5 Spring Spruce-Up Tips To Do Right Now

Spring is officially right around the corner – as is the hottest season to sell your home! There are many steps you need to take to get your home market-ready. Spring cleaning is a good place to start. Whether you’re preparing to put your house on the market or simply want to hit the refresh button in your home, check out our top tips.

Spring Cleaning Tips from Willis Allen Real Estate

Declutter

The effect of minimizing the amount of “stuff” in your home is truly amazing, both on you and on potential buyers. We’ve been inspired this year by the tsunami of tidying that is Marie Kondo. If you’re not familiar with the Japanese organizing consultant and her “spark joy” motto, you can watch her demonstrate her method of decluttering that she calls “KonMari” on the Netflix series Tidying Up with Marie Kondo (or read her international best-seller The Life-Changing Magic of Tidying Up). If you don’t have time to binge the show, the basic idea is to review everything you own (and we mean everything) by categories – not spaces. If it doesn’t bring you joy, you toss it.

Do a walk-through

Grab a notepad for a thorough inventory of the areas in your home that need attention. Of course you’ll want to prioritize the major repair work, such as roofing and HVAC. However, don’t ignore the small, easy fixes. From scuffed baseboards to dead light bulbs, note it all! Then, try to complete as many items as possible. It may be helpful to slap a Post-it Note or piece of painter’s tape on all spots that need attention to create a visual reminder.

Lighten up

You want your home to feel light and fresh, so try to do away with anything dark, drab, or stale. Change out dark or fluorescent lighting for warm but bright bulbs. Install recessed lighting or a bigger, modern fixture. Get rid of dark, heavy pieces of furniture (less is more anyway!). Neutralize dark or garish wall, carpet, and window treatment colors. Last tip – freshen up white trim with a new coat of paint to really make it pop.

Clean, clean, clean!

The last thing you want guests and homebuyers to notice when they enter your home is an off-putting smell or griminess. Clean top to bottom. (Pro-tip: Dirt will fall onto freshly cleaned floors if you leave the ceiling fans for last.) Start with the permanent fixtures – floors, carpets, walls, baseboards, woodwork, windows, light fixtures, and ceiling. Then work your way to movable items such as furniture, window treatments, appliances, and everything else, down to the smallest change dish.

Curb check

We all know the importance of curb appeal, so look over your landscaping and outdoor spaces. Trim back overgrown areas. Add bright, fresh flowers in beds and pots. Complete the look with a welcome mat or door wreath for an inviting touch. For more on the benefits of living landscapes and how to care for them, go to SaveLivingLandscapes.com.

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