How to keep your home “show ready”
If you’ve decided to put your house on the market then chances are you want a quick sale - It doesn’t always work out that way, which means that you have to keep your house “show ready” for a longer period of time.
That’s not always easy though, especially when you have children, pets or a spouse !!
Even if you are pretty clean and stay on top of your housework, there’s always going to be a difference between “clean and tidy” and “ready to show”.
This doesn’t have to be as intimidating as it may sound and here are some top tips on keeping your house ready to show, even whilst living in it.
Get rid of everything you don’t need.
The emptier your house is, the easier it’ll be to keep clean. So now is the time to get rid of everything you don’t need or you’re not going to be using for the next few months.
Start in the bedroom with your wardrobes and move down to the kitchen with the expensive blender you’ve not used in six months. It’s also a really good way to make a few extra pounds too, as you can sell any items that are in good condition.
Create a junk zone.
OK it’s not feasible to live entirely clutter free, especially when children are involved. So have one area in your home where you can discreetly hide away any junk, whether it be in the attic or the cupboard under the stairs. Of course, if you use a cupboard then would be buyers are still likely to peek inside so the key is to use bins that you can just throw the stuff in and that hide away the evidence that any clutter ever lived in your home.
Stay on top of the bins.
It may seem like an obvious statement but keep on top of your rubbish. Make sure rubbish goes in the bin and that it’s emptied daily. This will save you the manic rush around before a prospective buyer is about to call.
Keep wipes handy.
Clean as you go is the phrase that will be your friend during this period. Always keep a pack of disinfectant wipes on hand to clean up any mess left behind as it happens. Remember that staying on top of your mess means keeping on top of the little things making it easier down the line.
Set up a 5 minute routine.
Since you’re already keeping on top of things you can deploy the 5 minute cleaning routine when you get the call that someone is coming. This means setting a timer for 5 minutes and blitzing each room. It makes you focus on doing the big stuff and gets you motivated to get it all done.
As with anything, selling a home is all about expectations. If you are mentally prepared for the disruption and chaos then, it actually becomes less of those things.
Thanks for reading.
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