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Home » Cleaning Mistakes That Lower Home Value

This post was updated on November 15, 2019

Cleaning Mistakes That Lower Home Value

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Cleaning Mistakes That Lower Home Value - Are you making these mistakes?

Cleaning Mistakes That Lower Home Value

When we think about mistakes that lower home value, we mostly consider the obvious ones: painting the exterior a wild color, ignoring a leaky roof, even having neighbors that are noisy or allow their yards to deteriorate. While most would-be sellers know they’ve got to address such things to get top dollar offers, many don’t think about the cleaning mistakes that lower home value.

Unless you’re living in your “forever home” there will come a time when you’ll put your house on the market. Take it from a retired military wife who has survived several moves: you’re going to be so busy reducing clutter and preparing for your move that you won’t have the time, energy or money to deal with all of the things that can lower your home’s value.

If you’re lucky enough to list your home in a seller’s market you can pretty much expect a great offer on your home “as is,” but it’s impossible to predict when those happen or how long they’ll last. To save yourself the aggravation, assume you’ll be listing in a buyer’s market, which means your home needs to be in excellent condition inside and out to attract the highest offers.

Cleaning Mistakes That Lower Home Value

When it comes to cleaning mistakes that lower home value, it’s never too early to address these things. Ideally, you’d start as soon as you buy a house, but if you’ve been living in your home for a while, it’s a smart idea to adapt your housekeeping routine now to keep things from getting worse.

Cleaning Mistakes That Lower Home Value - Not cleaning your floors often enough damages them

1. Not cleaning floors often enough

Problem: Roughly 80% of the stuff you vacuum from your floors consists of dirt or other things tracked in from outside. These substances become embedded in the fibers and padding of your carpet. Regular vacuuming and carpet shampooing every six months prevents dark tracks in high-traffic areas, so you won’t have to replace your flooring or offer a carpeting allowance to potential buyers.

Think you’re safe because you have hardwood or laminate floors? Think again! Dirt and dust are abrasive so they cause fine scratches in the surface of your hard flooring. Over time this leads to a dull, constantly dirty look.

Solution: Learn how to properly vacuum carpeting and give yours a thorough once-over every week. IF you have hard flooring, either vacuum or thoroughly damp mop it weekly. For both types of flooring, add additional cleanings of high-traffic areas based on the number of people and pets living in your home. For instance, a three-person household with one cat needs one thorough weekly cleaning and four high-traffic area cleanings each week.

See:
• How To Steam Clean Your Carpet
• Homemade Floor Cleaner for ALL Types Of Hard Floors

Cleaning Mistakes That Lower Home Value - Ignoring carpet stains makes them permanent

2. Ignoring carpet stains.

Problem: Time, heat, and constantly walking on carpets stains can cause them to “set,” which means they become chemically bonded to carpet fibers and can’t be removed without damaging the carpet itself. Sure, you can give a “carpet allowance” and reduce your profit, but a very badly stained carpet may be such a sales distraction that would-be buyers don’t make an offer at all.

Solution: Treat spills as soon as they happen and you’ll often avoid a stain altogether. Then, at least once a month, inspect your carpet in every room and deal with any stains you find.

See:
• How To Clean Carpet Stains
• How To Clean Pet Stains
• How To Get Dried Paint (and other old stains) Out Of Carpet

Cleaning Mistakes That Lower Home Value - Not polishing front door hardware

3. Not polishing your front door hardware.

Problem: Curb appeal starts at your front door. Nothing says “nice place” to potential buyers like the brilliant gleam of a polished brass door knocker, handle, and kickplate. If ignored by the homeowner, though, brass fixtures will corrode and can become permanently damaged.

Solution: Keep door hardware in good shape by regularly dislodging dirt and grime with a toothbrush or the dust attachment on your vacuum cleaner. (Use mineral spirits, known as white spirits in the UK, and a toothbrush to remove stubborn grease.) Once a week, wash your door fixtures with soapy water then rinse well to remove any residue.

Cleaning Mistakes That Lower Home Value - Letting Grout Get Greasy Or Discolored

4. Letting grout get greasy or discolored.

Problem: No one enjoys cleaning grout. Unfortunately, it’s very porous so ignoring it can lead to permanent discoloration. In the kitchen, every time you fry or sautee food it sends grease into the air that eventually settles onto your flooring. In the bathroom, improper ventilation leads to mold and mildew growth on grout.

Solution: Using a splatter screen when you’re cooking helps reduce grease splatters. Running bathroom fans for 10 minutes after every shower keeps humidity from causing mold and mildew. Using a homemade daily shower spray also helps. Even if your weekly cleaning routine addresses these areas, get in the habit of scrubbing grout every month or so to remove discoloration.

See:
• How to Clean Grout
• How To Get Rid Of Mildew And Keep It From Returning

Cleaning Mistakes That Lower Home Value - Not cleaning appliances regularly

5. Not cleaning appliances regularly.

Problem: Buyers are already shelling out considerable money when purchasing a home; they don’t want to have to buy new appliances, too. Allowing your ceramic cooktop to get stained, ignoring the baked-on food coating your oven’s heating element, or allowing grease to build up on appliance fronts will all turn off potential buyers.

Also, since many buyers now ask to see utility bills (and in some states sellers are legally required to provide them), letting dust and pet hair accumulate on your refrigerator coils sends your energy expenses soaring, something that can scare away frugal home shoppers.

Solution: Establish a weekly kitchen cleaning routine to keep grime from building up on your appliance fronts. Then, every six months, engage in a deep kitchen spring cleaning routine that includes a thorough cleansing of appliances.

See:
• How To Clean A Stained Stovetop
• How To Clean An Oven Naturally
• Refrigerator Spring Cleaning

Cleaning Mistakes That Lower Home Value - Using the wrong cleaners on hard surfaces

6. Using the wrong cleaners on hard surfaces.

Problem: Marble, granite, quartz and other stone surfaces are gorgeous to look at and can significantly increase the value of your home — unless you damage them by using the wrong cleaning products. While many of us are making the switch to homemade cleaning products, using a vinegar-based cleaner on natural stone can destroy the shine and cause pitting.

Don’t have stone surfaces? Homemade cleaning products can still cause damage if you aren’t precise about measuring the ingredients. Being heavy-handed with vinegar or lemon juice, for instance, will eventually harm faucets and other metals. Using too much soap leaves behind a sticky residue that attracts dirt and, since dirt is abrasive, can ruin the finish of acrylic tubs, laminate counters, and other surfaces.

Solution: Read the labels of commercial cleaning products closely to ensure they’re safe for your intended use. If using homemade cleaning products, follow the directions exactly and only use cleaning recipes from trusted sources.

See:
• DIY Granite Cleaner Recipe
• How To Clean Marble Naturally
• Homemade All Purpose Cleaner (with granite-safe alternative)

Cleaning Mistakes That Lower Home Value - Not cleaning your HVAC system seasonally

7. Not cleaning your HVAC system seasonally.

Problem: Remember what I said about potential buyers asking to see utility bills, and how sellers in some states are legally required to provide them up front? Neglecting your home’s HVAC can send those bills soaring, scaring away buyers who cringe at the thought of costly monthly heating and cooling bills.

Solution: Keep your HVAC in good working condition with regular maintenance. Dirty filters make your unit run harder and longer, so change the air filter at least every three months, and monthly if you have pets. Don’t block cold-air returns or floor registers with furniture, and keep your ducts free of mold and dust buildup. Also, twice a year give your outside unit a good cleaning to keep the vents free of dirt and other debris.

See:
How To Clean Your Own Air Ducts

Cleaning Mistakes That Lower Home Value - Not maintaining proper home humidity

8. Not maintaining proper home humidity.

Problem: The proper indoor humidity is 40-50%. Higher humidity leads to mold and mildew, and not just in the bathroom! Too much indoor humidity leads to condensation on windows that damage their frames and sills, swollen doors that don’t open easily, wood rot, and even mildew in your carpet. Too little humidity causes interior paint to crack and flake, hardwood floors to dry out and crack, the wallpaper will start peeling, and gaps will develop between walls and trim. (You’ll also get more sore throats, coughs, and other illnesses.)

Solution: Get an inexpensive hygrometer so you can monitor your home’s humidity levels year-round. If you have a whole house humidifier, change the filter at least annually — though twice each winter is ideal. Use a freestanding humidifier to add moisture to your indoor air in the winter if necessary. In the summer, when there’s abundant humidity in the air, keep within ideal levels by running bathroom fans for 15 minutes after every shower and using your kitchen exhaust fan when boiling or simmering food. If needed, use a freestanding dehumidifier in rooms with the worst humidity problems.

See:
• How To Improve Home Humidity
• How To Get Rid of Shower Mold and Mildew

Cleaning Mistakes That Lower Home Value - Ignoring signs of pests

9. Ignoring signs of pests.

Problem: Bugs and rodents prefer being indoors. Most people don’t like living with them. Some insects, like ants, try sneaking into your house only certain times of the year, usually when the ground is too damp for them to live comfortably. It’s easy enough to time the sale of your home around such incursions, but other infestations never go away. If you’ve noticed cockroaches, silverfish, or rodents, chances are a home inspector will find evidence of them even if you manage to clean up their traces before potential buyers visit your home.

Solution: You can certainly hire a professional pest exterminator to eliminate infestations, but if your home is full of boxes, exposed food, clutter, and other attractants the nuisances will just return. Make a habit of emptying your kitchen trash can nightly and don’t allow piles of newspapers or boxes to build up. Store dry goods in airtight containers, even in your pantry, and never leave food sitting out on your counter. Also, be sure to keep caulk around windows and doors in good condition and seal up any gap in your exterior walls.

See:
• How To Get Rid Of Cockroaches
• How To Get Rid Of Mice
• How To Get Rid Of Silverfish
• How To Get Rid Of Pantry Moths
• How To Get Rid Of Ants

Being Proactive Pays Off

Even if you have no plans to move, you never know what may cause that to change. A great job offer elsewhere, an ailing family member you want to live closer to, reduced income, or having horrible neighbors move in next door are just some of the things that cause people to move when they didn’t expect to.

Once relocation becomes inevitable, you’re going to have your hands full looking for your future home, packing your belongings, and preparing for a move. Your finances will be dedicated to making a down payment on your next place and paying a moving company or renting a truck. All of those burdens are reasons why moving is one of life’s 5 most stressful events.

With that emotional and financial pressure, you don’t want to add the hassle and cost of addressing cleaning mistakes that lower home value. You want to attract eager buyers ready to offer top dollar so you can recoup what you paid for your home and make a tidy profit, too. The best way to accomplish that is by incorporating the nine solutions above to keep your home in good order. As a bonus, you’ll find it’s more pleasant to live in, too.


Some important things to start cleaning to protect home value. Great list!

Filed Under: Clean Tagged With: cleaning, how to save money, save money

Comments

  1. Laurie says

    November 6, 2016 at 4:00 PM

    I do think it is important to have a regular cleaning schedule. For some things, I do have people come into help me with – i.e. cleaning of the hvac unit, deep cleaning of carpets, cleaning of tile and grout. I clean the tile and grout and do basic cleaning of carpets at other times, but services have better equipment and can do a deeper clean which I have done once or twice a year depending on how bad I think it is. Great tips – I always forget the door hardware. Thanks for sharing!

    Reply
    • Katie Berry says

      November 7, 2016 at 9:32 AM

      Thanks for your comment, Laurie. Hope you don’t mind that I stripped the URL of the cleaning company you were trying to get free advertising for. Since your comment indicates you don’t know how to clean a number of household things, including door hardware, I figure it doesn’t reflect well on your company anyway. Next time, think twice before trying to leave spammy comments on blogs.

  2. Megan Chamberlin says

    October 6, 2016 at 8:05 PM

    I can relate to ALL of these, but the grout one brings me back to a toothbrush and bleach in a RENTED home in Las Vegas…never again! Thanks for sharing the great tips at Merry Monday!

    Reply
    • Katie Berry says

      October 12, 2016 at 11:38 AM

      Thank you for hosting! Grout is the worst. I hate it.

  3. Meena@ AnchoredinSweets says

    October 5, 2016 at 4:09 PM

    Thank you.

    I am a NAVY wife and these tips were very helpful.

    Reply
    • Katie Berry says

      October 12, 2016 at 11:30 AM

      As an ARMY wife, I won’t hold it against you. 😉 Thank you for visiting!

  4. Linda Primmer says

    October 2, 2016 at 5:54 PM

    Wonderful tips everyone should follow, whether listing your house or not. A clean and inviting home is a must! Thanks for sharing your tips at DI&DI.

    Reply
    • Katie Berry says

      October 3, 2016 at 11:11 AM

      Thank you, Linda, and thank you for visiting!

  5. Linda Cassidy says

    October 2, 2016 at 2:12 PM

    great tips we all should follow all of the time

    Reply
    • Katie Berry says

      October 3, 2016 at 11:10 AM

      Thank you, Linda, and thanks for visiting!

  6. Savvy says

    October 2, 2016 at 1:57 PM

    This is so informative. I’m pinning.

    Reply
    • Katie Berry says

      October 3, 2016 at 11:10 AM

      Thank you!

  7. Jess says

    October 1, 2016 at 11:01 AM

    Definitely some great tips!

    I would love for you to share this with my Facebook Group for recipes, crafts, tips, and tricks: https://www.facebook.com/groups/pluckyrecipescraftstips/

    Thanks for joining Cooking and Crafting with J & J!

    Reply
    • Katie Berry says

      October 1, 2016 at 11:04 AM

      Thanks, Jess. I’m part of your Facebook group already!

  8. Patty says

    September 30, 2016 at 9:37 PM

    There are some great items in this list! Thank you for compiling this and sharing it with us!

    Reply
    • Katie Berry says

      October 1, 2016 at 9:47 AM

      Thank you for visiting, Patty!

  9. Michelle says

    September 29, 2016 at 11:42 PM

    Thanks for all the tips!
    I would have never thought about the door knocker!
    Michelle

    Reply
    • Katie Berry says

      September 30, 2016 at 10:33 AM

      It’s one of those little details that can make a difference. Thanks for visiting, Michelle!

  10. Raquel | Organized Island says

    September 29, 2016 at 10:28 AM

    These are great cleaning tips. We are going to sell later this year and love the suggestions!

    Reply
    • Katie Berry says

      September 30, 2016 at 10:30 AM

      My best piece of advice about getting ready to sell is: pace yourself!

  11. Janet Vinyard says

    September 28, 2016 at 11:13 AM

    Hi Katie, Thanks for all the wonderful tips and inspiration! Blessings, Janet

    Reply
    • Katie Berry says

      September 28, 2016 at 11:20 AM

      Thank you, Janet, and to you as well!

  12. Kendall says

    September 28, 2016 at 8:53 AM

    These are all such important things. Our hardwoods need to be refinished, which is on our list of things to do, but I never thought that even after they’re refinished my cleaning routine needed to be more intensive than the bi-weekly cleaning of it now. Thanks for these tips! 🙂

    Reply
    • Katie Berry says

      September 28, 2016 at 11:20 AM

      Don’t let the list intimidate you, Kendall. It’s just preventative measures so you don’t have to run yourself ragged cleaning when you decide to sell your home. 🙂

  13. Jean | DelightfulRepast.com says

    September 27, 2016 at 6:50 PM

    Great tips! I’m always interested in natural cleaners.

    Reply
    • Katie Berry says

      September 28, 2016 at 8:20 AM

      Me, too. They cost less, work just as well, and don’t add harmful contaminants to indoor air.

  14. Dani says

    September 24, 2016 at 7:10 PM

    I don’t usually make comments online but I really love this blog Just found it 🙂 I’m a 31 year old woman with adhd and quasi-aspergers and like how it’s very specific… thank you!
    – Dani

    Reply
    • Katie Berry says

      September 24, 2016 at 7:17 PM

      I’m so glad you find it helpful, Dani, and that you took the time to leave a comment! My husband had two TBIs as a young child, then later developed (and passed away from) brain cancer. Many of my cleaning checklists came from my desire to work with how his brain worked.

      And, also, I’m a bit of a linear thinker when I clean, so I figured showing others how I think might help them. 🙂

      Take care, and visit again soon!

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