How spotless does house need to be to sell?

[Joulee]

I’m just getting so overwhelmed. House is very cluttered so that needs to be dealt with before I even tidy/clean.

Does the house need to be tidy? Or does a house need to be spotlessly clean to sell?

Also in terms of hours how much did you spend on getting everything ready?

Single mum.

I agree with others it’s not that it needs to be spotlessly clean but it does need to be tidy and no clutter. Having “stuff” everywhere makes rooms look smaller and makes a space feel more cramped, and it also makes people look and immediately think the house doesn’t have enough storage. Focus all of your efforts on decluttering, get things clean and tidy and all put away (even if into temp homes like the car boot for viewings), you want to show off the space you’ve got, clear kitchen benches, clear side tables in living areas, bedside tables etc clear

It varies a lot. A few years ago we sold a house with masses of potential on behalf of a relative. It was old, not immediately inhabitable and we did not have time to redecorate or do much more than a basic clean.

We received an offer £10k over the asking price on the first day it was on the market. The buyers wanted a project, the house was within a walkable commute to their work and they could see the potential. They were determined to buy it, hence the high offer.

As another pp said, I like to see a bit of character, family photos etc, not a sterile show house.

Things that would put me off viewing:-

1. Paperwork, books and other stuff piled up in dining room tables and sideboards
2. Too many appliances/not enough prep space on kitchen worktops
3. Unmade beds or stuff piled up under the duvet (looks like a dead body) All these would make me think house is too small/ insufficient storage.
4. Washing draped anywhere - Mould
5. Rubbish dumped in the garden - rats

That said if I was in the market for a fixer upper and it was cheap, none of the above would bother me.

Who is likely to buy your home? Then tidy/ declutter accordingly. So if it's a family home then it's fine if there are toys etc about. What you don't want is for it to look like it's bursting at the seams. So we cleared toys out of the kids rooms to the point where everything had a home. We cleared the living room of toys so it looked like a nice space for adults to relax. Same in the bathroom.

I think it needs to be generally clean, it gives a better first impression. And decluttering for the photos is more important - we literally chucked piles of stuff in our car for the photos.

We've just sold, and viewed a fair few.

We saw one with the whole room full of craft stuff, literally a tiny square of floor to stand in...it obviously wasn't in the photos. The rest of the house was reasonably tidy. And we still liked the house...(it wasn't the one we went for in the end but it absolutely wasn't off the cards due to clutter).

I'd ensure the kitchen is clean and tidy - I wouldn't necessarily sort the cupboards, but ensure they aren't overflowing with stuff falling out - I open the cupboards when viewing - not because I'm nosy at stuff but to gauge size, condition and see any neat features like lazy susans or pan drawers.

Similarly the bathroom, ensuring its clean and uncluttered.

Also, where the boiler / hot water tank are - not necessarily clear of stuff, but reasonably presentable that nothing falls out.

Make the beds

And put the laundry away.

The rest can be looked past to a point. Honestly, if I liked the house...seeing your kids toys overflowing from a kallax unit, your 101 knick knacks, and cat-scratched sofa isn't going to massively put me off. If I hate it, no amount of staging is going to help.

I think it needs to be reallllly clutter-free. When we sold ours, I rammed everything in drawers. Particularly in the bathroom—only a token designer upscale bottle out, and the towels folded like a page out of a White Company catalogue.

My husband even said to me, ‘Why can’t we have the house looking like it did when we sold it?’ Right, bro…because we LIVE here and we don’t frantically shove all of our soaps, toothbrushes, bottles, and razors into someone’s bedroom cupboard every day!

how much time did you spend on getting your houses ready? Was I optimistic with giving myself only a weekend? Have arranged for my sister to have kids for the weekend just so I could knock it out

Ours is immaculate we’re told. We put away all personal stuff, no photos, bathrooms cleared of everything except posh shower stuff and products. Theres no clutter and the wardrobes have been sorted in case anyone wanted to look in them.

No point, no one has viewed.

We spent about 3 hours, two of us, sorting a three bed terraced house. It wasn’t particularly bad or cluttered.

so OP let me give you good advice.

People make a decision in a split second on how they feel about a house - as they walk around they are 'feeling ' it in their gut.

If your house is cluttered - their subconscious mind will think this is a house without enough storage - they will imagine living there and THEIR own life being messy

I promise it is MUCH MUCH harder to sell a messy or cluttered house. You will add a lot to the value by it being as spotless as possible - my house has never looked as good as when it went on sale.

Think of the value you might add - it could be thousands of pounds -

We put a load of crap in the car! on the morning of viewings.

But really honestly wahtever anyone here says - you really do want it as tidy and uncluttered (ie. no piles of doom/ crap everywhere/ no piles of stuff out of place / everything tidied away) as possible.

Cleanliness doesn't really matter so much its definitely make the space 'seen' thats important I.e remove as much furniture and clutter as possible.

The better it looks the more money you will get and the quicker it will sell. We have just sold fils and he was a hoarder. We cleared it, but that revealed damp, mould, peeling paper, rotting carpet (which we took away). Sold it as is for 500,000. It would probably have got 600,000 if it was in good order.

‘Also, where the boiler / hot water tank are - not necessarily clear of stuff, but reasonably presentable that nothing falls out. ‘

Hahahaha , when I opened the airing cupboard door in a house we were viewing an electric drill fell out and hit me on the foot! ( there was also a stack of Pampers on the coffee table 🙀).

We offered on the house in the drive, the situation and the size were exactly what we wanted . Offered less than the asking price though, and stipulated that the agent inspected it before completion to make sure it was clean and in reasonable order. ( Had a retention to ensure this)

We bought it, but if it had been Pamper free and without perilous cupboards, we would have offered the asking price.

The two houses we fell in love with were full of family stuff and clutter when we looked round. Made us laugh cos before we got there we said ooh I bet they’re rushing round tidying up! Anyway, our spotless house took months to sell and we had two young chn at the time so very hard to keep really clean and tidy. It’s the house I see not how it’s presented but everyone is different. Also I only like period properties and I feel sad if they’re really, really minimalist.
Good luck, genuine buyers can see beyond the superficial.

Good luck with your sale Joulee, if you only have limited time
maybe focus on kitchen & bathroom -sparkling sinks and taps, no grubby mats, fresh towels etc. I've never been put off by 'family mess' (moved 10 times). I think people can't help but imagine themselves using the sinks & shower these need to look fresh! If you are doing your own viewings (I always do) it's worth knowing all about the schools, public transport, leisure and places of interest nearby.

I would not buy a house with a dog bed or evidence of a dog. I am probably a minority but if you can get rid of obvious signs of a dog, I would consider doing that.

Both times I have bought properties, they've been cluttered and in once case, really quite dirty. The second place was being rented out so quite rightly the tenants felt zero need to clean and tidy for their landlord's benefit.

So it's certainly not a barrier to selling - some people are willing and able to see past that. The clutter would all be gone when I bought it and I knew I'd need to spend two days cleaning when I moved in so scheduled that in.

But it does potentially make rooms feel smaller or mean potential buyers might overlook some good features so it may reduce interest and the price.

If it is making you cry with stress , don't bother and put it up as it is and accept you may not get top price for it.

You are trying to make your house look like the best version of itself to maximise your price/appeal. If it's a bit tired at least make it look like the space is useful and it's a functioning house. If it's fairly new-build or recently decorated then it might benefit from a bit more dressing to make the most of it.

Everyone's definition of clutter is different but assuming you aren't starting from "Sort your life out" levels, you need to get to a point where everything on view fits where it should be and doesn't look too crowded. That will mean putting away a lot of out-of-season or less-used stuff that has built up. Then it just needs to be clean, tidy and nicely arranged. Best thing is to take some photos yourself and see what jars or sticks out in them - then you can focus your efforts. Somehow you see it better in a picture than walking past it every day.

I would not paint the outside. Sweep and brush everything and smarten up your plants/outside things.

We spent a solid weekend (without DC) getting our house ready for photos, including a couple of trips to cheap shops to buy flowers/cushions/mirror.

It’s the smell that is likely to put some people off if stale or dirty so no fake air freshener smells, clean drains with boiling water and soda, polish wooden furniture, clean allhard surfaces so shiny and clear, wash floors, put all used textiles in laundry eg bath mats towels tea towels. Clean sink grill hob.
Make sure entrance looks clear and clean, wash porch, front doir and put couple of colourful pots out. Empty all bins and wash out. Dustbins out the way. No rubbish in garden. Or hidden!
Clear surfaces and floors make house look bigger.
plants and flowers on surfaces.
Hide all pet stuff and remove pets.
Open all windows well before to exchange air in house then close if cold so house cosy.
Good luck OP.

This as above ^

Viewers need to be able to assess room sizes so hide away clutter and clear surfaces which make a room seem smaller.

Make sure floors are cleared and vacuumed.
Remove shampoos and bottles, flannels etc from bathroom. Toilet seat down!
Clear draining board of all dishes & put away.

Air the house, crack open a window or two, no odours or smelly waste bins.

Clear up dog poo (if you have a dog)
Put cat litter trays away (if you have a cat.)

You are selling a life style just like the national house builders are when they present show homes.

Make a list of the chores you feel you need to do before photos & viewings and tick it off.

You can do it in a weekend if you are really focused and prepared. Have boxes ready to pack stuff away. Check all your cleaning products and have them in a separate box that you can take room to room.
Book a window clean,

Also do a bit every night. Even half an hour sorting a cupboard will make a huge difference.

Having a clean and tidy house won't put anyone at all off buying it. Having a scruffy and cluttered house might put off some people. To get a quicker sale I'd make sure it was spotless and tidy.

Op don't worry! I'm a naturally immaculate, lines in the carpet at all times person and I just offered on a house like you described as I fell in love with it. I don't expect everyone to he like me, infact my house makes some people uncomfortable and they would hate it. The house my offer was accepted on had piles of papers ( tidily ) everywhere, a worn out rug etc but I LOVE it. It's where I need it to be in the best area, has so much potential etc. I'd have been disgusted with myself if I had gone in and judged!