7 Tips to Keeping Your Home Tidy Enough to Show
It’s a struggle many of us have faced before—keeping the house clean enough to show for sale, while also continuing to live life each day! Between the dishes, toys, endless piles of laundry, and the storage in the basement, even the thought of people walking through every square inch of your house can be anxiety provoking! Don’t sweat the small stuff because we’ve put together 7 simple tips to help keep you sane and your home show ready!
Find your motivation when sorting/giving away—It’s never easy to let go of items we have saved for years. It’s even harder for kids to agree to purge the toy bins. That’s where finding the right motivation comes into play. As you begin sorting through your things, make a decision as to what will motivate you (and your other family members) to finally let go. If donating to a good cause brings you happiness, pick your favorite charity and donate your goods knowing they’ll be put to good use. If money motivates you, sell your items on Facebook or Craig’s List and use the money made to buy new furniture for the new house. Finding your inner motivation, helps you take the next step towards clearing out those spaces you’ve been dreading for years!
Storage bins are your friend—Until now, you have never fully appreciated the power of a plastic tote. Keep 3-4 on hand at all times to load up last minute trinkets, toys and other “clutter” items when you need to show your home in a jiffy. Simple move and stack the totes in the basement and everything will be out of sight and out of mind.
Minimize usage of rooms/space—One of the best things you can do is minimize your living space during this time. Instead of using multiple bathrooms to bathe each day, simply narrow it down to one that the entire family uses. Then, you’re keeping the others tidy and ready for show. You can do this with spaces too such as formal living rooms, making certain spaces off limits for a short time will help save you your sanity in the long run!
Remove non-functional stuff you’re not using—There’s a countless number of kitchen counters that have seen better days because of the MANY non-essential items that are placed in the main functional space of the kitchen. It’s time to put the items you don’t use on a regular basis into storage to create a more appealing space. The juicer and food processor that you only use once a month are prime examples of items that can create a lot more counter space when moved!
Warm up the space—Fresh flowers or a bowl of fresh fruit can make all the difference in creating an inviting space.Having these on hand for showings help everyone walking through to feel a better sense of home.
Make the front door inviting—Within the first 10 seconds of pulling in the driveway, the individuals seeing the home are already forming an opinion. Even if it may be a dreary time of year, a pretty front door wreath and welcome mat can make all the difference!
Scents—People can be greatly swayed by the scents they first encounter when touring a home. Instead of using air fresheners and artificial sprays, bake something that creates a strong, pleasant (everyone loves it) scent throughout the house like cookies or fresh bread.
These are just a few tips that we help make your next home showing experience amazing! What tips have you tried that worked? Please share them with us!
