Free Download · Vendor Resource
The Pre-Sale Cleaning Checklist Top Sydney Agents Use
The exact 47-point checklist DSK runs through before every pre-sale clean — interior, exterior, and the small details buyers notice second. Use it for your own listing, or hire us to do it for you.
Why It Matters
Buyers Make Up Their Mind in 8 Seconds
+5% sale price
Industry research shows photo-ready presentation can lift a sale price by 1-5%. On a $2M Northern Beaches home, that's $20K-$100K.
Faster open-home offers
Clean homes attract more first-inspection offers. Less time on market = lower agent commission stress + faster settlement.
Photographer ROI
Even the best listing photographer can't make a dirty kitchen look fresh. The clean has to come first.
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The Full 47-Point Checklist
What to Clean Before a Property Hits the Market
Print this, walk the property, tick each box. Anything still ticked is what your photos will show.
🍳 Kitchen (8 points)
- Oven interior — degreased, glass clear
- Rangehood filters removed + degreased
- Cooktop — burners, grates, splashback
- Benchtops sealed (granite/marble polished)
- Sink — limescale removed, taps polished
- Cupboard fronts — fingerprint-free
- Inside fridge + freezer (if staying)
- Splashback grout sanitised
🚿 Bathrooms (7 points)
- Mould-free silicone (re-do if discoloured)
- Grout — bleach + scrub, lines visible
- Glass — water-spot free, squeegee finish
- Tapware polished, no fingerprints
- Mirror — streak-free
- Toilet — base, hinges, behind
- Exhaust fan dust-free
🛋️ Living + Bedrooms (8 points)
- Carpets steam-cleaned (or replaced if worn)
- Hard floors mopped, polished where applicable
- Skirting boards wiped (top + face)
- Light switches + power points
- Door handles + push plates
- Cobwebs — corners, ceiling edges
- Ceiling fans (top of blades)
- Air vents + AC filters
🪟 Windows + Glass (4 points)
- All windows — interior + exterior
- Window tracks vacuumed (most-missed item)
- Sills wiped down
- Sliding door tracks + rollers
🧹 Detail + Decluttering (6 points)
- All personal photos removed (buyers can't picture themselves)
- Magnets + papers off the fridge
- Toiletries reduced to a single tasteful bottle
- Rubbish bins — interior wash, lids polished
- Pet items removed or hidden
- Cords managed (no visible tangles behind TV)
🚗 Driveway + Paths (4 points)
- Pressure-washed (concrete or pavers)
- Oil stains lifted
- Edges + grass strip tidy
- Garage floor cleared + swept
🏠 Exterior Walls + Roof (5 points)
- Render / paint soft-washed (not pressure)
- Algae + lichen on roof — soft wash treatment
- Gutters cleared + flushed
- Cobweb removal — eaves, beams, light fittings
- House numbers + letterbox cleaned
🌿 Outdoor Areas (5 points)
- Decks + balconies pressure-washed
- Outdoor furniture wiped + cushions fluffed
- BBQ — grates clean, hood polished
- Pool surrounds + tiles
- Lawn mown 24-48h before photos (not same day — fresh cuts photograph patchy)
⚡ Pro tip from DSK
Walk the property at 8am with the photographer's likely shooting angle in mind. Whatever the morning sun shows up — dust on skirting boards, smudges on glass, lichen on the eaves — that's what the listing photos will catch. The kitchen and bathrooms close the deal; the driveway and entrance get them through the door.
Don't Want to Do It Yourself?
DSK runs the full 47-point checklist for you. Inside + outside, photo-ready, 48-hour turnaround. From $2,500 (3-bed inside+out) or $1,650 (exterior only).