An open house can be an ideal way to introduce a bulk of buyers to the property you're hoping to sell. When done right, an open house can sometimes generate multiple offers. The key, though, is "done right" -- not every open house is going to be a buyer's bonanza, and not every open house showcases a home at its highest potential. 

Just like in any other profession, there are good real estate agents ... and there are, unfortunately, subpar real estate agents. But how do you know if you've got a dreamboat or a dud handling your real estate transaction?

If you've never owned a house before, then it's entirely possible that you've never deep-cleaned a house. (Hey, no shame in that game.) But when the house is yours, the desire to see it as clean and sparkling as it can possibly be is strong -- and you might have no idea where to start or how to go about getting your clean on.