Hundreds of Successful Realtors Have Spoken: Before Opening Your Home to Buyers You MUST Clean the Windows!

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Getting your home as clean as possible “is absolutely something of the greatest importance,” said Ginger Brokaw, a senior vice president at Town Residentialreal estate in Manhattan. “It really does pay off. I’ve seen the response of people walking into a home that hasn’t been cleaned, staged or prepared for showings, and one that has.” The difference, she added, is “night and day.”

 

Nevertheless, she said, she has worked with sellers who didn’t make enough of an effort. “If they had, I can guarantee that the price would have been better,” she said.

 

“First on your list should be washing the windows, cleaning the floors, polishing the furniture and vacuuming the rugs throughout your home”, Ms. Brokaw said, “but the entry hall, kitchen and bathroom deserve special attention”.

 

Did you notice what she said: “First on your list should be washing the windows!

 

“The entryway is going to be your first point of reference when you walk in,” according to Ms. Brokaw. “It has to be clean and simple.”

 

Ms. Brokaw is echoing the sentiments of thousands of successful realtors: You MUST clean the windows before you put a house on the market if you want to maximize your homes curb appeal!

 

Preparing Your Home for Sale

 

According to real estate professionals who have been polled on this issue, here are the top three priorities for preparing you home:

 

1) Window Cleaning

2) Carpet Cleaning

3) Maid Services

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Keep in mind: The moment a prospective buyer pulls up to your home, they’ll notice the windows first. Without fail, that's one of the first things that a prospective homebuyer looks at. 

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Top 5 Reasons Clean Windows Are Important

 

Preparing your home for sale can be an overwhelming task. What you want to do is focus on issues that give the “most bang for your buck“.

 

And the Experts Agree: Clean the windows before the house goes on the market.

 

Here are their top 5 reasons:

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Reason #5 –  Brighter Homes Sell Faster! This is a well known real estate secret! According to The New York Times, July 26, 2012:

 

“First on your list, should be washing the windows…” The idea is that brighter homes sell faster and clean windows help the sun shine in unobstructed! Professionals also recommend removing dark window coverings and all of the window screens.

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Window screens can obstruct the beautiful views on the property and can also prevent some natural light from coming in. Especially if some screens are torn or in other disrepair should they be removed.

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Reason #4 –  “ More than 75% of people who first view property on the internet will drive by BEFORE contacting an agent.” – CHRISTINE RAE, AUTHOR, HOMESTAGING FOR DUMMIES.

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Lets think about this: A couple of people looked at your house while you were not home but decided NOT to contact the agent because the prospective buyer was turned off by the dirty windows.

 

SO a possible sale was lost because the seller was too cheap to get the windows cleaned.

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Reason #3 – ” Curb appeal sells 49% of all houses.” – NATIONAL

ASSOCIATION OF REALTORS

 

Reason #2 – “ A good first appearance of a home can add 5% to 10% to the value of the home.” – JOHN AUST, PRESIDENT, NATIONAL ASSOCIATION OF REAL ESTATE APPRAISERS

 

Reason #1 – “According to 2000 real estate agents surveyed, the number one improvement that generates the best return on investment is window cleaning, and the ROI on window cleaning alone was determined to be 768%” – MONEY MAGAZINE

Look at it this way: Hundreds of dollars spent on window cleaning now will net you a thousands of dollars later when you sell your home.

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