If you're about to put your house on the market, there are a few maintenance tasks that are pretty much standard. You will want to remove any clutter, ensure that the lawns and gardens are neat, and will possibly even paint the walls. But what about the floors? Making your floors look new again doesn't have to take a lot of effort and is a great way to make your home look even more attractive to any potential buyer.

Carpets

Even carpets that have never been professionally cleaned can be restored to their former glory. A carpet cleaning company will be able to make your carpets look new again, and even those stains you might have learned to live with will be gone. You should schedule the carpet cleaners to arrive several days before an open home, to ensure that the carpets have adequate time to dry. The effects are long-lasting, so even if your home is on the market for a while, the carpets will still look fantastic.

Linoleum

Linoleum floors don't usually age as well as other types of flooring, and yet replacing it can be an unnecessary (and unwanted) expense. Instead of replacing the floor completely, scuff marks and light scratches can be removed with the use of a scrubbing pad. Be sure to only lightly scrub, since you can remove the linoleum's finish (and colour) if you're too heavy-handed. Fine sandpaper can also be used to remove stubborn stains, but again, you need to be delicate in your usage. Once these scuff marks and stains have been removed, simply mop the area well. Do not do this on the day of an open home, as you don't want potential buyers to slip over.

Wood

It's possible to refinish wooden floors without the effort of sanding. Check the nails that are holding the floorboards into place. As pressure has moved across the floorboards (which can simply be the result of years of continuous usage), the nails can become loose. Lightly hammer the nails back into position, taking care not to leave any hammer marks. Stains and scuff marks can be removed by using a scrubbing pad, as is the case with linoleum. Again, be delicate to ensure that you don't discolour the floor. Mop the floor to remove any surface dust. Once dried, you can apply a water-based polyurethane finish (which can be found at any hardware store). Apply this finish using a paint roller for even coverage. You should do this well before any open home so that the smell of the finish has time to dissipate.

With a small amount of elbow grease, you can get your floors looking brand new again, which makes your home that much more appealing.