Carpet Cleaning And Moving Home

Carpet Cleaning And Moving Home

When moving home, either upsizing or downsizing, it becomes important to maximize the sale price of your asset whilst avoiding it lingering on the property market for too long.

The conversion of a garage, the adding of an additional bedroom, or the complete renovation of either kitchen and, or bathroom are all good, proven, methods to add value to the property!

However, if you have not got the money that these improvements require, what is the best way to add value and make your home that more attractive to potential buyers?

It is very important that you consider having your carpets cleaned which can make all the difference whether your home sells or not! As a carpet cleaner who cleans homes in the Stirling, Falkirk, Alloa, Dunblane and everywhere in between, I see the benefit of clean fresh smelling carpets. This is even more so before any prospective buyer calls to view your property. The preparation of a home that is for sale should start at the outset, before the arrival of the estate agent. 

Estate agents will always provide advice on how best to ‘dress’ your home before taking the photos that appear on their website. Therefore, not only must the home look just right in the photos, e.g. carpets vacuumed and clean (...), minimise clutter, beds made and sofa cushions ‘puffed up’, as these photos will be the first impression of the interior that any potential buyer will have before a visit – and which may be the critical factor in their ‘sifting’ process of the properties they are considering.

Now, when these potential buyer’s visit, you might not be there as they will visit with an estate agent; therefore, it is unlikely that your home will have remained in its ‘show home’ appearance as it did for the estate agent photos…In order to impress the potential buyer, they must envisage themselves living there. If the carpets are in a dirty condition, as opposed to the other three properties they had viewed that day are clean and fresh, yours will, inevitably, slip to the least favourable …

When these potential buyers first step over your threshold you must first, from their point of view, consider what do your carpets look and smell like! What might be considered a charming ‘homely’ appearance and smell, will almost certainly put people off.  These potential buyers will quickly pick up on any unsightly stains and curious malodours.

Notwithstanding, carpet colour schemes and designs are a matter of personal taste; there is nothing more off-putting to house buyers than dirty, smelly carpets, especially if they smell of wet dog!

Due to the cost of carpet replacement, many new homeowners will not replace the carpets that they have bought with the house until they are in a better financial position. So, the state of carpets that are being sold with your home is critical to the sale.  Should you consider replacing them to achieve a sale, especially if they have seen better days?

In my experience no! As stated above, the replacing of carpets can usually cost a thousand pounds or so in an average house.  In addition, the seller (you) will invariably be cost-conscious, what with moving home, estate agent and legal fees and moreover, the general upheaval during the process of trying to sell your property.

By choosing to have your carpets professionally cleaned you will minimise any disruption and at the same time save some money - after all, you are making a sensible investment in the sale of your property! Clean, fresh-smelling carpets will provide a positive, strong first impression to all viewers, and, if they do not need to replace the carpets (usually a strong consideration with new buyers), it is one less expense that they will be fretting about when considering your property as their next home.

Having had the carpets cleaned at the very beginning of the sale process, it can be difficult to maintain their cleanliness, particularly if you have kids, pets etc during a period that may take a few weeks to a few months.  Nevertheless, one must endeavour to maintain that clean fresh appearance. This is as important as ‘dressing’ the home whenever a potential buyer visits, and more so if a potential buyer re-visits for a second or third time!  

There is nothing more off-putting than having viewed the property whose carpets were looking beautiful only to return a few weeks later (on a second visit) that they are now looking trashed… A sensible tip here ( and a small inconvenience during the sale period) is to cover all ‘trafficked areas’ with mats or, say, painter’s floor coverings which can be easily removed prior to visits by potential buyers, and which will also help maintain their appearance during your final exit from the property.

Regards
Tom
Acleanerplace Cleaning Services