Hey, home seller! Here's an essential marketing tip for you.
Always remember that the prospective home buyer's first view of your house can make or break a sales opportunity, so always make sure your home's windows give an enticing wink.
Here's how to make sure your home has welcoming, glittering windows.
Read this article from the San Antonio Express News, Sunday, December 9, 2001, written by Maribel Zimmerman. I dug it out of my archives, because so many of my home selling clients have asked for it and found it really works!
Cleaning windows: Simple Steps To A Clearer Outlook by Maribel Zimmerman
Some windows look like they were cleaned with a good amount of spit and an oily mechanics rag. Sticky fingers and wet noses pressed to the glass can wreak havoc on your view, too. But some windows look worse after they've been cleaned. Why? What could possibly have gone wrong? Plenty.
Hastily pursuing the perfect view can mean forgetting the most important credos of crystal-clear windows: clean water and the right tools. So, how do you get windows to sparkle the first time? It's really not that hard.
There are several ways to do the job right. Commercial cleaning solutions can work well, but are not necessary for the job. Old fashioned household cleaners are plentiful in most homes - and expensive.
Experts at Anderson-Windows suggest beginning with the right stuff: rubber gloves; two buckets or one bucket with two wells; sudsy ammonia; white vinegar; rubbing alcohol; several clean, dry rags; a squeegee; and a ladder, if necessary.
Now follow these steps to the best view you've ever enjoyed:
1. First, read and follow manufacturer's instructions on each cleaning agent and all tools before beginning. In addition, use extreme caution when using ladders and working around open windows to maintain safe operation and avoid injury. If elevation devices are required, do not use furniture, only equipment intended for that purpose, including ladders, scaffolding, and step stools. And, follow all manufacturers' instructions for safe operation.
2. Fill both buckets with 1 to 2 gallons of the hottest water your gloved hands can stand. Use caution in handling hot water to avoid burns and scalding.
3. In one of the two buckets, add one cup each of ammonia,and vinegar, plus two tablespoons of rubbing alcohol and stir. The latter will help water evaporate faster and add that twinkle factor.
4. Begin at the top of the house, at the top of the window.
5. Wipe the entire surface with the solution. If necessary, bugs, stickers and stubborn marks can be removed using a new straightedge blade, being careful to avoid personal injury or damage to the window. Once the dirt is removed, wipe the window a second time with the clear water.
6. Immediately squeegee the window, using a rag to wipe the squeegee dry after each swipe. This will limit the streaks caused by wet lines of water at the squeegee's edge and eliminate dripping onto your sparkling windows with wet tools.
7. Use a clean cloth to wipe only the wet corners and the sill.
Some extra tips
Again use extreme caution when working around open window openings. Never leave a window unattended, especially when children are present. Falls may result in serious injury or death.
Try swiping in only one direction - horizontal or vertical on the inside of the house, and the other direction on the outside. If you do find streaks, you'll know which side needs to be redone.
Change the water often to eliminate streaks.
Tie a rope to the squeegee and secure it to the ladder or your belt in case you drop it. Letting the solution dry onto the window while you climb down to retrieve your tools could be the difference in sparkle and debacle.
Try cleaning the windows on cloudy, but dry days. Sunlight dries the solution too fast and makes streaks more likely.
Really dirty windows may need to be rinsed with the garden hose, but be prepared to clean them immediately. Hard water stains can be stubborn.
For more information about windows, including maintenance, repair and replacement, contact the Greater San Antonio Builders Association at (210) 696-3800 for a free copy of the Remodelors Council directory.
The Greater San Antonio Builders Association is a local trade association that offers opportunities to its members to display their products and services.
It makes no representations expressed or implied, regarding the qualifications of its members or the quality of their products and services, but invites you to examine them for yourself at www.sabuilders.com
Maribel Zimmerman is an architectural representative for Black Millwork Co, Inc., a member of the Greater San Antonio Builder Association Remodelors Council
This is the recipe for sparkly windows - Read the article, too!
1 cup ammonia (sudsy)
1 cup vinegar (white)
2 Tablespoons Rubbing Alcohol
plus 1 to 2 gallons hot water ( stir it all together)
After removing the dirt, wipe with clear water only, then squeegee.
End of Article
I'm Stephanie Kelley, Realtor ©, ABR, CRS, GRI, at SanAntonioHomeQuest.com, Keller Williams Legacy, San Antonio, Texas. I'm here to help you with all your realty needs. You can contact me at
(800) 201-9145 or (210) 863-2661 and at swkrealtor@aol.com.
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