Are You Sellers Prepared to Move Out?

Moving out, as most of us know from our own and our clients’ experiences usually isn’t an simple task. There’s a lot of work to be done – sorting through things you don’t want or need, packing boxes, and then my least favorite of them all: cleaning the house up after everything has been packed up and out.

In our region Buyer walk throughs are common and encouraged before the closing. The are typically done right before the closing to ensure the seller hasn’t done anything harmful to the property (You know, that seller who decides at the last minute they’re going to keep the chandelier in the dining room and leaves a giant hole in the ceiling…) and to make sure that everything is “broom clean” so the new buyer can just go right in.

I was looking at this Alpharetta maid service called EMJ Cleaning that provides such go out cleaning in the Atlanta area. They have a very detailed list of their go out cleaning services that I thought makes an brilliant list of what sellers should do before vacating the property for the final time.

Here are some of the things their cleaning list included:

• Spider webs
• Fans and overhead lights
• Baseboards
• All floors
• Window frames
• Doors
• Dust fireplace
• Toilets
• Tubs/Showers
• Blinds
• Counters and Cabinets
• Mirrors and Accessories
• Sinks & Shine faucets
• Inside and Outside of appliances

Just reading a list like this sounds exhausting, which is why a service such as this is no doubt a timesaver – and a potential dollar saver for customers. There have been a few closings I have witnessed where the Buyer did the final walk through only to insist the house was not “clean enough” and force the seller to credit them several thousand dollars from the sales price because it needed cleaned!

While I’m sure it largely depends on the buyer and seller and their own definition of clean, (and the negotiation skills of the real estate agents) personally it’s a situation I would rather prevent and avoid than be caught in the middle of at the closing table!

Have you ever had experiences where the sellers did not clean as well as they are expected to? What came out of it? Have you or your clients ever utilized professional cleaning services before selling or closing on a home? Share your experiences in the comments below.