Cleaning Out Foreclosures: A How-to Guide - Clean Outs Ocean County

Clean Outs Ocean County

When your real estate client or tenant has received a foreclosure notice in the mail, it can have devastating effects. Anything from job loss to divorce can precipitate a need to sell a home quickly, often at a big loss. As a real estate agent or landlord tasked with selling or renting that property after foreclosure, you have a long road ahead of you in terms of staging the property for sale.

Let’s take a look at some steps to follow when cleaning out a foreclosure.

Cleaning Out Foreclosures - Exterior

When a home is foreclosed on, it typically looks neglected because the former occupants likely couldn’t afford the upkeep and maintenance. This leaves you with a big job on your hands when it comes to elevating the curb appeal. Your job is to make the property attractive to potential buyers, all while trying to boost the property value of the home and neighborhood. Here’s how you can restore the exterior:

• Get rid of all junk outside. Things like old siding and shingles, rusted basketball hoops, junk cars and parts, and broken patio furniture should all be removed by a professional junk removal company such as Got Trash?
• Take a look around the outside: are there any broken windows and blinds, crumbling steps, or dilapidated mailboxes? Replace them right away and call a general contractor or fix-it person if you have to.
• The lawn will need some TLC, too, so call a gardener or landscaper to plant fresh grass, flowers and shrubs, mow the lawn, and trim back the trees and shrubs. A bit of mulch around shrubs and garden areas can go a long way to beautifying the property.
• Add a touch of décor depending on the season, such as white twinkling lights in winter or fresh blooms in a window box come summer. Make the house look homey and you’re halfway there.

Cleaning Out Foreclosures - Interior

The inside is just as important as the outside. A beautiful exterior will get buyers in the door, certainly, but if you don’t have the goods to back it all up, you’re not going to get very far. Go through one room at a time and take it slow. Call in experts if you need to. You would be surprised how much a coat of paint and some window treatments can spruce up a place.

Cleaning Out Foreclosures - Check out these cleaning and repair tasks you should handle:

• If you notice ants or other critters, call in a pest removal company right away
• Call a junk removal company to get rid of junk that’s just taking up space, such as old toys and broken furniture
• Clean the carpets
• Wash the floors and walls
• Repair broken light fixtures
• Clean out the refrigerator thoroughly
• Clean all appliances and make sure they’re in good working order
• Remove waste materials, paint cans, chemicals, etc. from basements and attics
• Replace blinds and window coverings that are dirty, broken or dusty
• Apply a fresh coat of paint to walls if you see significant smoke stains or marks

Got Trash? professionals have the tools, trucks and equipment needed to safely and efficiently remove junk from any foreclosed home. Just give us a call at 732-431-2788 for a free estimate today.