When you’re selling real estate or renting out a property, it’s not uncommon to come across a property that’s nearly perfect but is filthy. Knowing how to approach cleaning up a dirty property, and how to do so in an efficient manner, will help you unlock your full potential as a real estate investor. To ensure you’re ready to make tons of money in the real estate game, here are seven crucial tips for cleaning a dirty real estate property:
1. Make a List
Anytime that you’re preparing for a monumental task with multiple steps, having a list (especially a checklist) will prove invaluable. Not only will this keep you on task, but it will help you see your progress in a specific, invigorating manner. Lists also help you prevent doubling down on a task and give you a clearer idea as to what task will be best to perform next so that you stay on top of your overall mission.
2. Create a Timeframe
Speaking of lists, having specific timeframes for when you will do a cleaning task, and how long you expect it to take, can keep you focused as well. Knowing how long you’re taking to complete tasks, and whether or not you’ll need more (or less) time to meet your larger goals, will keep you less stressed, and allow you to plan ahead much more effectively.
Just be sure not to underestimate all of your timeframes, or you could find yourself stressed about quickly piling up extra time that you’re spending. This is a major tip from some professional cleaning gurus that you should take to heart.
3. Start Small
Being able to knock a few items off of your checklists early on will get you motivated faster, and help keep you focused. Avoid doing any major deep cleans first, however, as many cleaning and other tasks will end up spreading dust and other unforeseen problems around the space.
Knowing that you’re ramping up your task will prove invaluable as you reach the final steps of your cleaning list, as it’s easier to take on a particularly large task when you know it will be one of the final steps on your journey. If you have the issue of getting rid of urine smells from a previous tenant’s pet, there are some neat tricks you can use to help you do so with ease.
4. Don’t Overdo It
Nothing will make your journey more frustrating than overdoing your cleaning efforts right out of the gate. Unless you have to clean a property in a single day, it’s best to think of your journey as a marathon, rather than a race. Doing so will ensure you’re not putting too much stress on yourself, and that you will not become unmotivated only a few hours after starting your cleaning efforts.
5. Invest in Extra Garbage Cans
If you’ve ever cleared an entire property before, you’ve likely run into an issue where you have to walk between rooms to throw things away or to get rid of dust. By investing in a garbage can for each room you’re cleaning in, or at least one or two extra cans you can place at your convenience, you’ll save your energy and feel much less stressed when you’re first cleaning up clutter and dusting rooms (in preparation for much deeper cleaning tasks).
6. Boxes are Your Best Friend
When you’re doing a larger cleaning operation, it can be useful to move all items out of a room. However, without proper storage choices, doing so can become a frustrating and time-sapping effort. Thankfully, having boxes (of many different sizes) at your side can make moving objects in and out of a room much simpler. Be sure to label boxes as you go, however, to make the unpacking process later on that much simpler.
7. Consider Donating or Selling Bulk
Are you coming across bulk clothes, linens, kitchen tools, or other items as you deep clean the property? Donating or selling this bulk can help you give back to the community, or help you make an extra few bucks. Once this is combined with the cash you’ll be bringing in from selling or renting a property, you’ll find your financial health feeling stronger than it’s been in a long time.
Maintain a Cleaning Schedule
As you’re waiting to finally sell or rent a property, it’s important to set up a cleaning schedule that can help you maintain your now perfect-looking, clean property. Even if you only set aside an hour or two each week, you’ll have the ability to keep the house clean enough that you can show it at a moment’s notice without feeling stressed about whether it’s truly showable.
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