If you are trying to get your house ready to show and you have one or more wood burning fireplaces in your home, you may well be leaving them till last out of a desire to avoid actually have to prep them for staging. However, a well cleaned and nicely staged fireplace isn't hard to do and can really provide an eye-catching focal point to your room.
First, gather all the materials that you'll need. Make sure you have a large garbage can within arm's reach. You may want to double up on liners in your garbage can so that there's no chance of spills. When you clean your fireplace remember to lay down plastic sheeting in the area around the hearth. A good quality pair of long rubber gloves will make the job far more pleasant.
Next, shovel out the cold ashes from the fireplace and sweep it out. If you have access to a shop vacuum, you can use this to remove the remaining traces of ash from the fireplace. Remove the grate. You may want to take any iron or brass grates or andirons outside to clean to keep the mess down.
To help contain the sooty build up that you'll be cleaning out of the chimney, you may want to line the bottom of the fireplace with newspapers so that you can just fold them up and put them in the garbage as you work, saving yourself from shovelling up more ashes as you work.
Take a wire brush to the inside of the fireplace and lower chimney. As the newspapers accumulate piles of soot and ash, fold them up and pla women's jackets ce them in the garbage. Watch as you brush the brickwork; if any of the bricks look like they're deteriorating then be very careful with them.
The next step can be messy, if you aren't already messy enough. What you need to do is mix up your solvent for cleaning the bricks. A very popular solution for this task is about eight tablespoons of TSP added to three litres, or just under a gallon, of hot water. Dip your wire brush into the solution and use to scrub down the inside of your fireplace. Use plain warm water and rags to rinse the solution from the fireplace when you're done. Repeat if any stains remain.
If you have a fireplace window screen, your owner's manual for the product should have a recommended glass product suggested for cleaning the glass. If not, then a trip to a fireplace and woodstove store should provide you with the information that you need to get an appropriate product to clean yours.
Once your fireplace is clean, take a look at it with an objective eye. If the painted surround or the mantle are discoloured at all, give them a fresh coat of paint. Clear everything off your mantle; most people keep far too much clutter on their mantlepiece. Ideally, you should have one large piece of artwork over your fireplace. If you don't own one, see about borrowing or renting one for staging purposes. Many art galleries will rent you a painting for a reasonable fee. Place a few items on your mantle but avoid pictures of your family so that your prospective buyer can more easily picture their own family living in this room.
When your home is being shown have a fire lit in the fireplace to highlight the fact that it's a useable feature and to create a cozy atmosphere. Don't light a fire if it's particularly warm out, of course, or if there will be no one home after the showing to avoid any mishaps. Don't be afraid to ask your realtor for any ideas they might have to help you showcase your fireplace as well.
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