Getting Ready to Sell Your House? Here are 11 Things Most People Forget to Do
You’ve started on your lists of small repairs, you’ve contacted a real estate agent, and now you’re in the final steps of getting ready to sell your house. But before you put your home up for sale, and certainly before having your first open house, here are 11 things to consider that most home sellers forget to think about and could cost you a sale. 1. Declutter and Organize Your Closets and Cabinets Sure, you went through your entire house and reduced the clutter in each room, organized your desk and other surfaces, and arranged your collection of antique ceramic kitty figurines to be facing perpendicular to the window. However, did you tackle your closets and cabinets? One thing you should definitely expect during an open house or individual home tours is that potential homebuyers will be looking in your closets, kitchen drawers and cabinets. Will your walk-in closet fit all of his shoes and her summer dresses? Is there enough storage space in your kitchen for their cookware, bakeware, and all the kitchen gadgets that they seem to collect each year? These are all questions homebuyers will be asking themselves as they walk through your home. Of course, you as a home seller will have no idea what the needs are of a potential homebuyer, but you can definitely showcase what your house has to offer in terms of storage. Start by decluttering your closets, cabinets, and drawers, and then keeping only enough belongings in each to really show off the potential that space has to offer. Think of it as an extension of staging your home, but for your storage areas. 2. Clean Stains and Eliminate Odors We should all consider small stains, marks, and other imperfections as badges of honor for a house that has been lived in for years. Nonetheless, these slight bumps and bruises your home has encountered over time will stick out to potential homebuyers, so tackle them head-on. Begin by trying to put yourself in the shoes of a potential homebuyer and look at your house objectively. Start by going outside and then re-entering your house as if you didn’t actually own it but were an interested homebuyer looking at it for the first time. What do you see? Walk through every room and take note of all the imperfections you notice. You might surprise yourself with how quickly your list grows. You can then add them to your list of repairs so you can make your house truly be at its best before your first open house. Also, if you have pets there is a strong possibility that your home has an odor which you can no longer smell. Deep cleaning your house is a sure fire way to help eliminate these odors, but also think about using an odor eliminating spray every day for about a week before your first open house. You can also place plugin room fresheners that offer a great crisp smell, like cucumber, to help infuse a sense of cleanliness throughout your house. 3. Replace Light Bulbs Walk through each room in your house and look at every light bulb to see if it’s working. As homeowners, we sometimes forget to immediately replace a lightbulb when it goes out. You want your house to be at its brightest when new homebuyers are touring your home and replacing old burnt out light bulbs is one of the easiest ways to do it. Also, don’t forget to walk around the outside of your house to make sure all the lights of your home’s exterior are working as well. Depending on the time of year, your open house or home tours could happen when the sun is going down or when it’s already dark. So be sure to make your house shine inside and out! Pro tip: Make sure all your light bulbs are the same color temperature inside your house as well as outside. A soft-white light LED bulb can create a bright but welcoming environment for new homebuyers. 4. Think About the Small Details: Plants, Mirrors, Rugs Consider each room’s individual characteristics, so you can really showcase the potential every room in your house can offer. Here are a few ideas to keep in mind while you start prepping every space for an exceptional open house experience. Add a little green to your spaces Nothing breathes life into a room more than a little greenery. A potted tree can work wonders in a living room, but for smaller areas think smaller plants such as a small potted herb garden in the kitchen or a miniature cactus on the mantel. Open up even the smallest rooms Mirrors can make small spaces seem large because they create the illusion of depth. Mirrors also work wonders in darker rooms as they reflect light deep into areas of a room that may not receive an abundance of natural light. Add character to an otherwise unimpressive space While staging your home, think about adding character to various spaces with rugs. However, keep in mind that you want to use rugs to enhance a space, not be the focal point of it. Also, if you have a strange space that you never really figured out a good use for, a rug could at least offer a little personality while leaving the space and its potential to the imaginations of homebuyers. 5. Enhance Your Outdoor Space You’re probably already aware that enhancing your curb appeal is one of the most impactful things you can do to create a great first impression. However, you don’t want to forget about your other outdoor areas, such as your front porch or entrance, your back entrance, side yard, and backyard. You want to enhance your outdoor spaces around the house so potential buyers can see themselves living as much outside your house as inside. Simple enhancements like placing potted plants to your front entrance or adding fresh beauty bark around the base of your hedges and trees can
Include Carpet Cleaning in Your Flood Cleanup Process
Although we’re in the midst of winter here in Colorado, spring will be here before you know it, and with it come spring rains and flooding. Flooding can be a devastating event for homeowners, causing extensive damage to floors, walls, and personal belongings. Flood Water Can Be Dangerous to Your Health It’s not just the water that’s a problem – flood water typically contains contaminants such as mold, bacteria, and sewage. These contaminants can spread quickly throughout your home and put people at risk of illness. According to the CDC, contact with flood water can cause gastrointestinal illnesses, rashes, and a number of other health problems. If you experience flooding in your home that results in waterlogged, dirty carpeting, you may be tempted to just throw it out and purchase new carpeting to replace it. That can be an expensive option, however, not to mention time-consuming. Having your carpet professionally cleaned instead can actually be an effective way to restore your carpeting after a flood. Professional carpet cleaning can remove the contaminants found in flood water and restore your carpets to a safe, clean, and healthy condition. Our technicians are trained and certified by the IICRC (Institute of Inspection, Cleaning and Restoration Certification), a non-profit organization that sets standards for the inspection, cleaning, and restoration industries. They are able to identify contaminants resulting from flooding and then remove them using our truck-mounted, steam-powered cleaning machines. In addition to removing contaminants, professional carpet cleaning can also restore the look and feel of your carpet. Flood water can leave carpets looking dull, but a thorough cleaning can help restore the color and vibrancy. Your carpets will look as good as new! Carpet Cleaning Is Just One Step in the Flood Cleanup Process While carpet cleaning can help restore your carpets following a flood, it’s only one part of the flood cleanup and restoration process. It’s essential to take steps to remove any standing water and dry out all affected areas as soon as possible after a flood; this will help reduce property damage and prevent mold from growing and spreading throughout the home. A sump pump will help get any standing water out of your home, as will a wet/dry vacuum. You’ll also need to disinfect any surface that has come into contact with flood water, as well as dehumidify your basement or crawl space. It may be a good idea to contact a restoration services company to help you get your home back in order after a flooding event. Once the area is properly drained and dried, then you’ll be ready to have your carpets professionally cleaned. At A Personal Touch Carpet Cleaning Services, we have experience in cleaning and restoring carpeting that has been affected by flooding. Save time and money, and let us make your carpets fresh and clean once again! By investing in professional carpet cleaning from A Personal Touch during the flood cleanup process, you can help protect your family’s health and keep your carpets looking beautiful for years to come. Contact us today! Remember at A Personal Touch, we don’t cut corners, we clean them!
Got mud? Your carpet may need professional cleaning
Colorado weather can be so unpredictable. In the spring, the sun comes out, crocuses poke their little heads above the earth, tulips brighten our yards with pops of color and we get lulled into thinking that summer is here. Oh, but wait, we’re on the high plains. That means Chinook winds, air flowing from the Pacific over the Rockies’ western slopes, can blow harsh conditions in seemingly from nowhere. Yup, snow or torrential rains may be waiting in the wings! And with each comes wet ground and, unfortunately, mud. Maintenance matters Ugh. Mud. Worse, still, it’s complicated mountain mud! Most Colorado residents know that there is clay, or Bentonite, mixed in with our beloved soil here. The sticky stuff not only creates issues for avid gardeners, it can wreak havoc on indoor carpeting. That’s why it’s more important than ever to make sure you’re vacuuming your rugs and carpets regularly (once or twice a week) to remove the clay before it degrades your carpet fibers. It’s also best time of year to refresh your carpeting and upholstery with professional steam cleaning. Why? Not only is steam cleaning great for your carpet’s health, and your family’s health, chances are people will soon be coming to your house to see you. You’ll want to greet them with a tidy home. How do we know? Are we clairvoyant? Nope, we just read a lot. A study in the New York Post revealed the average American is 31% more likely to socialize in the summer than in the winter. During the colder months, we hunker down inside, binge shows and eat hot meals from the crock pot like irises gathering nutrients into our rhizomes. Then spring comes, and boom, we bloom. To get untwisted from the metaphor, that means we want to see people again. And you want to be ready to bloom, right? Court the clean Yes, ok. Enough with the flower imagery. There are issues with the comparison. After all, unlike flowers, most people really don’t like to be surrounded by dirt! We like our houses to smell fresh and be deeply clean. Professional carpet cleaning with powerful truck-mounted steam is the only way to go. It’s the easiest, best way to get rid of deep stains in your carpets and upholstery. Steam cleaning also sanitizes your surfaces to neutralize germs and banish allergens that become trapped in your carpet fibers. Your home’s carpeting is an important investment. Home carpeting can last 10-15 years on average. With tender care, it can last longer. A Personal Touch can sanitize your chairs, ottomans and couches as well. Our trained technicians are knowledgeable about many different kinds of upholstery Spring into action The takeaway? Get your carpets professionally steam cleaned at least once a year to remove the soluble spots. Vacuuming weekly as well as cleaning your carpets professionally will keep the weather at bay and ensure you have a welcoming, happy house for friends and family to enjoy. Call A Personal Touch, the best carpet cleaning company in Denver, at 720-344-2870, or use our online contact form to ask us questions or to receive a free quote.
Why spring is the perfect time for upholstery (and carpet) cleaning
Ever take a nap on your sofa on a Sunday? Maybe you’ve watched the game or an old western. Then, slowly you’ve nodded off blearily gazing at Clint Eastwood or the ceiling. A little while later, you wake up with a face full of sofa cushion. And maybe, just maybe, you also wake up wondering, “What is that smell?” It’s a little delicate. We do a LOT of living in our living rooms. Our pets drool on the couch (we do too) or bring us a drippy ball and set it on the ottoman. Some of us sit down on the upholstery after a dirty day at work, or spill beer and snacks on the couch during the big playoffs. Kids or our spouse use the family room recliner to get well from a broken rib or the flu. Soggy tissues clutter the armrests. Cold medicine is dripped on the upholstery. Cough drops get shoved into the cracks where they crumble and melt. And that’s not to mention the kid experiments that are brought in from the backyard that somehow end up on your favorite antique chair. Get back the newness Soon it will be sunny outside for keeps. You’ll be able to throw open the windows and air out the whole house. Ahhh, freshness! Spring is a time for big cleaning efforts for a reason. New growth will spring from the trees and flowers will poke their heads up from the earth outside. It’s a perfect time to renew your environment inside too. Professional upholstery and carpet cleaning with a truck-mounted steam cleaning system removes dirt, dust and grime and those little messes that build up from day-to-day living. That includes smells and dust trapped down deep in your upholstery. Protect your investments Your furniture and carpets are a valuable part of your house. You spent a lot of time picking them out or installing them. Sometimes furniture is passed down through the generations and is emotionally priceless too. Your possessions are worth the upkeep. They can serve you for years to come if you take care of them. That’s why it’s important to vacuum your sofas, loveseats and chairs regularly. Then, once a year or so make an appointment for professional upholstery cleaning to remove stains and grime. Keep the loveseat lovelier longer You could rent a cheap steam cleaning system to clean your upholstery yourself. But, what would you miss? A professional carpet and upholstery cleaner like A Personal Touch knows exactly how to clean a variety of fabrics from durable to delicate. Our technicians receive regular training and our company is certified by the Institute of Inspection, Cleaning and Restoration. We understand: Preparation. We put plastic protectors beneath your furniture legs to protect your carpets. Stain treatment. We can analyze your furniture stains and provide just the right treatment to get them out without harming fabric. Special features. We treat furniture trimmings, cushions and throw pillows, separately. We know how to make true whites and deep colors look their best. Protection. After cleaning, we can treat your furniture with a soil protector fiber coat to ensure lasting beauty. Celebrate spring inside your home as well as outside. Call A Personal Touch Carpet Cleaning Services today to schedule an upholstery cleaning in Littleton, Castle Rock, Englewood or beyond at 720.344.2870, or use our online contact form to ask questions and request a free quote. Be sure to check out our service specials too.
Winter weather: Don’t let snow and slush shorten the life of your carpet
Would you invite the Abominable Snowman or the carrot-nosed Olaf from the cartoon Frozen into your house for tea? Likely not. They’d make big messes on your floor. When you come into your house from the driveway in the winter, you may not be as chaotic as Olaf, but your shoes and boots will track water, slush and grit onto your floors or carpets. Protect your fibers The fibers in your carpet are sensitive. Salt, water and dirt from shoes get ground into carpet, especially during the winter months. As the water dries, chemicals from road treatment solutions can rise to the top and cause staining.2 In turn, sand and grit can fall down into your carpet and degrade your carpet fibers. If this goes on long enough, those fibers can be permanently stained. The backing that holds your carpet together can also be affected.1 What can you do? That ounce of prevention Well, first, it’s best to contain that mess before it starts. Ask your family and friends to take off their boots and shoes before they enter the house. Put a boot tray outside your most-used door to keep everything organized. That pet paw solution The weather recently got so cold in Colorado that many dog owners protected their pets’ paws with strap-on booties. While you may remove your dog’s booties before they come back indoors, you may not think to wipe off their feet every time they come in from the yard. Place towels by the door and make drying your pets’ paws a regular habit. That vacuuming routine In 2013, Electrolux (a major household appliance brand) conducted a global vacuuming survey. They asked 28,000 people from 23 countries how they felt about vacuuming.3 The company discovered several interesting tidbits: Koreans vacuum more often than anyone in the world; 29% vacuum at least once a day. Most people worldwide vacuum for less than an hour at a stretch. Thirty-eight percent of respondents vacuum in the morning; vacuuming in the evening is rare. Sixty-eight percent of respondents vacuum in casual outfits, 21% wear a track suit and 4% wear only their underwear. (If you must know, 2% reported vacuuming in their birthday suits.) Of the 18-30 year-old surveyed, 51% listen to music while vacuuming and 6% even dance, listen and vacuum at the same time. Whatever your habits while dragging your Dyson or Hoover across the floor, your carpet will stay younger longer if you vacuum regularly. You don’t need to vacuum several times a day (11% of Koreans surveyed do), but once a week will keep your house fresher and your carpet newer longer. That carpet cleaning schedule As careful as we try to be, our carpets still take a beating in the winter. The family cat might break away before you can clean her paws. Your toddler might squirm out of your arms and run across the carpet in his snow boots. You might knock your hot cocoa over with your elbow while solving the latest Wordle puzzle in front of the fire. A professional carpet cleaner can help you treat stains quickly with the right solution that won’t damage your carpets and area rugs. Regular professional cleaning (every 12 to 18 months) with high-temperature, truck-mounted steam cleaning equipment can lift grit from your carpets to prevent fiber staining. After the cleaning, your professional carpet cleaner can then apply a new coat of protectant to your carpet. Your partners in clean At A Personal Touch Carpet Cleaning, we can help you keep your carpets fresh all year long. We are happy to answer any carpeting questions you might have and give you a free, written estimate without cost or obligation. Contact us at 720.344.2870 or use our online form to schedule a free consultation. Sources: https://jkcomplete.com/3-things-can-destroy-carpet-prevent-delamination/ https://www.angi.com/articles/road-salt-wrecks-carpet.htm Electrolux-Global-Vacuuming-Survey-2013-Did-you-know.pdf (electroluxgroup.com)
17 Mistakes to Avoid When Selling Your House
Selling your house can be both exciting and stressful, especially if it’s your first time. Regardless of why you decided to sell your home, there are a number of pitfalls you can easily fall into, making your home selling experience less than ideal. Luckily, we’ve put together a list of the most common home selling mistakes people make so you can sell your home knowing you have your bases covered. Underestimating the cost of selling your house While you should ultimately profit from the sale of your home, many home sellers forget about the costs associated with selling a house. For starters, you should expect to use five to six percent of the total sale price of your home to cover the commissions of both the seller and buyer agents. For example, if you sell your home for $300,000 you could wind up paying upwards of $18,000 in commission. Furthermore, this hefty cost doesn’t include possible concessions homebuyers might want you to make during the negotiation phase, such as making repairs suggested by a home inspector. Not budgeting for your move When you consider the moving process, you have two options: hiring a moving company or borrow your buddy’s truck and doing it yourself. By hiring a moving company, rather than doing it yourself, you’re getting someone who will pack, move, and then unpack your belongings. This means that a full-service mover can be well worth the investment when you’re preoccupied with all of the other tasks associated with selling your home. Not to mention, when you hire movers your belongings are insured so you’re covered if anything breaks. Selling a house you owe more on than what it’s worth If you still have a remaining balance on your mortgage, you’ll most likely use a portion of the sale proceeds of your home to pay off the existing mortgage. Make sure you don’t owe more on your mortgage than what your house is actually worth or you won’t make enough money on the sale to pay off your mortgage. The best option is almost always to wait on selling your home so that it can build more equity. This way you can sell your home and buy a new one without having two mortgages at the same time. Pricing your home incorrectly If you price your home too high, your home may fall into seller’s limbo, sitting on the market for what feels like an eternity. On the other hand, if you price too low then you will likely sell your home quickly but you risk missing out on a significant amount of money. The first step to understanding how much your home is worth is utilizing an online calculator. Afterward, meet with your real estate agent to discuss a good pricing strategy for your home. They will look at other comparable properties in your neighborhood that sold recently as well as bring keen insights into what the housing market is currently doing. Together, you’ll determine a good starting price as well as a pricing strategy that will incentivize buyers if your house begins to sit on the market for too long. Skipping a pre-listing home inspection before selling your house Selling a house is stressful enough, even when everything goes right. But if a homebuyer hires an inspector who catches an issue like mold, pests, or a cracked foundation, then your stress levels will multiply as you risk losing a potential sale entirely. Given the affordability of home inspections, there’s not much reason to avoid them. Getting a pre-listing home inspection will put your mind at ease as you’ll either know that your home is in sound condition or you’ll be able to tackle problems before homebuyers have the chance to bring them up during the negotiation phase. If an issue does arise, you can either fix it or you can let buyers know and then make a concession during the negotiation phase by reducing the price of your home accordingly. Not refinishing hardwood floors or cleaning your carpet If you’re reading this at home, look down. How do your floors look? Even if they don’t look terrible, there’s a pretty good chance they’re starting to show their age. Since potential buyers are going to be inspecting every aspect of your home, you should start thinking of refinishing your hardwood floors and cleaning your carpet. Whether you’re selling in Atlanta or Portland, the best time to have your carpet cleaned or hardwood floors refinished is right before you stage your home. Since you’ll already be moving most (or all) of your furniture to either a new home or a storage unit, this is a great time to get your floors done (like the floors above) and make them a selling point to potential homebuyers. Not staging your home for a quick sale The main point of staging your home is to allow potential homebuyers the chance to picture themselves living in your space. They get to see a home with furniture and art that’s arranged in a way that highlights key features of your home, rather than an empty house that echoes every sound. Staging your home pays off too as 21 percent of agents told the National Association of Realtors that staging a home increased its’ sale price by as much as 10 percent, making it a worthwhile investment. Forgoing professional real estate photos With the advent of cameras on smartphones, everyone likes to think of themselves as a photographer these days. Even though that picture you took of your dinner last week looked like it could be featured in advertisements, you’re still probably not ready to take your own real estate photos. A real estate photographer will make sure that your home looks great when you list it because not only do they have the equipment, they understand the angles that best sell a home. If you have a large home, a stunning view you want to show off, or a large amount of land, you