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Designing and Building Mid-Illinois: Realtor segment with 1st Choice Realty Pros: Importance of Cleanliness in selling your home · Designing and Building the Midwest One Community at a Time

• 0:00
  SPEAKER_05: Welcome to Design and Building Mid-Illinois, one home at a time with Big Dog Construction.
• 0:04
  SPEAKER_07: The podcast you didn't know you needed.
• 0:06
  SPEAKER_05: It's Chris Hartzuck and Caitlin Morgini.
• 0:09
  SPEAKER_05: Join us as we explore the stories, expertise, and project shaping the future right here in Mid-Ellinois.
• 0:14
  SPEAKER_07: Whether you're planning to build, curious about the latest trends, or just love innovative ideas, we've got insights and inspiration coming your way.
• 0:22
  SPEAKER_07: And some laughs too.
• 0:23
  SPEAKER_05: Let's go.
• 0:24
  unknown: Big dog!
• 0:25
  SPEAKER_08: Hey there.
• 0:26
  SPEAKER_08: I'm Lisa Miller, managing broker and owner of First Choice Realty Pros.
• 0:31
  SPEAKER_08: We don't just help you find a house, we help you discover home.
• 0:35
  SPEAKER_08: My team and I are passionate about taking care of your needs, making the process smooth, and ensuring you get the personalized attention you deserve.
• 0:45
  SPEAKER_08: Ready for the next step?
• 0:47
  SPEAKER_08: Call us at 217-825-3999.
• 0:51
  SPEAKER_08: With First Choice Realty Pros, you've got a team that's got your back.
• 0:55
  SPEAKER_05: Hey, welcome back to Designing Building Mid, Illinois, one home at a time, the realtor sector with our great 10X partner at First Choice Realty Pros, right?
• 1:05
  SPEAKER_05: We're glad that Lisa and Lydia are here in the house with us, along with our lovely co-host, Caitlin.
• 1:09
  unknown: Hi.
• 1:10
  SPEAKER_05: Well, hello.
• 1:11
  SPEAKER_05: Well, hey, today we're talking about one of the least expensive things you can do that can have one of the biggest impacts on selling your home.
• 1:20
  SPEAKER_05: And it's a deep strategic clean, right?
• 1:24
  SPEAKER_05: That's what we're talking about today.
• 1:25
  SPEAKER_05: Buyers notice cleanliness immediately.
• 1:27
  SPEAKER_05: The smells, too, right?
• 1:28
  SPEAKER_05: Oh yeah.
• 1:29
  SPEAKER_05: And it can influence how they feel about the entire home because that first impression, you don't get a second chance at it.
• 1:36
  SPEAKER_03: No.
• 1:36
  SPEAKER_03: Right?
• 1:37
  SPEAKER_05: I mean, it's so true.
• 1:39
  SPEAKER_05: Especially is next to godliness.
• 1:41
  SPEAKER_05: It is.
• 1:42
  SPEAKER_05: Is that where you're heading okay?
• 1:43
  SPEAKER_07: Yes.
• 1:43
  SPEAKER_07: I'm glad that you finished that open.
• 1:45
  SPEAKER_07: It may be a more cinematic moment.
• 1:47
  SPEAKER_07: Cinematic.
• 1:47
  SPEAKER_05: We're all about cinematics, right?
• 1:49
  SPEAKER_05: All right.
• 1:49
  SPEAKER_05: We'll put in the special effects in the editing, right?
• 1:51
  SPEAKER_05: There, right?
• 1:52
  SPEAKER_05: Yeah.
• 1:52
  SPEAKER_05: Awesome.
• 1:53
  SPEAKER_05: Well, hey, tell us.
• 1:54
  SPEAKER_05: Buyers form.
• 1:55
  SPEAKER_05: Why does clean cleaning cleanliness matter?
• 1:58
  SPEAKER_08: Buyers form an opinion in the first few seconds that they're in that home.
• 2:02
  SPEAKER_05: Split seconds.
• 2:02
  SPEAKER_08: When they open that door, and it whether they want the waft of air.
• 2:06
  SPEAKER_08: Yeah, the waft of air means everything.
• 2:08
  SPEAKER_08: Whether they want to walk in or they want to walk away.
• 2:12
  SPEAKER_05: In their mouths.
• 2:13
  SPEAKER_07: And every home like has its own smell.
• 2:15
  SPEAKER_07: Like I'm always scared that my home smells out outside people's animal sweaty men, animal not men, man.
• 2:23
  SPEAKER_05: Sorry.
• 2:24
  SPEAKER_05: Yeah.
• 2:24
  SPEAKER_07: When you do that boys.
• 2:25
  SPEAKER_08: Yeah, but they're not there.
• 2:26
  SPEAKER_08: We ain't going that far.
• 2:27
  SPEAKER_08: They're just bubble.
• 2:28
  SPEAKER_08: Well, be careful when, you know, because people don't think about certain things.
• 2:31
  SPEAKER_08: Yep.
• 2:32
  SPEAKER_08: So you do have a mud room, and that's where all the shoes go.
• 2:35
  SPEAKER_08: But if you've got a stinky foot person, yeah, okay.
• 2:37
  SPEAKER_08: Yeah.
• 2:38
  SPEAKER_08: Then the first thing people are gonna smell when they walk in your home rancid feet is stinky feet.
• 2:43
  SPEAKER_08: And so and that can and it just sticks in in your nose.
• 2:48
  SPEAKER_08: Yeah.
• 2:48
  SPEAKER_08: So you gotta think about that.
• 2:50
  SPEAKER_05: Yeah.
• 2:50
  SPEAKER_05: I'm urban in my mouth now.
• 2:52
  SPEAKER_07: Okay.
• 2:52
  SPEAKER_07: And I mean, animal smell, you can always smell, I feel like, pretty prevalently.
• 2:57
  SPEAKER_08: Yeah.
• 2:58
  SPEAKER_08: An older person, you know, if they're elderly, they have and they they keep everything closed up.
• 3:03
  SPEAKER_08: I had one lady, she never opened her curtains.
• 3:05
  SPEAKER_08: It was very dark and crab, you know.
• 3:08
  SPEAKER_08: She seemed depressed.
• 3:09
  SPEAKER_08: And I was like, open up these windows.
• 3:11
  SPEAKER_08: Yeah.
• 3:12
  SPEAKER_08: You know, you live on a lake and you know, open up these.
• 3:15
  SPEAKER_08: She didn't like that.
• 3:15
  SPEAKER_08: She liked it all closed in.
• 3:17
  SPEAKER_08: And there was just a musty old person smell, you know, in there.
• 3:20
  SPEAKER_08: Nothing.
• 3:21
  SPEAKER_08: I hope I never get that old person.
• 3:23
  SPEAKER_08: But I know what you mean.
• 3:23
  SPEAKER_07: It's almost it's like mothballs.
• 3:25
  SPEAKER_07: Yeah, basically.
• 3:26
  SPEAKER_05: Mothballs and binge.
• 3:27
  SPEAKER_07: Yeah, there you go.
• 3:28
  SPEAKER_07: I mean, bing kind of smells good.
• 3:30
  SPEAKER_08: I mean, yeah.
• 3:31
  SPEAKER_05: Not when it's mixed with mothballs.
• 3:33
  SPEAKER_08: But those things can make a huge difference.
• 3:36
  SPEAKER_08: You said pets, pets can make a huge difference.
• 3:39
  SPEAKER_08: When you walk in your home, what do you smell?
• 3:42
  SPEAKER_05: You know, most people don't think about it.
• 3:43
  SPEAKER_08: Well, you get nose blind.
• 3:44
  unknown: Yes.
• 3:45
  SPEAKER_08: You get nose blind, yes.
• 3:46
  SPEAKER_08: Yeah.
• 3:47
  SPEAKER_08: Because the this is what my house smells like not too long ago.
• 3:50
  SPEAKER_08: Sometimes you have a uh sink, your kitchen sink, the drain, you start getting the smell.
• 3:55
  SPEAKER_07: You need to put baking soda and vinegar.
• 3:59
  SPEAKER_07: Hey.
• 3:59
  SPEAKER_07: Okay, and then what do you do?
• 4:01
  SPEAKER_07: I always do you let it soak in there.
• 4:03
  SPEAKER_07: Oh, it's like a volcano.
• 4:04
  SPEAKER_08: It's like a volcano, and you let it sit and it cleans.
• 4:08
  SPEAKER_08: Awesome.
• 4:08
  SPEAKER_08: Yeah, yeah.
• 4:08
  SPEAKER_08: And then do you run it?
• 4:09
  SPEAKER_05: Then you run water, yeah.
• 4:11
  SPEAKER_08: Water later.
• 4:12
  SPEAKER_08: Okay.
• 4:13
  SPEAKER_08: There was a time, you know.
• 4:15
  SPEAKER_08: My my grandma lived in Standard City, and I think Standard City by itself just had a smell like in the house, like this, you know.
• 4:22
  SPEAKER_08: Anyway, but anyway, I I'd go in and I'd I'd always smell that smell.
• 4:26
  SPEAKER_08: And the and not too long ago, I walked in my house and I was like, oh my gosh.
• 4:29
  SPEAKER_08: I smell like Standard City.
• 4:30
  SPEAKER_08: I smell like my grandma's house.
• 4:32
  SPEAKER_08: I smell like I looked it up, I had to chat GPT and say, How do I get this smell?
• 4:37
  SPEAKER_08: And it was the baking soda and vinegar.
• 4:39
  SPEAKER_08: And I put that down, gone.
• 4:41
  SPEAKER_05: Because because stuff sticks to the sides of the pipe going down like food debris and all that.
• 4:45
  SPEAKER_05: Yeah.
• 4:45
  SPEAKER_05: And then it just like collagulates in there, and you have a trap underneath that if food debris gets stuck in that water, then that water gets nasty and the okay.
• 4:53
  SPEAKER_07: So I guess I never realized.
• 4:55
  SPEAKER_07: Yeah.
• 4:55
  SPEAKER_05: I mean, I I love the effect.
• 4:57
  SPEAKER_07: I do too.
• 4:57
  SPEAKER_07: It's a real science process.
• 4:58
  SPEAKER_05: Start pouring that vinegar in and it just like put a little red food color in, you just have volcanoes.
• 5:02
  SPEAKER_08: Yeah, see?
• 5:03
  SPEAKER_08: Science project, clean them out.
• 5:05
  SPEAKER_07: Make everything fun.
• 5:06
  SPEAKER_05: Then they're gonna go to the toilet, right?
• 5:08
  SPEAKER_07: Well, then I literally, Chris, that was what my mind was thinking.
• 5:10
  SPEAKER_07: I was like, they're gonna do this.
• 5:11
  SPEAKER_05: They're gonna shut the water off to the toilet.
• 5:13
  SPEAKER_05: They're gonna fill it full of bacon soda and vinegar, a lot of foam up out of the top.
• 5:17
  SPEAKER_07: Don't try this at home.
• 5:18
  SPEAKER_07: Yeah, but you know, like people run like remember smells like the rest of their life.
• 5:24
  SPEAKER_05: Yeah, they do.
• 5:24
  SPEAKER_05: It can take them to a good place or a bad place.
• 5:26
  SPEAKER_07: A bad place, right?
• 5:27
  SPEAKER_07: Yes.
• 5:27
  SPEAKER_05: So I mean we just had our septic tank worked on here at the studio, right?
• 5:32
  SPEAKER_05: Because there was an issue with the narration system.
• 5:34
  SPEAKER_05: And the the tech came, fixed it, took care of the problem.
• 5:36
  SPEAKER_05: After he finished, I opened the door and walked into the showroom like sewage smell.
• 5:40
  SPEAKER_08: Oh yeah.
• 5:41
  SPEAKER_05: But then after you're in there a while, you're nose blind.
• 5:43
  SPEAKER_08: You're nine.
• 5:45
  SPEAKER_05: If you lost it, walk outside and come back and like smack you in the face.
• 5:49
  SPEAKER_05: So, as potential buyers, sellers beware, don't have your place smelling like stank feet.
• 5:54
  SPEAKER_07: And we're gonna tell you how you can make sure not we're gonna make it smell like stank feet.
• 5:59
  SPEAKER_05: Wouldn't wouldn't that also like make make potential buyers like go, wow, if it's like this, what else lies underneath that have they not cared for?
• 6:09
  SPEAKER_06: If you're showing signs that your house smells bad or you're not taking care of cleaning, like the ceiling fans, that's one of the first things I look at whenever I walk around.
• 6:17
  SPEAKER_05: You don't like fuzzy ceiling fans?
• 6:18
  SPEAKER_06: Yeah, ceiling fans.
• 6:19
  SPEAKER_05: Oh, like the carpet on the ceiling fans.
• 6:21
  SPEAKER_06: If you're not taking care of those things, what else are you not taking care of?
• 6:25
  SPEAKER_06: Yeah.
• 6:26
  SPEAKER_06: Yeah.
• 6:27
  SPEAKER_07: The vents, like yeah, your floor vents.
• 6:29
  SPEAKER_08: Yeah, yeah.
• 6:30
  SPEAKER_05: Well, I mean air conditioning vents.
• 6:32
  SPEAKER_05: Would you rather spend I mean, because you could hire a service, right?
• 6:34
  SPEAKER_05: So would you rather spend 300 bucks and hire a cleaning service or clean it, cleaning supplies, or lose thousands of dollars and selling them?
• 6:40
  SPEAKER_05: Oh, yeah, right.
• 6:41
  SPEAKER_05: You know, fork out 300 every day to make thousands.
• 6:44
  SPEAKER_08: Right, right.
• 6:45
  SPEAKER_08: And and so if you have done your due diligence and you're cleaning or you have a service come in, then people's gonna look at this house and they're gonna they're gonna feel like this was well maintained.
• 6:56
  SPEAKER_03: Right.
• 6:56
  SPEAKER_08: You may you may have never lifted a finger.
• 6:59
  SPEAKER_03: True.
• 6:59
  SPEAKER_08: But if it's clean and it smells good and it's presented well, then the buyer's gonna be like, okay, and they're gonna lock it on and they're gonna have a good attitude throughout that home.
• 7:10
  SPEAKER_05: Well, what's the top 10 places that most sellers forget about?
• 7:14
  SPEAKER_06: Well, when I just said baseboards, baseboards feel like sailing fans, people always tend to forget.
• 7:19
  SPEAKER_08: Air vents, baseboard, let's stay on baseboards for just a second.
• 7:23
  SPEAKER_08: Yes, baseboards behind your stove.
• 7:26
  SPEAKER_08: Yeah, behind your did I just scare you out of your refrigerator, you know.
• 7:32
  SPEAKER_08: What?
• 7:32
  SPEAKER_08: We're supposed to pull them out and clean.
• 7:34
  SPEAKER_07: Yeah.
• 7:34
  SPEAKER_07: Could you please do that?
• 7:35
  SPEAKER_05: Caitlin's never pulled us out since she moved in.
• 7:37
  SPEAKER_05: I can tell her.
• 7:38
  SPEAKER_07: We have pulled out the fridge because we had to get a new fridge, and that was and it really wasn't that push us back into between cabinets.
• 7:44
  SPEAKER_08: Then people can't really see a whole lot.
• 7:46
  SPEAKER_08: But there is a vent down there at the bottom of that refrigerator that draws hair in that and scrub that up, clean the inside of your refrigerator.
• 7:54
  SPEAKER_08: Yeah.
• 7:54
  SPEAKER_05: Make sure that it looks like But wait, if the appliances don't go with the home, then they'll be gone.
• 7:59
  SPEAKER_08: But do you want to do it?
• 8:01
  SPEAKER_05: Do the buyers open up refrigerators?
• 8:02
  SPEAKER_07: Oh, yeah.
• 8:03
  SPEAKER_07: All the time.
• 8:04
  SPEAKER_07: Oh, they're gonna open everything.
• 8:05
  SPEAKER_07: Maybe they want to envision themselves opening the refrigerator for their morning breakfast.
• 8:12
  SPEAKER_08: Hey, how clean are you when I open up the refrigerator?
• 8:15
  SPEAKER_08: Is it gonna tell me?
• 8:16
  SPEAKER_08: Are you slopping everything in?
• 8:20
  SPEAKER_06: I literally like not even knowing if they're sane or not.
• 8:22
  SPEAKER_08: Open, can't do that.
• 8:24
  SPEAKER_08: What a nice house.
• 8:25
  SPEAKER_08: But they can open up the oven if you have never I know, don't hide the dirty dishes in there.
• 8:30
  SPEAKER_08: Don't hide the dirty dishes.
• 8:31
  SPEAKER_08: But if you've never cleaned your oven and it's got, you know, pizza stuff and pies and all of this black all over, that that is gross to a buyer.
• 8:42
  SPEAKER_08: It is if you have a cooktop and I have a cooktop, glass.
• 8:45
  SPEAKER_08: Glass cooktop, and I've had it for well, I the last one I had I had for years.
• 8:49
  SPEAKER_08: But you can't tell that I actually cook on it other than the wear of the burner that I use all the time.
• 8:54
  SPEAKER_08: Right.
• 8:55
  SPEAKER_08: Because I use a razor bite, yep, and I get all of the gunk off, and I use uh a polisher that has a grit to it, and I do that and I get all of that off.
• 9:06
  SPEAKER_08: It takes just a few seconds.
• 9:08
  SPEAKER_08: But if you leave it, I have I have sold houses and I have cleaned stoves for people because I'm like, I'm not gonna let this be shown like this.
• 9:16
  SPEAKER_08: Right.
• 9:17
  SPEAKER_08: That's had because they just didn't know how.
• 9:20
  SPEAKER_08: It wasn't that they were lazy, it was they really didn't know how.
• 9:23
  SPEAKER_08: Razor blade, man, will take that off and polish it up, and it'll look really good.
• 9:28
  SPEAKER_08: Like what polish do you use?
• 9:30
  SPEAKER_08: There's certain polishes for cooktops.
• 9:32
  SPEAKER_08: Okay, yeah, okay.
• 9:33
  SPEAKER_05: It's almost like a wax.
• 9:34
  SPEAKER_05: Okay, it is.
• 9:35
  SPEAKER_05: Yeah, it goes on, it dries white, haze, like wax of a car, and then you buff it off.
• 9:39
  SPEAKER_08: And then you buff it off and it cut, it's like glass.
• 9:42
  SPEAKER_08: It's like glass.
• 9:43
  SPEAKER_08: Isn't that glass top being like glass?
• 9:46
  SPEAKER_08: So, like she said, your ceiling fans and your light fixers, please let all your light bulbs be the same.
• 9:52
  SPEAKER_08: You want all that light light daylight bulbs.
• 9:55
  SPEAKER_04: I wish you guys could see we're gonna we're gonna do it, we're gonna do it for the podcast.
• 9:58
  SPEAKER_04: Okay, look, they're all different.
• 10:00
  SPEAKER_08: Not want to walk in and see that color and that color and that color in the same way.
• 10:05
  SPEAKER_08: I literally hate that too.
• 10:07
  SPEAKER_07: But I have I have several different ones, and I'm so upset about it.
• 10:10
  SPEAKER_07: Like I won't even let it be.
• 10:12
  SPEAKER_05: Chris, please take note, make all the light bulbs the same at home for your wife.
• 10:15
  SPEAKER_07: John, the one I don't like the warm light, and I know I probably should, but I prefer.
• 10:21
  SPEAKER_08: Now, if you're going to have the big lights like this, make sure the you know your recessed bulbs, they're all the same.
• 10:27
  SPEAKER_08: Yeah.
• 10:28
  SPEAKER_08: And then if you have a lamp that you want with the warm, because it just makes it homey when they walk in, that's great.
• 10:34
  SPEAKER_08: But make sure those light bulbs, and you know what?
• 10:36
  SPEAKER_08: If the light bulbs are the only thing that's sticking out on the on the vanity in the bathroom, wipe those down.
• 10:42
  SPEAKER_08: They have hairspray, they've got fun, yeah.
• 10:46
  SPEAKER_05: And it bakes on.
• 10:47
  SPEAKER_08: It bakes on.
• 10:48
  SPEAKER_08: It bakes on.
• 10:49
  SPEAKER_08: And so wipe those down, wipe the tops of the doorways all around.
• 10:55
  SPEAKER_08: Okay.
• 10:55
  SPEAKER_08: All the things that you wouldn't do in your normal because you're just like I'm trying to get through life, you know.
• 11:00
  SPEAKER_08: Yes.
• 11:01
  SPEAKER_08: But now I'm getting ready to sell my home.
• 11:03
  SPEAKER_08: So now I gotta dig in a little deeper.
• 11:05
  SPEAKER_08: So window tracks, open your windows.
• 11:08
  SPEAKER_07: Clean those out.
• 11:08
  SPEAKER_07: If that they're full of dirt and bugs, to me, as a buyer, that would bother me.
• 11:13
  SPEAKER_07: Like, I just because I feel like that would affect the health of your window.
• 11:17
  SPEAKER_05: So yeah.
• 11:17
  SPEAKER_05: So as agents, as you guys are, are you helping your sellers by saying, hey, look at these items and clean them?
• 11:23
  SPEAKER_05: Like if they say, Hey, our home's ready to list, and you immediately go, I see dust bunnies across your base term.
• 11:30
  SPEAKER_05: Do you guys want to do that?
• 11:30
  SPEAKER_05: Our checklist.
• 11:31
  SPEAKER_08: Yeah, we have that checklist.
• 11:32
  SPEAKER_08: Oh, and I just did this with a uh a seller.
• 11:36
  SPEAKER_08: He called about a year ago and asked me to come over and give him some thoughts, and I gave him some thoughts.
• 11:40
  SPEAKER_03: Uh-huh.
• 11:41
  SPEAKER_08: And really no one did lease.
• 11:43
  SPEAKER_03: Really?
• 11:44
  SPEAKER_08: Then about a month ago, he called again and said, Hey, I think I've got that list done.
• 11:49
  SPEAKER_08: Say, can you come back and give me another list?
• 11:51
  SPEAKER_08: And I said, Absolutely.
• 11:52
  SPEAKER_08: He loves the list.
• 11:53
  SPEAKER_08: So I gave him, we talked, we walked through the house and I talked and talked and talked.
• 11:57
  SPEAKER_08: And when I left, I text him.
• 11:59
  SPEAKER_08: Here's what we talked about today.
• 12:01
  SPEAKER_08: I just wanted to give you this list.
• 12:02
  SPEAKER_08: And he said, Oh, thank you so much, because I remembered about three of those.
• 12:06
  SPEAKER_08: And he said, I was gonna have to call you.
• 12:08
  SPEAKER_08: So I gave him that list on a text, and he did every one.
• 12:12
  SPEAKER_08: He changed his shutter colors, he put flower boxes in the windows, he changed the whole front of that house.
• 12:20
  SPEAKER_08: He painted things.
• 12:21
  SPEAKER_08: Very coachable.
• 12:22
  SPEAKER_08: Oh, yeah.
• 12:23
  SPEAKER_08: He was so good.
• 12:23
  SPEAKER_08: And when I drove up, I screamed.
• 12:25
  SPEAKER_08: And I called him, and I said, I just screamed when I pulled up to your house.
• 12:30
  SPEAKER_08: And he goes, Really?
• 12:31
  SPEAKER_08: And I said, Yes.
• 12:32
  SPEAKER_08: So then I staged it, and then he came back and he called me and he said, I screamed when I walked in.
• 12:36
  SPEAKER_08: He didn't scream.
• 12:39
  SPEAKER_05: Well, here's I mean, that's the difference with you guys at First Choice Reality Pros versus probably a lot of other realtors that are out there, right?
• 12:47
  SPEAKER_05: That you you are taking that time to give them the list, to do the walkthroughs, to make the commitment to get them their top dollar to make it happen.
• 12:54
  SPEAKER_08: And will we do some of those things sometimes?
• 12:56
  SPEAKER_08: If we see that they're not done, we will.
• 12:59
  SPEAKER_08: We will do now.
• 13:00
  SPEAKER_08: Do we want to?
• 13:01
  SPEAKER_08: No.
• 13:01
  SPEAKER_08: But if I know that somebody's gonna see something that I can fix, I can clean a window or a door or something very quickly to get that done.
• 13:09
  SPEAKER_06: So the windows, the cabinets, cabinet.
• 13:12
  SPEAKER_06: Clean the front of your cabinets, like especially above the stove range.
• 13:17
  SPEAKER_06: Everything.
• 13:18
  SPEAKER_06: Yes, just everything that speaks a lot.
• 13:20
  SPEAKER_06: I feel like people don't think about that whenever you're going through the kitchen.
• 13:24
  unknown: Right.
• 13:25
  SPEAKER_06: Cleanup top, different things that they're gonna look at whenever they walk in.
• 13:28
  SPEAKER_06: Something big that I was gonna mention is toilets.
• 13:30
  SPEAKER_06: A lot of times, whenever you buy a house, I feel like people switch out the toilets.
• 13:34
  SPEAKER_06: But if they don't, even if they're not going to, whenever they're coming into the bathroom, they're gonna look on the floor around your toilet and see clean under it and behind it.
• 13:41
  SPEAKER_09: Yes.
• 13:41
  SPEAKER_06: Yeah, I've had those toilets, it's got like all the veins, you know, the curves.
• 13:46
  SPEAKER_08: Yeah, curves of veins.
• 13:47
  SPEAKER_08: I don't know.
• 13:47
  SPEAKER_08: The veins, I know.
• 13:49
  SPEAKER_08: I don't know.
• 13:51
  SPEAKER_08: They're hard to clean.
• 13:52
  SPEAKER_08: Yeah, they're hard to clean.
• 13:54
  SPEAKER_08: Nobody wants to do it.
• 13:55
  SPEAKER_08: Right.
• 13:55
  SPEAKER_08: But you need that toilet clean.
• 13:57
  SPEAKER_08: If so, you have little boys in the house all around, you know, the little connectors to the floor.
• 14:02
  SPEAKER_08: Yep, those connectors are the worst with the pigs under there.
• 14:05
  SPEAKER_08: Okay.
• 14:05
  SPEAKER_08: Now your lid, okay, and the where your lid bolts to the toilet.
• 14:10
  SPEAKER_03: Yeah.
• 14:10
  SPEAKER_08: Pop those caps open and spray them with bleach and clean them.
• 14:15
  SPEAKER_08: Yes.
• 14:16
  SPEAKER_08: Now you're gonna say, Does anybody really open those?
• 14:19
  SPEAKER_08: Some people just kind of look around.
• 14:21
  SPEAKER_07: But you can see it, you can see it in the lines if you don't.
• 14:24
  SPEAKER_07: You know what I'm saying?
• 14:25
  SPEAKER_07: Like the seams or whatever.
• 14:26
  SPEAKER_07: I can I those boys, they have gotten better.
• 14:29
  SPEAKER_07: Yeah, yeah.
• 14:29
  SPEAKER_05: Yes.
• 14:30
  SPEAKER_05: If your bat's not long enough to step up to the plate and swing, step closer.
• 14:34
  SPEAKER_07: Yes.
• 14:35
  SPEAKER_07: Sometimes I feel like they're just like, like, what are you looking at, dude?
• 14:38
  SPEAKER_07: Like you know?
• 14:40
  SPEAKER_07: Well, they're so busy.
• 14:41
  SPEAKER_05: Their minds are source are so body, their body follows their eyes.
• 14:45
  SPEAKER_08: Yeah, like I say, if you can't stand and do it, then sit.
• 14:49
  SPEAKER_07: Oh, be a sitter.
• 14:50
  SPEAKER_07: Yeah, just sit.
• 14:51
  SPEAKER_05: Not a quitter.
• 14:52
  SPEAKER_05: Yeah, but a quitter.
• 14:53
  SPEAKER_07: Toilet is a big thing, guys.
• 14:54
  SPEAKER_07: And and some toilets, especially around here, the water, the hard water, is bad and leaves the orange.
• 15:00
  SPEAKER_08: That orange ring around.
• 15:02
  SPEAKER_08: Yeah, yeah.
• 15:02
  SPEAKER_08: And so you know, some people will say, Well, I'm just gonna put that blue thing in the back, and then when it flushes, please don't.
• 15:08
  SPEAKER_08: No, that doesn't work.
• 15:10
  SPEAKER_08: It well, what it does is if your house is sitting for a couple of weeks and nobody's really using, then that water level goes down, and now you've got this blue ring.
• 15:20
  SPEAKER_08: No, that's not, let's not do that.
• 15:22
  SPEAKER_08: The blue is not the way to go.
• 15:24
  SPEAKER_08: If you want to put it put your Clorox disc, it's the it's the white one, and it just puts that.
• 15:30
  SPEAKER_07: Yeah, I like those better than the like gel things.
• 15:33
  SPEAKER_07: Those gel things don't work that well, but that disc thing does.
• 15:36
  SPEAKER_08: Yeah, but I it's good old-fashioned scrub.
• 15:38
  SPEAKER_08: Good old-fashioned scrub.
• 15:40
  SPEAKER_08: You know, they make the things the cling gel.
• 15:42
  SPEAKER_08: Yeah, yeah.
• 15:42
  SPEAKER_05: So so we've got the the top ten items, the baseboards, the ceiling fans, the light fixtures, the windows inside and out.
• 15:49
  SPEAKER_05: Yep, the window tracks, yes, air vents, taking them out, sweeping down inside of them, wiping them, wiping them down underneath.
• 15:55
  SPEAKER_05: Yeah, right.
• 15:56
  SPEAKER_07: How many toys will you find?
• 15:57
  SPEAKER_07: Well, I can't tell you all I find down in there.
• 15:58
  SPEAKER_05: So the cabinet fronts, behind the toilets, appliances inside and out, like you talked about, and the front door and entryway.
• 16:04
  SPEAKER_05: Because again, that's first impression they're gonna walk through that front door, right?
• 16:07
  SPEAKER_07: Yeah, that needs to be maybe like wouldn't you suggest like having something like a essential oils diffuser near the front, or maybe not?
• 16:15
  SPEAKER_06: Sometimes it covers candles, though.
• 16:17
  SPEAKER_06: As soon as you walk into a house and the buyers and they smell that instantly, it's if it's overpowering, they don't think you're trying to cover something.
• 16:25
  SPEAKER_06: Okay, okay.
• 16:25
  SPEAKER_06: Yeah, I wonder not always, but so yeah.
• 16:28
  SPEAKER_05: So these ten items, they're not always noticed individually, but as together they create that impression that the home was being cared for, right?
• 16:35
  SPEAKER_05: And you guys at at first choice really pros really make sure they they understand that.
• 16:39
  SPEAKER_05: So do kitchens and bathrooms sell homes really?
• 16:41
  SPEAKER_05: Yeah.
• 16:42
  SPEAKER_05: Okay, how so?
• 16:43
  SPEAKER_05: Absolutely.
• 16:43
  SPEAKER_05: Well from a cleanliness standpoint.
• 16:45
  SPEAKER_08: Number one, they're gonna walk in.
• 16:46
  SPEAKER_08: You know, people want the appliances to come.
• 16:49
  SPEAKER_08: So the appliances mean something to them.
• 16:51
  SPEAKER_08: So clean appliances.
• 16:52
  SPEAKER_08: If you have white, let's make sure it's white and not black.
• 16:55
  SPEAKER_08: Okay.
• 16:56
  SPEAKER_08: Yep.
• 16:56
  SPEAKER_08: Um, fingerprints, you know, all over the handles.
• 16:59
  SPEAKER_08: Yeah, because they are gonna open the handle of the doors, the handle.
• 17:03
  SPEAKER_08: Being grimy, yeah, the handle of the of the stone, the the range hood top, degrease all of those things.
• 17:10
  SPEAKER_08: A degreaser will get you, you know.
• 17:13
  SPEAKER_07: I need to do that.
• 17:13
  SPEAKER_07: And like under the my microwave, at least one thing I had read before is that you can judge how clean a person is by the inside of their microwave.
• 17:21
  SPEAKER_07: Goodness.
• 17:22
  SPEAKER_07: And I had read that they'll open that up.
• 17:24
  SPEAKER_07: Yes, yes.
• 17:25
  SPEAKER_07: But that underneath of that microwave, how do I even get that off?
• 17:28
  SPEAKER_07: Because see, my rangehood microwave.
• 17:31
  SPEAKER_05: Yeah, you could put clean it.
• 17:32
  SPEAKER_08: Yeah, you can put layers of towels or something down over your stove if it's a gas stove or something.
• 17:37
  SPEAKER_08: Yeah, it is.
• 17:38
  SPEAKER_08: Okay, and then you spray a degreaser up above and you take out that vent, you can lay that in soapy hot water.
• 17:44
  SPEAKER_08: Okay, okay, okay, and you degrease that and wipe it all down and put it all back.
• 17:49
  SPEAKER_07: Like what degreaser?
• 17:50
  SPEAKER_07: Is there a certain one that you guys are just I just go to Walmart and say, hey.
• 17:54
  SPEAKER_08: There's a lot of them.
• 17:54
  SPEAKER_08: There's uh the green machine or something like that.
• 17:58
  SPEAKER_08: Okay, I've heard of that before.
• 18:00
  SPEAKER_05: Yeah, there's degreasers that are foamy that you spray on and do that.
• 18:03
  SPEAKER_08: You know, my go-to is the dawn spray.
• 18:06
  SPEAKER_08: Okay.
• 18:06
  SPEAKER_08: That man, that po it's called power.
• 18:08
  SPEAKER_08: The power wash.
• 18:09
  SPEAKER_08: Power wash.
• 18:09
  SPEAKER_08: Okay.
• 18:10
  SPEAKER_08: My mom, God rest her soul, she was a cleaning woman.
• 18:14
  SPEAKER_08: I mean, she cleaned everything at the house, but she lived with my dad.
• 18:17
  SPEAKER_08: And all of you that's listening, you know my dad.
• 18:19
  unknown: Okay.
• 18:20
  SPEAKER_08: Uh Mr.
• 18:21
  SPEAKER_08: Clean.
• 18:21
  SPEAKER_08: And so she used that, and now I use it, and it is it cleans everything.
• 18:26
  SPEAKER_07: Okay.
• 18:27
  SPEAKER_07: I mean, I got this power wash, John.
• 18:28
  SPEAKER_07: Power wash, power wash that.
• 18:30
  SPEAKER_07: This is good stuff to know because there's so many products too out there.
• 18:34
  SPEAKER_07: And you and they're not cheap.
• 18:36
  SPEAKER_07: Many products are not cheap.
• 18:37
  SPEAKER_07: No.
• 18:38
  SPEAKER_05: But again, coming back to the first segment we talked about, spend a little bit of money to make thousands.
• 18:42
  SPEAKER_07: Yes, right, right.
• 18:44
  SPEAKER_05: That first impression.
• 18:44
  SPEAKER_05: Yeah, make sure it's clean.
• 18:46
  SPEAKER_05: And it's clean for you for living there.
• 18:48
  SPEAKER_05: It's clean for you.
• 18:49
  SPEAKER_08: Your microwave, it's so quick to clean your microwave, put the cup in plate water, steam, and let it steam, and then it's all steamy inside and it wipes right off.
• 18:59
  SPEAKER_08: Yeah.
• 19:00
  SPEAKER_05: Caitlin's mind's blown.
• 19:03
  SPEAKER_05: This is the same thing you do with with pans that have dried in stuff.
• 19:06
  SPEAKER_05: You put a little water in it, put them on the stove, turn on the stove, hot water, get the water boiling, and a little stuff will come off the bottom.
• 19:12
  SPEAKER_08: Yeah.
• 19:12
  SPEAKER_08: Or use that power wash.
• 19:14
  SPEAKER_05: Instead of sitting there grinding on dry, grimy stuff.
• 19:16
  SPEAKER_05: Caitlin's mouth is wide open.
• 19:17
  SPEAKER_07: It's just like I am I this sheltered foolish?
• 19:21
  SPEAKER_05: Yes, yes.
• 19:22
  SPEAKER_07: At nearly 38 years of age.
• 19:24
  SPEAKER_05: Nearly.
• 19:24
  SPEAKER_07: But I'm glad Caitlin's.
• 19:25
  SPEAKER_07: But see, we've got water.
• 19:27
  SPEAKER_07: Okay.
• 19:27
  SPEAKER_07: I put it in the microwave.
• 19:28
  SPEAKER_03: Like you're gonna heat it up for a hot tea or something.
• 19:31
  SPEAKER_08: A couple of minutes, let it boil, let that steam get old in there.
• 19:34
  SPEAKER_08: And now open it up, take that out.
• 19:36
  SPEAKER_08: Paper towels and paper towels and wipe it out.
• 19:38
  SPEAKER_03: Wipe all the crusties.
• 19:39
  SPEAKER_03: You're not crusties.
• 19:41
  SPEAKER_08: You don't have you don't have to because that's already cooked it all off.
• 19:45
  SPEAKER_08: Most of it.
• 19:45
  SPEAKER_08: You're right.
• 19:46
  SPEAKER_08: Now, if it's been six months, you might have to do a little out wash.
• 19:49
  SPEAKER_05: Little scalactite forming in there of fungus amonggous stuff, you know.
• 19:54
  SPEAKER_08: Another thing people forget to clean, garbage cans.
• 19:57
  SPEAKER_08: Garbage cans.
• 19:58
  SPEAKER_08: Clean them out.
• 19:59
  SPEAKER_08: Yes, clean them out.
• 20:00
  SPEAKER_08: Not just the outside.
• 20:02
  SPEAKER_08: And you're like, well, I just put that bag in there.
• 20:04
  SPEAKER_08: There's a stench.
• 20:05
  SPEAKER_08: Yeah, that's right.
• 20:06
  SPEAKER_08: There's stuff in the bottom you think it doesn't miss sometimes.
• 20:08
  SPEAKER_08: Top job is my go-to.
• 20:10
  SPEAKER_08: Pour it in there, pour some hot water, swish it all around, take it outside, spray it out, let it dry.
• 20:16
  SPEAKER_05: That'd be the same for the bathroom too.
• 20:17
  SPEAKER_05: The bathroom wouldn't be as stinky as a kitchen one.
• 20:19
  SPEAKER_05: But what else in the bathroom is maybe would help on this as well.
• 20:22
  SPEAKER_06: Well, I was just gonna say, you might think that with your shower curtain closed, that they're not gonna open it and look like up.
• 20:27
  SPEAKER_04: They're gonna open my refrigerator, they're gonna pour it in the curve.
• 20:30
  SPEAKER_06: And they are gonna see what is in your shower.
• 20:32
  SPEAKER_08: If you pull your shower curtain back and it's crunchy, it needs wash, thrown away, or a new one built.
• 20:38
  SPEAKER_08: Sif.
• 20:39
  SPEAKER_08: Yeah, yeah.
• 20:39
  SPEAKER_08: Please.
• 20:40
  SPEAKER_08: Please.
• 20:41
  SPEAKER_08: Yeah.
• 20:41
  SPEAKER_08: Oh my gosh.
• 20:42
  SPEAKER_08: Sprouts a bed all around.
• 20:45
  SPEAKER_08: And you know what?
• 20:46
  SPEAKER_08: Pull that out and put new in the room.
• 20:48
  SPEAKER_08: Around the wall to the tub.
• 20:50
  SPEAKER_07: The cocking or whatever.
• 20:51
  SPEAKER_08: Yeah.
• 20:51
  SPEAKER_08: Ace Hardware has the kind and it's even formed.
• 20:54
  SPEAKER_08: So the tip is formed so that you, it's like if you're my husband, I'm not allowed to do it.
• 20:59
  SPEAKER_08: So you just put it around there and you get it.
• 21:01
  SPEAKER_08: Yeah, because it can get so gross.
• 21:03
  SPEAKER_08: Yes.
• 21:03
  SPEAKER_08: It can get gross.
• 21:04
  SPEAKER_08: Like black.
• 21:05
  unknown: Yeah.
• 21:06
  SPEAKER_05: Yeah.
• 21:06
  SPEAKER_05: Yep.
• 21:06
  SPEAKER_05: And it'll find pores and kind of like grow that black meal.
• 21:09
  SPEAKER_08: And if people see mold and mildew on the grout, then they say, What's under the floor?
• 21:16
  SPEAKER_08: Yeah.
• 21:17
  SPEAKER_05: What's under the tub?
• 21:18
  SPEAKER_05: Yep.
• 21:18
  SPEAKER_08: What's you know, keep those things out of a buyer's mind.
• 21:22
  SPEAKER_05: Well, when it comes to cleanliness of pets, what do we do for that?
• 21:25
  SPEAKER_05: What do what do we to sell my home and I have pets?
• 21:29
  SPEAKER_07: What am I do's and don'ts?
• 21:31
  SPEAKER_07: Yeah.
• 21:32
  SPEAKER_07: Yeah.
• 21:32
  SPEAKER_07: First of all, don't have them in the hat.
• 21:33
  SPEAKER_07: I mean, put them up for adoption.
• 21:36
  SPEAKER_08: Yeah.
• 21:36
  SPEAKER_07: No.
• 21:36
  SPEAKER_08: But people say keep them.
• 21:37
  SPEAKER_08: Odin's on his own.
• 21:38
  SPEAKER_06: I'm a pet owner.
• 21:39
  SPEAKER_06: Yes.
• 21:40
  SPEAKER_06: And I am not kidding you.
• 21:41
  SPEAKER_06: I vacuum probably five times a day.
• 21:43
  SPEAKER_09: Yeah.
• 21:44
  SPEAKER_06: I can't flip dog hair.
• 21:46
  SPEAKER_06: I it's crazy.
• 21:47
  SPEAKER_06: Can't stand it.
• 21:48
  SPEAKER_06: And dog shed, you're gonna have like they they're dogs, they have a smell.
• 21:52
  SPEAKER_06: But if you're taking care of your pets as well and taking care of your home, staying up on cleaning, it shouldn't have yes, it should not have the pet smell.
• 22:00
  SPEAKER_06: Smell of like just stinky.
• 22:02
  SPEAKER_06: You're gonna be able to tell that animals live here, but make sure you're taking care of it, especially if you have cats as well, changing the litter box, making sure that's the litter box is a big thing.
• 22:10
  SPEAKER_07: Yes.
• 22:10
  SPEAKER_07: I'm thankful I got mine in the basement where the basement's like storage.
• 22:14
  SPEAKER_07: But some people don't have that.
• 22:15
  SPEAKER_08: So you have the box sitting in the kitchen.
• 22:19
  SPEAKER_08: Yeah.
• 22:20
  SPEAKER_08: That is a big no-no for for buyers.
• 22:22
  SPEAKER_08: Lisa, that is that is Toxoplasmosus city.
• 22:27
  SPEAKER_08: Holy cow.
• 22:28
  SPEAKER_08: Some people will have them in their bathroom.
• 22:30
  SPEAKER_04: There's a big word coming out of her mouth.
• 22:32
  SPEAKER_08: Toxo.
• 22:33
  SPEAKER_08: So plasmosis.
• 22:35
  SPEAKER_08: Well, you did you can get it from cat urine.
• 22:37
  SPEAKER_08: I know.
• 22:38
  SPEAKER_08: Smelling it.
• 22:39
  SPEAKER_08: So then they'll put it in the bathroom where they go to the bathroom.
• 22:41
  SPEAKER_08: So that's their bathroom.
• 22:42
  SPEAKER_08: So you a buyer walks in and there's little turtling stand there.
• 22:46
  SPEAKER_08: That's not what people will see.
• 22:48
  SPEAKER_05: It just takes care of litter robot.
• 22:50
  SPEAKER_08: Little robot.
• 22:51
  SPEAKER_05: The cat goes in, the cat leaves, and the robot goes in and drops it into a bottom tray, into a bag, and it's a clean litter.
• 22:56
  SPEAKER_08: Yep.
• 22:57
  SPEAKER_08: I sold a house for a lady who had great Danes.
• 23:00
  SPEAKER_08: She had three of them.
• 23:01
  SPEAKER_08: And they had, I mean, they shared.
• 23:04
  SPEAKER_08: I was talking about the landmines in the yard.
• 23:05
  SPEAKER_08: The landmines in the yard.
• 23:06
  SPEAKER_08: Yes.
• 23:07
  SPEAKER_08: Please clean your yard too.
• 23:08
  SPEAKER_08: We'll go with that.
• 23:09
  SPEAKER_08: But um, that's a big one.
• 23:10
  SPEAKER_08: But she had a rake for her carpet.
• 23:13
  SPEAKER_08: Man, that thing, yes, it's a call on carpet.
• 23:16
  SPEAKER_08: I think Laura has one of those.
• 23:17
  SPEAKER_08: Yes, and she did that, and it would take that.
• 23:19
  SPEAKER_08: And you didn't know she had an animal.
• 23:21
  SPEAKER_08: When I go in to show, now Great Danes do have a specific smell to them, even if they're groomed.
• 23:27
  SPEAKER_08: There's just they're big, they're big dogs.
• 23:29
  SPEAKER_07: Yeah.
• 23:30
  SPEAKER_08: And so you did there was some of that, but you couldn't tell otherwise because she did use that that rake.
• 23:35
  SPEAKER_08: So make sure that you vacuumed.
• 23:38
  SPEAKER_08: You want it to look like there are no pets living.
• 23:41
  SPEAKER_08: Right, right.
• 23:42
  SPEAKER_08: Smells like there's no pets.
• 23:42
  SPEAKER_08: And it smells like 100% there's no pets.
• 23:46
  SPEAKER_08: So open a window if possible.
• 23:47
  SPEAKER_08: Wash your curtains.
• 23:48
  SPEAKER_08: Anything to do with your shower curtain too.
• 23:51
  SPEAKER_08: We're gonna do it, like you said.
• 23:52
  SPEAKER_08: Yes.
• 23:53
  SPEAKER_08: What well and and watch because I had one house that I showed.
• 23:57
  SPEAKER_08: It was not my listing, but it had where the dog had walked around all around the edge of the house, and that was his path.
• 24:05
  SPEAKER_08: And it was darkened all the way around the house.
• 24:08
  SPEAKER_08: Yeah.
• 24:08
  SPEAKER_08: And so I was like, why didn't we paint this?
• 24:10
  SPEAKER_08: You know, why didn't they paint this before that happened?
• 24:13
  SPEAKER_08: Yeah, wow.
• 24:14
  SPEAKER_08: Yeah, yeah.
• 24:15
  SPEAKER_08: And you see that a lot.
• 24:16
  SPEAKER_05: Could they replace the their furnace filters too?
• 24:18
  SPEAKER_08: Absolutely.
• 24:19
  SPEAKER_05: Yeah, that would help because that furnace filter is collecting the hair.
• 24:22
  SPEAKER_05: Yeah.
• 24:22
  SPEAKER_05: And then when it kicks on and forcing air through, it's blowing across the dog hair.
• 24:26
  SPEAKER_08: That's another thing that if you have a house that does not have a basement, right?
• 24:32
  SPEAKER_08: And so you have storage areas where the water heater and furnace wipe down the water heater on top.
• 24:39
  SPEAKER_08: Look at your fittings on the top.
• 24:41
  SPEAKER_08: They're usually copper, and if there's green, there means that means that there's a leak somewhere.
• 24:47
  SPEAKER_08: So have they looked at, you know, because those things are what people are going to do.
• 24:51
  SPEAKER_08: That corrosion.
• 24:52
  SPEAKER_05: That corrosion is usually a it's dissimilar metal reaction to each other.
• 24:57
  SPEAKER_05: May not potentially be a full leak, but it's it's dissimilar metals.
• 25:01
  SPEAKER_05: Copper to other things will cause corrosion.
• 25:04
  SPEAKER_05: Okay.
• 25:04
  SPEAKER_05: And so sometimes they would hang copper pipes with a metal strap.
• 25:08
  SPEAKER_09: Right.
• 25:08
  SPEAKER_05: And the metal acts chemically with the copper and creates corrosion.
• 25:12
  SPEAKER_05: Yes.
• 25:12
  SPEAKER_05: Which can eventually create a leak.
• 25:14
  SPEAKER_05: Yes.
• 25:15
  SPEAKER_05: So that's the same thing.
• 25:16
  SPEAKER_08: So that's a good thing to be thinking that I have a water heater.
• 25:19
  SPEAKER_08: If that's black all around there, it may not be venting correctly.
• 25:27
  SPEAKER_08: So make sure that's clean.
• 25:28
  SPEAKER_08: Make sure your furnace filter's clean.
• 25:30
  SPEAKER_08: Make sure your furnace is cleaned.
• 25:32
  SPEAKER_08: Inside and out.
• 25:34
  SPEAKER_05: Well, speaking of out, let's go to the exterior of the home.
• 25:37
  SPEAKER_08: Oh, yes.
• 25:38
  SPEAKER_05: So the exterior of the home, what are some things that people can do for that first impression curb appeal look?
• 25:43
  SPEAKER_05: Right.
• 25:44
  SPEAKER_06: Sweep your porch.
• 25:45
  SPEAKER_06: Make sure it's cleaned up.
• 25:46
  SPEAKER_06: Make sure the sidewalks are cleaned off.
• 25:48
  SPEAKER_06: Maybe throw down some new mulch if you've got any landscaping that needs freshened up a little bit.
• 25:55
  SPEAKER_08: Make sure that you don't uh have a bunch of weeds and you know that looks like trees, but they're not.
• 26:01
  SPEAKER_05: Or cobwebs.
• 26:02
  SPEAKER_05: Cobwebs build up.
• 26:03
  SPEAKER_08: Yep.
• 26:04
  SPEAKER_08: I mean the outside of the windowsills.
• 26:06
  SPEAKER_08: Yeah.
• 26:06
  SPEAKER_08: I mean, really.
• 26:07
  SPEAKER_08: Bird's nests.
• 26:08
  SPEAKER_08: If your shutters are faded, if you would take those down and paint them, it's not gonna take you that long.
• 26:14
  SPEAKER_08: It's amazing.
• 26:15
  SPEAKER_08: Oh, it makes such a dip big difference.
• 26:17
  SPEAKER_08: You could even change the color.
• 26:18
  SPEAKER_08: You can change the color.
• 26:19
  SPEAKER_08: Yeah, and and that's what I told that guy that I was just talking about.
• 26:22
  SPEAKER_08: He changed the color, and I was like, So I mean it was just it was great.
• 26:27
  SPEAKER_08: Boy, he had fun.
• 26:28
  SPEAKER_08: He did, he did.
• 26:29
  SPEAKER_08: Clean your garage door, wipe down your mailbox.
• 26:32
  SPEAKER_05: Whether it's on the house or out at the street.
• 26:34
  SPEAKER_08: Or out at the street.
• 26:35
  SPEAKER_08: People want to know where am I gonna pick up my mail?
• 26:37
  SPEAKER_08: And then they'll go down there and they'll be like, is this my mailbox?
• 26:40
  SPEAKER_08: Yeah, yeah.
• 26:41
  SPEAKER_07: Yeah.
• 26:41
  SPEAKER_07: And what about the actual house?
• 26:42
  SPEAKER_07: Like power washing.
• 26:43
  SPEAKER_07: Like right now, my need's done.
• 26:45
  SPEAKER_07: Like I get that.
• 26:46
  SPEAKER_07: And some people's are worse than others, depending on location, with the the mold or whatever.
• 26:51
  SPEAKER_07: The grill.
• 26:53
  SPEAKER_08: Yeah.
• 26:54
  SPEAKER_08: North side.
• 26:54
  SPEAKER_08: North side.
• 26:55
  SPEAKER_08: So, you know, you might just have to have them do that side.
• 26:59
  SPEAKER_08: Right.
• 26:59
  SPEAKER_08: But while you're at it, have them do the whole thing.
• 27:01
  SPEAKER_08: I know.
• 27:02
  SPEAKER_08: And sometimes they put like this special stuff.
• 27:04
  SPEAKER_08: Yeah.
• 27:05
  SPEAKER_09: And it really makes it look so nice.
• 27:07
  SPEAKER_08: Yeah.
• 27:08
  SPEAKER_08: And it keeps that from growing.
• 27:09
  SPEAKER_08: Do your sidewalks, power wash your sidewalks, your driveways.
• 27:13
  SPEAKER_08: Just make sure when people pull up, I want to go in here.
• 27:16
  SPEAKER_08: Yes, right.
• 27:16
  SPEAKER_08: I actually want to go in.
• 27:17
  SPEAKER_05: That's right.
• 27:18
  SPEAKER_05: Well, with the few minutes that we have left here, what are some things that should happen the day before the showing?
• 27:24
  SPEAKER_06: Make sure your kitchen is in good shape.
• 27:26
  SPEAKER_06: Dishes are put up, everything's kind of cleaned out.
• 27:28
  SPEAKER_06: The fridge is cleaned out.
• 27:30
  SPEAKER_06: Doesn't milk's not spilt in the fridge.
• 27:31
  SPEAKER_06: Organage crazy.
• 27:32
  SPEAKER_06: Everything is prepared in there.
• 27:34
  SPEAKER_06: Make your beds.
• 27:34
  SPEAKER_06: Make your beds.
• 27:35
  SPEAKER_06: Have shoes put up.
• 27:36
  SPEAKER_06: Don't have all six pairs of shoes by the front door just hanging out.
• 27:39
  SPEAKER_06: Put them where they need to go.
• 27:40
  SPEAKER_06: Yeah.
• 27:40
  SPEAKER_06: Open blinds.
• 27:41
  SPEAKER_06: Open blinds.
• 27:42
  SPEAKER_06: Yes.
• 27:42
  SPEAKER_06: The light in.
• 27:43
  SPEAKER_06: Yes, yes.
• 27:44
  SPEAKER_05: Feels brighter, lighter.
• 27:46
  SPEAKER_08: I love it.
• 27:47
  SPEAKER_08: Yes.
• 27:48
  SPEAKER_08: Yes.
• 27:48
  SPEAKER_05: Love it.
• 27:49
  SPEAKER_05: Love it.
• 27:49
  SPEAKER_05: And and do one final walkthrough just to make sure.
• 27:52
  SPEAKER_08: Yeah.
• 27:52
  SPEAKER_08: Take out your trash.
• 27:53
  SPEAKER_08: Don't think last night's supper in there.
• 27:55
  SPEAKER_08: So I don't want to know what you have to do.
• 27:57
  SPEAKER_05: Have a good friend come over and do a nose test for you.
• 27:59
  SPEAKER_05: Yes, right.
• 28:00
  SPEAKER_05: Would that be good?
• 28:01
  SPEAKER_08: Oh, yeah, that's a good idea.
• 28:02
  SPEAKER_05: Make sure that it's like, hey, be honest with me.
• 28:04
  SPEAKER_05: What do you smell when you walk in, right?
• 28:05
  SPEAKER_05: Right.
• 28:06
  SPEAKER_05: Yeah.
• 28:06
  SPEAKER_05: Trying to sell my house.
• 28:07
  SPEAKER_08: Well, and we like to get there a little bit early.
• 28:10
  SPEAKER_08: And especially if it's our listing, we know the house.
• 28:12
  SPEAKER_08: We'll walk in and make sure that everything is up to par.
• 28:16
  SPEAKER_08: Yeah.
• 28:16
  SPEAKER_08: That they checked off all the lists.
• 28:18
  SPEAKER_05: Awesome.
• 28:18
  SPEAKER_05: Any final words about cleanliness on the home?
• 28:21
  SPEAKER_06: Make sure that if you're the one going to see a house, it's the way you want it.
• 28:25
  SPEAKER_06: That when you're going, if you're the one going to look at it, what would you want it to look like when someone's coming in to see your home?
• 28:30
  SPEAKER_06: You don't want them to walk in and be like, oh my gosh, this is disgusting.
• 28:34
  SPEAKER_06: You want them to feel welcome.
• 28:36
  SPEAKER_06: And you want them to buy your house.
• 28:37
  SPEAKER_06: So make them fall in love with you.
• 28:39
  SPEAKER_06: Would you buy your house?
• 28:40
  SPEAKER_06: Yes.
• 28:41
  SPEAKER_05: Gotcha.
• 28:41
  SPEAKER_06: Would you buy your house?
• 28:42
  SPEAKER_05: Yes.
• 28:42
  SPEAKER_05: Because you don't have to own the newest home in town.
• 28:44
  SPEAKER_06: No.
• 28:45
  SPEAKER_05: You just need buyers to feel like it's been loved and well cared for, right?
• 28:48
  SPEAKER_05: Absolutely.
• 28:48
  SPEAKER_06: You're already know it's taking well cared for.
• 28:50
  SPEAKER_06: Yep.
• 28:50
  SPEAKER_05: A clean home photographs better.
• 28:52
  SPEAKER_05: Yes.
• 28:52
  SPEAKER_05: Shows better and often sells faster.
• 28:54
  SPEAKER_06: Yes.
• 28:55
  SPEAKER_05: Well, awesome.
• 28:56
  SPEAKER_05: Well, I tell you what, ladies, people need to get a hold of you at First Choice Realty Pros.
• 28:59
  SPEAKER_05: They can give you a call at 217-825-2939.
• 29:04
  SPEAKER_05: Or find you on that funky interweb at first choicerealtypros.com.
• 29:08
  SPEAKER_05: That's the number one ST Choice Realty Pros.com, right?
• 29:12
  SPEAKER_05: Awesome.
• 29:13
  SPEAKER_05: Hey, this is Chris and Caitlin with the ladies Lisa and Lydia from First Choice Realty Pros at Designing the Building Middle Illinois, one home at a time, are bringing you to the realtor segment today.
• 29:22
  SPEAKER_05: If you liked what you heard today, make sure to like, share, follow, listen, whatever you need to do, find us on any of your favorite streaming services.
• 29:28
  SPEAKER_05: And we will catch you next week.
• 29:30
  SPEAKER_09: Bye.
• 29:32
  SPEAKER_00: In the military, there's no such thing as good enough.
• 29:35
  SPEAKER_00: You either do the job the right way or you don't do it at all.
• 29:38
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• 29:41
  SPEAKER_00: I'm a veteran, and I brought the same mission first mindset back to Illinois.
• 29:46
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• 29:52
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• 29:58
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• 30:01
  SPEAKER_00: Elite roofing, high standards, zero compromise, clear communication.
• 30:06
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• 30:51
  SPEAKER_05: Until next time, keep designing and building.
• 30:54
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