How to Keep Your Home “Show-Ready” While It’s on the Market
It’s imperative that your home make a great first impression at any given time, and maintenance is an important part of home staging.
After you’ve staged the home and given it a deep cleaning, all you have to do is maintain it. This may seem daunting, but it doesn’t have to be as time-consuming and stressful as it sounds! A few smart home staging and cleaning tips will go a long way at making your home presentable for buyers so you can get it sold faster and for top dollar.
Follow these easy tips to make sure your home is always ready for buyers.
Home Staging and Cleaning Tips for Selling a Home
Air it out regularly
You hear a lot about how to make your home more visually appealing to buyers, but it’s equally as important to make sure your home smells good while it’s on the market. Every home takes on its own unique scent that we as the homeowners don’t notice but that strangers instantly pick up on. This is easy to remedy by airing the house out often while you’re there, even if it’s just once a day. Doing this regularly will keep it smelling clean and fresh.
Keep kids’ and pets’ toys organized
If you have kids or pets, you know how quickly an organized room can turn to chaos. While your home is on the market, keep these items picked up as soon as they’re done being used. If you don’t have some already, designate some boxes, baskets, or a cabinet to these items so they can quickly and easily be stored away at a moment’s notice. Don’t leave anything out during a showing as they make the home feel cluttered and messy.
Vacuum and wipe down surfaces every day
Even the cleanest house in the world should get extra care while it’s on the market. You want every inch of the home to be spotless to create the best impression on buyers, so take a few minutes every day to vacuum the floors (especially if you have pets) and wipe down all the surfaces in the kitchen and bathrooms. Not only will this make it smell nice, but the cleanliness will not go unnoticed by buyers.
Put toiletries away after you use them
A major turn-off to most buyers is seeing toiletries left out in the bathrooms and bedrooms. Things like toothbrushes, toothpaste, razors, and other personal items remind buyers that they are walking through a stranger’s home, which is awkward and distracting and creates the general look of clutter. Keep them hidden away in a cabinet or linen closet when you aren’t using them.
Have baskets handy for clutter
It’s natural to accumulate clutter on a daily basis, but there is an easy way to combat this while your home is on the market that doesn’t take up a lot of time. Every day, go around the house with a basket and collect any loose clutter that has made its way onto the surfaces. Later, when you have the time, find a place for it and put it away. This is really helpful if you are very busy and short on time. Just toss it in the basket, slip it into a cabinet or closet, then put it all away when you have more time to deal with it.