When you’re selling your home, it’s easy to get caught up in making sure everything looks picture-perfect for potential buyers. You declutter the countertops, fluff the pillows, and maybe even throw some cookies in the oven to add that extra “homey” touch. After all, first impressions are everything, right?
Sure! But what about the last impression? The one that happens during the final walk-through, when they see the house in its most exposed state — empty, bare, and with all your furniture and decor stripped away. Suddenly, every nook, cranny, and speck of dust is on display, and buyers tend to notice the details in a way they didn’t before. That’s when even the tiniest overlooked detail can leave them with a sour taste, and potentially cost you time and money.
Broom Clean… Or Buyer Clean?
Most real estate contracts specify that the home must be left in “broom-clean” condition at closing. Sounds simple enough, right? But what exactly does “broom clean” mean? Is it just a light sweep of the floors and a polite wave goodbye to your old house?
The truth is, “broom clean” is a subjective term. Most sellers think they’ve left the house in pristine condition, while buyers might think it looks like the aftermath of a frat party. The truth? It’s usually somewhere in between.
But here’s the problem: If your buyer is already on edge because of a previous hiccup in the transaction—perhaps a negotiation over repairs, or their closing date was delayed—they’re going to be hyper-aware of anything that feels like a slight, even if it’s as minor as a few stray dust bunnies.
And when they walk into their new, empty home and see grimy baseboards or a mysteriously sticky stove knob, that chip on their shoulder just might turn into a bigger issue.
You might be thinking, “How big of an issue could it become?” Well, here are three ways it often plays out:
- The buyer could simply refuse to close until you clean it better, or hire a professional to come in and clean it. That may not cost you money, but it’ll certainly cost you time and stress.
- Or perhaps you have to hire a professional cleaner to come in at their request, or because you don;t have the time or energy to do it yourself. Not only will that cost money, but it might be difficult to get a crew in on a moment’s notice, delaying the closing.
- Or they may insist on you giving them a credit to cover the cost of cleaning, which could be in an amount that is far greater than it needs to cost if you just take care of things ahead of time.
- In the least, it can create bad vibes, and make what should be a happy day, anything but…
The easiest way to avoid losing time or money, and the stress of it all, is to just make sure you clean all of the things you might not think about, before the final walk-through occurs.
12 Places You Don’t Want to Forget to Clean
So what are the things that you might overlook cleaning in your house?
According to a recent CNET article, most people forget to clean the following thirteen things in their home:
- Shutters
- Door frames
- Baseboards
- Under their couch and bed
- Ceiling fans
- Grout
- Remotes
- Doorknobs
- Tops of cabinets
- Stove knobs
- Side of stove
- The inside of their oven
- Walls
Fortunately, you can cross #7 off of your list of concerns, since you probably won’t be leaving any remotes behind for the buyer. Although, if you have one that controls the (probably dusty) ceiling fan, or lighting fixtures, you should definitely keep them on the list, because you’ll need to leave those behind for the buyer.
Even though many of the things on the list are pretty much in plain sight when your buyer initially comes to tour your home, the true condition of them is something they may not notice until they’re faced with an otherwise empty house.
If you pay attention to the things on this list, you should be in pretty good shape for a final walk-through!
Pro Tips for a Stress-free Final Walk-Through
To avoid any last-minute hiccups, here are a few tips to make sure your home leaves the right impression and have your buyers raving about the cleanliness of their new home, and not asking for last-minute credits:
- Do a deep cleaning before you list your house for sale. If you can afford it, hire a cleaning company to do a thorough cleaning of the house, including everything on the list above, before you even put the for sale sign in your yard. If it’s not in your budget, set aside a few weeks to roll up your sleeves and do it yourself. Make sure you (or your cleaners) tend to every nook and cranny of each room.
- Use it as an opportunity to pack early and get rid of things you no longer need. While you’re moving things around to get to those crevices, you might as well start getting rid of everything in that junk drawer so you can give it a good cleaning, and pack up the various appliances cluttering your cabinets. Maybe even put the old chair you had to move to clean the baseboards to the curb on garbage pick-up day.
- Schedule a final cleaning before closing day. That initial deep clean you do before listing your house will make the final cleaning easier, but you’ll still want to make sure to do one more thorough cleaning before the buyer does their final walk-through. Try and give yourself a little buffer by having all of your belongings out, and a cleaning scheduled for at least a day before they’ll schedule their walk-through.
If you put yourself in the buyers’ shoes and try to leave your home in better condition than you’d expect if you were the buyer, you should be in great shape for a smooth closing. A clean, well-maintained house sends the message that you’ve taken good care of the property and that the new owners are stepping into a home that’s been well-loved. It’s a small gesture, but one that can go a long way in creating good vibes on closing day.
The Takeaway:
Most home sellers try to make sure their house is clean and tidy to make a great first impression with buyers when they list their house for sale. But there are some things that many homeowners neglect to clean, simply because they’re often out of sight, or less noticeable when the house is furnished and decorated.
While it might be tempting to cut corners once you’ve packed up and are ready to move on, taking the extra time to clean your home thoroughly before the final walk-through can save you a lot of headaches. A spotless house won’t just impress your buyers—it’ll ensure a smooth closing.
