When my middle daughter turned 10 years old, we bought a new vacuum. It was coincidence that the old vacuum gave out close to the same day as her birthday. Thinking back, we did throw a birthday party for her with friends, cake, balloons and the works. We even bought her a highly coveted Tamagotchi, a small electronic toy “pet” the owner can feed, clean, potty train and entertain. Imagine our surprise then, when she showed more excitement and enthusiasm about this suctioning household cleaning appliance than she did for any of her birthday gifts and surprises.  In fact, she called all of her friends, who had recently returned home after the end of the birthday party and invited them back to show them how effectively this new vacuum sucked. She has always had a special connection to cleanliness. Ironically, now in her own home, this same daughter recently called me to share excitement about her own new vacuum purchase. I feigned shared excitement.

Throughout my real estate career, I have found that different people have widely different perceptions about what equates to acceptable cleanliness standards for preparing a home to list. Once a client decides to pull the proverbial trigger and list their home, I do an initial walk-through consultation in which we make a list of specifics to get the home show ready. With some clients, it is clear they know how to clean to professional standards. With others, it is less than obvious.

Separate from clearing out excess “stuff,” having a sparkling clean home for showings can make a considerable statement to a potential buyer. Imagine approaching a home with a fingerprint smudged door, mud-splashed windows and untrimmed, toy-filled grass. There is an automatic assumption that the inside of the home will look the same, and most of the time, the assumption is correct.

Upon entering the front door of the home with a client, the first thing my eyes are drawn to are the baseboards. If the baseboards and the walls are clean, most of the time, the home is clean and well-maintained. If they are not, it is almost a sure indicator that the rest of the home will not be as well. This also waves a red flag as to how the rest of the systems in the home have been maintained. If the walls and floors are dirty, unvacuumed or dusty, it begs the question as to whether the furnace filter has ever been changed or if the attic and roof have ever been checked for leaks or if faucets or toilets have unnoticed leaks that may have been seeping behind walls and growing mold. It sounds extreme, but in my experience, these are often things that coincide with unclean homes, especially if the home is considered “show ready” by the seller.

Personally, I don’t mind cleaning. It clears my head and gives me a sense of satisfaction. I consider it a dance between chaos and order.  My husband accuses me of “rage” vacuuming, and at times, he is right. If something has made me particularly angry and I have little control over the situation, I will get the vacuum cleaner out at times and go to town. Other times, it is just because my house needs to be vacuumed. He says there is a difference, and he can always tell. Either way, the house gets vacuumed.

I do recognize, however, that not everyone enjoys the process, nor is it their specific area of expertise. Fortunately, for these people, we have plenty of great cleaning companies or individuals that can help. A few hundred dollars invested in cleaning, to get a few more thousand dollars for a home, is money worth spending; and yes, this is the difference it makes.  Someone once said, “A clean space invites positive energy and new beginnings.” This is exactly what we are looking for when selling a home.

Jen Fischer is an associate broker and Realtor. She can be reached at 801-645-2134 or jen@jen-fischer.com