If the prospect of putting your home for sale an additional stress in your life, there are a lot of things that you can do to simplify the chores and achieve the goal of having it on the market this spring. Cleaning and organizing the garage is probably nothing compared to cleaning and organizing your basement. Potential buyers do look at the basement as an additional room that they can have, not only for storing, but for extra living space. Organizing your basement and garage can give you the extra edge you need to sell your home promptly. Making sure your basement has no leaks can be the difference between having your home on the market for 2 weeks or a year. For more about getting your home ready for spring follow the links below.
Make spring cleaning easier with expert tips, helping hands
March in the Valley brings Major League Baseball, blooming plants and trees, and an urgency to enjoy the weather before it gets blistering hot.
Inside, it’s also the perfect time — with the holidays in the rear-view mirror and New Year’s resolutions waning — to give your house a springtime freshening.
Spring cleaning can seem like just another thing to do on your already crammed calendar, but for those like Erika Gentner, it’s an opportunity to get the whole family on board for a better home.
“I like to think of it as a family tradition,” says Gent ner, who typically schedules spring-cleaning weekend well in advance and then counts down the days to build up excitement for her 7- and 9-year-old sons. “We make it as fun as possible. … We order pizza or subs and break up the day a little bit.”
Gentner, a Phoenix professional organizer and co-owner of Dependable Divas, says her sons also get a reward for helping and get to do easy tasks such as wiping down baseboards and removing smudges from walls with a Mr. Clean Magic Eraser. She and her husband tackle the harder stuff, including washing windows, decluttering the garage and cleaning out the refrigerator.
10 tips for spring cleaning success
Susquehanna Valley experts weigh-in on organizing and de-cluttering spaces.
After a tough winter in the Susquehanna Valley, spring is a good time to open up the windows, get organized and clear out clutter.
Here’s some tips and tricks from local experts to use as a springboard for spring cleaning projects:
1. Visualize your goals
Todd Sweet, co-owner of Clutter Stoppers, a professional organizing business that serves Central Pa., says making a home more functional and efficient starts with a simple plan.
“First, you should visualize what you want your home to look like,” said Sweet. “You want to prioritize how each space should function for your needs.”
2. Get into cleanup mode
The task of tackling messy spaces may sound daunting for some, but Maura Clements, owner of MoreSPACE Professional Organizing in Lancaster, Pa., says a lot of people have cleanup fears.
Time to spring forward with that house cleaning
The calendar says it’s time for spring cleaning, so get down and get dirty. Whether you wield the duster yourself or hire someone else to do it, a clean house is worth the time and/or money you put into it, especially after a winter like this one.
The tradition of “spring cleaning” dates back to before the days of HVAC with add-on filtration systems that keep your home’s interior air on an even keel year-round. But while you may not be beating rugs and emptying ashes out of the coal grate, there is still plenty for you to do as your energy level rises with the temperature.
Rachel Sammons, owner of Prime Shine Services Inc. in Saginaw, outlines a basic cleaning routine that her crews follow with their regular customers, one that applies equally to non-professionals.
Dust first. “Go from the top down, because the dust you miss will fall to the floor and you can get it when you’re vacuuming,” Sammons said. “This is the time of year when you’ll see lots of cobwebs along the window tracks. It doesn’t matter how new your house is; cobwebs don’t discriminate! They come back quickly, too, so be sure to check behind your doors and around the hinges and jams.”