Cleaning Before Closing

Moving from a home is often a hectic time. Packing, moving, storing, throwing things out, making repairs to the home, taking care of the purchase arrangements for the next home. The list goes on. It’s during this crazy time that Mesa homeowners who sell their home often ask me before close of escrow how clean they should leave their home. To this question, I offer two answers.

First, the contract says you’ve got to remove all personal property and debris from the real estate. Resist the temptation to leave anything behind. Contractually-speaking, the seller is obligated to remove all personal property that is not included in the sale.

All personal property not included in the sale and all debris will be removed from the Premises.
Arizona Association of REALTORS Residential Resale Real Estate Purchase Contract, Paragraph 5a (iv)

It’s easy to justify wanting to leave something behind. “Oh, they’ll need that toy baby crib. It’ll be perfect for the new buyers! Besides, we don’t have room for it in the truck.” Please don’t. If in doubt, clean it out.

My second response is simply the Golden Rule – Do unto others as you would have them do unto you.

Ask yourself how you would like to find the home were you buying it? In the case of most buyers, they’d like to see everything out of the home and that it has been cleaned. Think of the very basics:

Kitchen

• Counters wiped down
• Cabinets and drawers wiped out…even your old junk drawer and especially the area where you kept your garbage can
• Refrigerator (if it conveys) cleaned out and wiped down
• Floor swept or mopped

Bathrooms

• Counters wiped down
• Sinks, tub, and toilet cleaned
• Floor swept or mopped

Bedrooms

• Closets cleared out
• Floors vacuumed

Living areas

• Floors vacuumed
• Check that ceiling fan remotes are left behind

Outside

• Ensure lawn is mowed and rock areas are free of weeds
• Clean up any “Contributions” your pet may have left behind
• Remove all trash and recycling…when you move, it should be gone, too.

Going the extra mile

If you’d like to make the experience all the better for your new buyers consider these ideas:

• Leave behind paint cans for colors and finishes in the home
• Label any speaker pre-wiring (example: Rear left, rear right, etc.)
• Place all user manuals for appliances, pool equipment, and garage door openers in a box or folder. I’ve even had a photo album left behind with pictures of the home as it was being built so I’d know were studs and wiring were located…top notch!
• Replace air conditioning filters

I always recommend asking the agents to find out what the buyer’s expectations are. If a buyer is planning on re-flooring and/or painting, they will often tell the seller so they don’t spend time and energy cleaning those areas.

If the buyer and seller consider the transaction to be a cooperative arrangement, both will have a better experience from beginning to end. Think of it as your own “Pay it forward” moment. You’ll be glad you did.