What a listing clean includes, and why Realtors book one before photos

Your listing photos are the first showing. Before anyone walks through the door, buyers have already scrolled past a hundred other homes, and a single dingy sink or dusty window ledge in a photo can end the conversation. A listing clean exists to make sure that does not happen.

Here is what a listing clean covers, how it differs from the other cleans we offer, and how to fit it into your timeline in Johns Creek and the surrounding area.

What a listing clean is

A listing clean is a top-to-bottom reset of an occupied or staged home, done right before the photographer arrives. It is built around what a camera and a buyer will actually notice: bright surfaces, clear counters, clean glass, fresh floors.

It is more thorough than a regular maintenance clean, because the house has to hold up to close inspection and wide-angle lenses. It is lighter than a move-out clean, because the home is usually still furnished and lived in, and we are not emptying cabinets or scrubbing out a vacant property.

Room by room

Kitchen

Counters, backsplash and sink are scrubbed and shined. Appliance exteriors are cleaned and streak-free. Cabinet fronts are wiped down, the stovetop is degreased, and floors are cleaned edge to edge. An inside oven or fridge clean can be added if the sellers want them show-ready.

Bathrooms

Showers, tubs, tile and glass are descaled and polished. Toilets are cleaned inside and out, mirrors and fixtures are shined, vanities are wiped, and floors are mopped.

Bedrooms and living areas

Dusting from ceiling fans to baseboards, vacuuming and mopping, and wiping of switch plates, door frames and visible trim. Mirrors and glass surfaces are cleaned so reflections stay clean in photos.

Throughout the home

Window sills and tracks are wiped. Entryways and front doors are cleaned, since that is where buyers form their first impression. Interior windows can be added for homes with big natural light, which is where smudges show up most.

Listing, regular and move-out compared

• Regular clean: maintains a home that is already in good shape. Priced for ongoing visits.
• Listing clean: a thorough pre-photo reset for a furnished home. Focused on what shows in photos and walkthroughs.
• Move-out clean: an empty-home clean, including cabinets, drawers and inside appliances, meant to hand over a property in handover condition.

Many sellers need a listing clean first and a move-out clean after closing. They are separate jobs, priced separately.

Why Realtors book it before photos

Photos sell showings, and showings sell homes. A clean home photographs better, and it also reads as well maintained, which supports your pricing conversation with the seller.

It protects the agent, too. You are not the person who has to tell a seller their bathroom needs work, or who ends up with a mop at 9 p.m. the night before the shoot.

Our process and turnaround

We offer a 48-hour turnaround for Realtors. When the job is done, we text before-and-after photos, and the agent and seller can both see the proof. You get one invoice, so there is no chasing separate payments.

Our cleaners are vetted independent professionals, background-checked, and the work is insured and bonded. If anything is missed, our 48-hour re-clean guarantee applies.

How to schedule it

Timing matters more than most people expect.

1. Clean before the photographer, never after. Dust and fingerprints show up on camera, and a clean done afterward does nothing for your listing photos.
2. Finish staging first. Furniture, rugs and decor should be in place so we clean around the final layout.
3. Book one to two days ahead of the shoot. That leaves room for a re-clean if anything needs touching up, and keeps the home fresh.
4. Keep the home empty during the clean. Sellers and pets should be out for the visit.

If a showing schedule is tight, tell us up front and we will work backward from your date.

A checklist to send sellers the week before

Copy this into your next email to a seller.

• Clear kitchen counters of everything except one or two styling pieces.
• Put away toiletries, towels and personal items in bathrooms.
• Remove dishes from the sink and dishwasher.
• Pick up toys, shoes, pet bowls and laundry.
• Clear floors so they can be cleaned all the way to the walls.
• Replace burnt-out bulbs.
• Move pets out for the clean and the shoot, and let us know about them in advance.
• Leave a clear path to the front door and garage.

Listing clean prices

Our listing prices are set by home size:

Home size	Listing clean
Under 1,500 sq ft	$260
1,500 to 2,500 sq ft	$340
2,500 to 3,500 sq ft	$420
3,500 to 4,500 sq ft	$520
Over 4,500 sq ft	Quoted on site

Add-ons such as inside oven ($30), inside fridge ($30), interior windows ($45) and a garage sweep ($40) can be added to any listing clean. There are no contracts, and you can cancel with 24 hours' notice.

Ready to book

Agents can set up a listing clean, or an ongoing arrangement for multiple listings, through our Realtor contact form. Homeowners in the area can read more about our work in Johns Creek, or get a price from the instant quote.