers really look there?" And the answer is, some of them do, yes. Plus the inspector will get into all of that as he/she is inspecting your home.

Tackling the kitchen cleaning can seem daunting, so this is another project you can easily break up and do over time. Take it one step at a time and dedicate weekly time to cross another task off the kitchen cleaning list.

3. Floors and Carpeting

Dirty carpeting is another major component that can impede the sale of your home. Potential home buyers will notice homes with dirty or poorly cared for carpeting. You may want to consider a professional carpet cleaning if your carpets are in extremely poor shape. 

If your carpets are in decent shape with limited spots, this is a simple DIY project you can tackle yourself. Start by creating a DIY carpet spot cleaning solution by mixing one-quarter cup of salt, one-quarter cup of vinegar, and one-quarter cup of borax. Apply this to any major stains throughout your carpeting. Not only is this a quick DIY project, but it can quickly improve the overall look of your carpets. Allow each spot to dry, and then run the vacuum over it.

For homes with lots of hardwood flooring, your floors may have developed scuffs or marks from normal usage. Wood conditioning can help hardwood flooring look clean and shiny again while hiding any scratches or problems that may be present. Focus on the most noticeable rooms or highly trafficked hardwood floors in your home.