Cleaning Your Home For the New Owners
After you’ve moved everything out of the house, it is customary to ensure the home is clean for the new owners. Technically, the house does not have to pass the white glove test, but the buyers would most likely prefer not having to deep clean a house they’ve just purchased.
As such, we highly advocate hiring a housecleaner to perform one final cleaning. The house should be at the same level of cleanliness it was when the photographs were taken and showings were in process. You can either clean the home yourself, use your own cleaning service, or we can offer a recommendation if needed.
The garage should also be cleaned as well: the floors swept and completely emptied of all tools, debris, chemicals and hazardous waste. It is acceptable to leave any touch-up paint for the exterior or interior of the house.
Please be sure to remove everything except for items that were agreed upon in the contract, or things are that part of the home such as window coverings, etc. All trash, debris, and unwanted items should not be left for the new owners. Hopefully, you’ve been able to dispose of the majority of the above during your decluttering and purging process, but you may need to enlist a haul-away service to remove things that couldn’t be donated or disposed of via your weekly trash service.
Lastly, be sure the lawns have been mowed and that the yard(s) are in generally tidy condition before you move. If the property has a pool, please also be sure it has been serviced prior to your move date.
These cleanings should occur preferably before the buyers do their final walk through with their agent. This event usually happens either the evening before or the morning of the day of close.
