Home showings are a key part of the sales process. They can make or break the chances of a deal. When you want to make sure you have the best chance of selling your home, you want to pay attention to all the details including cleaning before a home showing.

Before every showing, you should take the time to clean your home. Buyers will judge and scrutinize every nook and cranny of your home. If you want to make a good impression, make sure to use these tips for cleaning your home before a showing.

Top Tips for Cleaning Before a Home Showing

1. Remove all the Clutter

The less you have to clean, the easier the job will be, and the clutter just makes a home look messy. Before you list your home for sale, take the time to remove all the clutter to make cleaning before a home showing easier.

While you may define clutter as magazines on an end table or toys spread across the floor, you have to go even further when selling your home. Clutter includes unnecessary furniture and all other unnecessary items.

Rent a storage unit if you have to, and remove all the clutter before listing your home. You’ll be glad you did when you have to clean before a home showing.

2. Start with a Deep Clean

While decluttering is a great way to make cleaning before a home showing easier, so is a deep clean. Before you have your listing pictures taken, hire a company to come in and do a deep clean of your home.

Make sure they plan to clean all the rooms of your home thoroughly and ask them to pay close attention to neglected areas, such as the top of the refrigerator. This is very important when cleaning before a home showing and you don’t want to miss any of the areas of your home.

After a deep clean has been done, you want to make sure to do your best to keep your home as clean as possible. The cleaner your home remains, the easier it will be when your Realtor calls with a showing in a few hours.

3. Prioritize Properly

There may be an instance where you receive a call from your Realtor only to find out you have less than two hours before a showing. You’re excited for a potential buyer to see your home, but nervous because there’s so much to do in such a short amount of time.

Prioritizing what you clean and how much time you spend in each area will help you with your cleaning. You can even use the five-minute clean routine mentioned by Vogue.com. This routine includes setting a five-minute timer on your phone and only spending five minutes in each room cleaning.

The goal of the five-minute clean routine is to get your priorities in order. It will force you to focus on the biggest stuff first, such as cluttered countertops, dirty dishes, dust bunnies, unflushed toilets and more.

4. Pay Attention to the Details

When you have plenty of advanced notice for cleaning before a home showing, you want to pay attention to the details. Clean the grout and make sure to reach tight corners. The microwave probably needs some attention and it’s always a good idea to use a lint brush on the furniture.

If time allows, you can do a deep cleaning or even pay a cleaning company. Don’t forget about the outdoor areas, the garage, and all the other hidden areas needing to be cleaned.

Also, make sure you do the following:

• Take out the trash
• Sweep the front steps and entryway
• Brush the toilets with toilet bowl cleaner
• Make the beds
• Straighten pillows on the sofa
• Turn on all the lights and pull back the drapes

These additional details will make your home show better when your Realtor arrives with a potential buyer.

5. Leave Your Home, if Possible

After your home hits the market, it’s a good idea to consider leaving your home for a few weeks or months. If possible, take a long vacation, stay with family, or rent a different home for the time being.

When you’re not there, you won’t have the ability to create a mess. You can even consider hiring a professional cleaning service to provide on-call services before a showing. With enough notice, they will help keep your home looking and smelling clean for every potential buyer.

Even if you can only leave for a week, it can be helpful. Talk to your Realtor and find out when they expect the highest number of showings and take your vacation during that time.

Selling your home means adjusting your normal life for a little bit. It’s important to remember it’s only temporary. When your home is clean, it shows better, as buyers will have fewer distractions.

Use these tips to help you with cleaning before a home showing and speak with your Realtor about what they expect when a buyer wants to see your home. Your Realtor may also have additional tips and can provide a recommendation for a good cleaning service to help.