By Ted Healy of DNG TED HEALY

Now that your kitchen is ready for viewings after our last article, we turn our attention to the family living room.

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In many homes, the living room is the first that potential purchasers see once they step into your home. It is a much trafficked room within the house and presents many challenges to keep it clean and tidy for property viewings.

Firstly, let the light in. Open back those curtains and pull up those blinds. Net curtains – get rid! It is vital to allow as much natural light as possible into your living room.

Most curtains can be safely laundered at home but always check the label. Good quality heavy duty curtains and drapes will require dry-cleaning. At the very least give them a good dusting. Timber blinds can be dusted as they hang.

This is your chance to declutter your living room. So what should remain?

The living room suite of furniture, coffee table and lamps. If you have a tiled/timber floor consider a large rug if you have one.

Strategically place a home interiors or self help book on the coffee table. If you have a bookshelf, make sure it is well stocked and well balanced in terms of book sizes on each shelf. If you have artwork on the walls, fantastic. Make sure you dust them down as well as the book shelves. Don’t forget to dust the television. Make sure you clean all the glass on display cabinets, picture frames, glass doors and particularly the glass door on the stove. Move the furniture to the middle of the room and dust all the skirtings.

Move onto the soft furnishings; sofas, throws, cushions. These can be dust gatherers – make sure to give them the once over.
Continue the dusting to the bookshelves, light/lamp shades (make sure they are off when cleaning). Best to use a slightly damp cloth when dusting surfaces.

Next you want to make it shine. Once your wood furniture has been dusted, polish it using a lint-free cloth and rub along the grain to leave a nice shine.

Get the Windolene out to get those living room windows sparkling. Another simple home solution is white vinegar and water.

If you have an open fireplace make sure it is cleaned out and reset. Same goes with an insert stove.

Vacuum the entire area including furniture. If you have hard floors, mop them immediately after vacuuming.

Don’t skip the finishing touches after spring cleaning your living room. You’ll want to rehang your curtains of course, but also take the time to neatly fold any throw blankets you laundered and arrange your books neatly on the shelves.

Your living room is now looking better than it ever has, ready to welcome potential purchasers with open arms.