Planning to move to a different home can be a large undertaking that involves many moving parts. Just the act of moving all your belongings from one home to another can be a large task that can take hours if not days to complete. However, before that can even happen you first need to prep your home to be move-in ready when trying to sell your current home. There are many different things you can do to accomplish this but to get the best effect in prepping your home take care of all the areas of your home such as the rooms, storage spaces, the backyard, the front entrance, and the driveway. In short, your entire home. If areas have not been cleaned in a while you may need to use different cleaning techniques like power washing to acquire the appeal that you may be looking for. Here are 5 tips that can help in getting your home move-in ready.

1. Prepare the interior of your home 

A big part of getting your home move-in ready is to address the features inside each room in your home. These features will include painting certain rooms, removing personal items, and cleaning out closets and cabinets. A fresh coat of paint in many important areas might also help prepare your home for the real estate market. Since most buyers favor neutral colors, they will make the selling of your property go more easily. This allows potential buyers to easily envision the space as their own with personal layouts in mind.  A fresh coat of paint also helps the interior of the home appear fresher. Finally, a fresh coat of paint impresses potential buyers by demonstrating that the property has been modernized.

Another aspect of preparing the interior of your home is removing and organizing all of the family pictures and placing them in storage. When it comes to getting your home move-in ready, storing your personal goods will make a major impact since you want potential buyers to be able to view their own items within the property when they go for a showing. In addition to removing personal photographs, A thorough cleaning is also required, which includes scrubbing down all surfaces, including the outsides of cabinets and other doors, as well as the insides of closets and cabinets. When homebuyers are looking for a new home, they may be concerned about having less storage space than they require. Cleaning out closets and cabinets makes things appear bigger.

2. Declutter your home

Almost all homeowners have some clutter in their homes, but some have substantially more than others. To clean a crowded home as soon as possible, start with the basics, such as washing the laundry and making the beds. With vacuuming and mopping coming after. To cope with all of that clutter, take a look at everything that is out and find a place for it. If you can not figure it out in the allowed time, it might be wise to sweep everything into a box and store it until after the move. After you have cleared the clutter, you will be ready to begin cleaning everything, beginning with the bigger objects. After that, dust the furnishings.

Furthermore, decluttering is another key stage in getting your home move-ready.  After all, if there is clutter everywhere, the staging procedure can only accomplish so much. If you have limited space in the rooms in your home, decluttering is even more important and will make a great impact. If you do not already have one, it would be a smart idea to rent a storage unit so you can store anything you do not need while you are selling your property. This also makes the moving process for you easier as some storage unit options allow for portable containers that can be transported to your destination on a specific date. With a cleaner and open space, you essentially tackled two tasks at once, moving your non-essentials to be relocated when you move and the areas are ready for potential buyers to view.

3. Spruce up the front entrance 

The front entrance of your home can include the front door, the pathways that lead to the different entrances, and the landscape. It is recommended that all these areas should be cleaned and maintained to improve the curb appeal of your home and create a welcoming image for anyone that may be approaching your property. The front door and pathways could use some power washing to remove any dirt and grime that may have built up on their surface. A clean front door can directly affect the curb appeal of your home. The same is with any surrounding pathways. In addition, clean pathways also make the surface safer to walk on avoiding any potential for accidents.

Your lawn does not have to resemble a professionally done garden, but it is important to remove anything that might be distracting. Mow the yard, trim the plants, and pick weeds. It may not be considered a large feature when compared to the scale of your home but it does affect the impressions it can have when someone sees a well-kept yard. In combination, with the front door and surrounding pathways, a maintained front yard can prepare your home when it is time to enter the real estate market.

4. Take care of the exterior

Getting your home move-in-ready can include many exterior chores and tasks to ensure that potential buyers and new homeowners will be happy with their new home. Paying close attention to the interior details is important but taking into account the exterior details can sometimes be overlooked. Some exterior details you should consider addressing before entering the real estate market are the driveway and the siding or exterior walls. These areas around your home are some of the first places a person will notice and can directly influence their first impressions of your home. It is recommended that to get your home move-in ready it would be best to power wash these areas.

For the driveway power washing can bring it back to life through a number of benefits. Every day, your driveway is vulnerable to stains and naturally gathers oil, mud, and grime. One of your vehicles may be leaking fluid, and parked service trucks frequently drip. Stains that stick to the asphalt or concrete require more than a simple hosing down to be effectively removed. These ugly stains grow more difficult to remove if left unchecked. Power washers can penetrate every inch and break up oil and dirt, leaving your driveway spotless and revitalized. In addition, Mold, mildew, algae, and moss may all be prevented by power washing your driveway. These growths may chip away at your driveway surface over time, causing safety problems and costly repairs. Pressure washing cleans every pore of your driveway, removing hazardous growths and preventing their regrowth. This can keep your driveway clean of any of these issues and ready for anyone that may come by.

There are also added benefits of power washing the siding or exterior of your home. When entering the real estate market, power washing may be the difference between a sale and a loss. Exteriors deteriorate, discolor, and oxidize with time. As a result, the value of your home may decrease. Power washing aids in the retention of a new-looking paint job, keeping it free of peeling and chipping and making your property seem brand new on its own. A nice-looking property that boasts curb appeal is obviously much simpler to sell or rent.

5. Backyard for a complete finish

The backyard of your home is another aspect of the exterior of your home that should be properly maintained to ensure that your home is both move-in ready and prepared for entering the real estate market. The backyard is a major feature that can easily extend the living space of your home. Especially during the spring and summer months, your backyard can be visually seen as a major selling factor for potential buyers as some like enjoying the outdoors but in the privacy of their own homes. It is important to maintain this area by addressing areas such as the deck, fencing, and pool. These areas are exposed not only to the elements but to things such as dead bugs, dirt, leaves, and particles from the outside world. Cleaning your deck, fencing, and pool in the traditional manner may not remove all of the dirt and debris. For a thorough clean you can power wash these areas. Due to its high strength, a power washer can remove all types of filth and debris, leaving your deck, fence, and pool shining clean and ready to be used.

Selling a home is simpler in certain markets than others, but there are some universal truths that apply regardless of the type of real estate market we are in. The idea is to appeal to a diverse range of homebuyers, whatever that may involve. Preparing your home to be move-in ready includes paying attention to the details in both the interior and exterior of your home. That may also involve power washing, cleaning, organizing, or decluttering. Ultimately having a clean and organized home will benefit the current homeowners and potential buyers.