9 Tips for Living a (Semi-) Normal Life While Your Home is up for Sale
Presenting your home to potential buyers at a moment’s notice requires preparation, routine and treats
Laura Gaskill
3 September 2016
Houzz Contributor. I cover decorating ideas, Houzz tours & the monthly home maintenance checklist. My favorite pieces to write center around the emotional aspects of home and savoring life's simple pleasures. Decluttering course + discount for Houzzers: https://www.lauragaskill.com/welcome-houzzers
Houzz Contributor. I cover decorating ideas, Houzz tours & the monthly home maintenance... More
Selling your home? Those frequent viewings can be a real hassle. You know it’s worth it to do your best to accommodate them, but that doesn’t make it any easier! Here are tips to make keeping your home ready to show to prospective buyers more doable, plus a handy checklist of what to remember before you clear out each time – from someone who’s been through the process (and lived to tell the tale).
1. Treat yourself to fresh flowers and other goodies
A bouquet of flowers, a bowl of fresh fruit, the ‘fancy’ soap: These things make your home look extra lovely for potential buyers, but (here’s the secret) they make your daily life a bit better as well. So go ahead and splurge a little – you (and your house) deserve it.
Budget tip: Make a bouquet go further by snipping a few blooms short and plunking them in bud vases for the bathroom vanity and bedside tables. Or, for a longer-lasting alternative, consider setting out a few small potted succulents and a bowl of bright lemons.
A bouquet of flowers, a bowl of fresh fruit, the ‘fancy’ soap: These things make your home look extra lovely for potential buyers, but (here’s the secret) they make your daily life a bit better as well. So go ahead and splurge a little – you (and your house) deserve it.
Budget tip: Make a bouquet go further by snipping a few blooms short and plunking them in bud vases for the bathroom vanity and bedside tables. Or, for a longer-lasting alternative, consider setting out a few small potted succulents and a bowl of bright lemons.
2. Make a pre-showing checklist
It’s easy to forget things in the rush to get out the door before the property agents show your home. A checklist that you can reference each time will ensure that your home is putting its best face forward for potential buyers. And remember, if you have a large household, you may not always be the last one to leave before a showing, so it’s important that everyone’s on the same page and knows what to do.
Since you probably don’t want this checklist on display, consider keeping it on your phone instead. Here are some items to include:
It’s easy to forget things in the rush to get out the door before the property agents show your home. A checklist that you can reference each time will ensure that your home is putting its best face forward for potential buyers. And remember, if you have a large household, you may not always be the last one to leave before a showing, so it’s important that everyone’s on the same page and knows what to do.
Since you probably don’t want this checklist on display, consider keeping it on your phone instead. Here are some items to include:
- Dishes washed and put away
- Kitchen counters and table wiped down
- Dirty clothes in hampers with lids on
- Bathroom sink and mirror wiped clean and toilet seats down
- Hair removed from shower (eww!)
- Toys put away in baskets and bins
- Coffee table cleared and clean
- Entry cleared of shoes and personal items
- Curtains or blinds open
3. Make your bed as soon as you wake up
If you’re not in the habit of making your bed every morning, you may want to start now, so you don’t have to worry about it if the agent calls to request a last-second showing. If you have kids, be sure they make their beds in the morning too.
4. Hide laundry in a lidded hamper
An open hamper filled with dirty laundry isn’t the sort of thing you want prospective buyers to be greeted with in your bedroom, right? Get a hamper with a lid to conceal the whole rumpled mess instead. (In a pinch, you can use a storage bench.)
If you’re not in the habit of making your bed every morning, you may want to start now, so you don’t have to worry about it if the agent calls to request a last-second showing. If you have kids, be sure they make their beds in the morning too.
4. Hide laundry in a lidded hamper
An open hamper filled with dirty laundry isn’t the sort of thing you want prospective buyers to be greeted with in your bedroom, right? Get a hamper with a lid to conceal the whole rumpled mess instead. (In a pinch, you can use a storage bench.)
5. Put bedside tables to work
After making your bed, be sure to tuck out of sight any odds and ends that have accumulated around your bedside table, such as magazines, hand cream and jewellery. If your bedside table doesn’t have drawers, keep a lidded box under the bed, and stash your stuff in there before leaving for the day.
After making your bed, be sure to tuck out of sight any odds and ends that have accumulated around your bedside table, such as magazines, hand cream and jewellery. If your bedside table doesn’t have drawers, keep a lidded box under the bed, and stash your stuff in there before leaving for the day.
6. Simplify children’s rooms
If it’s too difficult or takes too long, putting away toys in your child’s room before showings will become a headache for all involved. My advice it to pack many of them in boxes or bins and tuck them in a wardrobe or storeroom, leaving only ones that fit easily within your current toy storage. This way, even if all those toys were strewn over the floor, it wouldn’t take more than about 10 minutes to get the room looking presentable again.
If it’s too difficult or takes too long, putting away toys in your child’s room before showings will become a headache for all involved. My advice it to pack many of them in boxes or bins and tuck them in a wardrobe or storeroom, leaving only ones that fit easily within your current toy storage. This way, even if all those toys were strewn over the floor, it wouldn’t take more than about 10 minutes to get the room looking presentable again.
7. Stash cleaning wipes in the bathroom
I tend to choose reusable microfibre cloths for normal everyday cleaning, but when you’re selling your house, things are decidedly not normal. I found it incredibly helpful to have a pack of cleaning wipes within reach for wiping down the sink, taps and around the toilet. Then you can just toss the wipe in the bin and walk away.
I tend to choose reusable microfibre cloths for normal everyday cleaning, but when you’re selling your house, things are decidedly not normal. I found it incredibly helpful to have a pack of cleaning wipes within reach for wiping down the sink, taps and around the toilet. Then you can just toss the wipe in the bin and walk away.
8. Keep a spare stack of fresh towels on hand
A neatly folded stack of fluffy white towels can make any bathroom look instantly fresher, cleaner and more spa-like. While selling our house, I kept a few new white towels folded in the cupboard and put them out before showings. It sounds fussy, but it was actually less stressful than worrying about whether the towels were clean all the time. And we got to enjoy using those nice towels after the house sold!
A neatly folded stack of fluffy white towels can make any bathroom look instantly fresher, cleaner and more spa-like. While selling our house, I kept a few new white towels folded in the cupboard and put them out before showings. It sounds fussy, but it was actually less stressful than worrying about whether the towels were clean all the time. And we got to enjoy using those nice towels after the house sold!
9. When in doubt, add more baskets
Honestly, it’s so easy to scoop stray items into baskets and close the lids, you’ll be glad to have a few extras. Big baskets are great for clothes, blankets and toys, while small baskets and lidded boxes work well for papers, magazines and random assorted clutter.
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How to Style a Coffee Table
Honestly, it’s so easy to scoop stray items into baskets and close the lids, you’ll be glad to have a few extras. Big baskets are great for clothes, blankets and toys, while small baskets and lidded boxes work well for papers, magazines and random assorted clutter.
TELL US
Are you selling (or planning to sell) your home? What do you always do before showings?
MORE
How to Style a Coffee Table
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John Stapleton my real estate agent said the same thing, that open houses are beneficial primarily for the agent, who can connect with buyers who don't have an agent yet. And also that the online listings are incredibly crucial these days, so the photos better be great.
That said, we had only two weekends of open houses and zero private showings, and received 4 offers on the second weekend of open houses.
I find this an odd generalization, too. It depends on the market. Right now, putting a sign on a house and having an open house results in bidding wars well over asking price. One viewing, one weekend and a scramble to get the best bid in. Down the street, I noticed a different sign on a realtor sign that said it was "coming soon" so that is intended to create an onslaught of buyers who must prepare their information and be ready to offer. Prices are out of sight.
When we were showing our house when our children were little and we were working, the house was clean but not always perfect. I kept two empty laundry baskets that we would throw things in to get them out of the way - like wet towels others things that you don’t have time to deal with. We just threw them in the basket and put them in the back of our car and left before the realtor got there. It helped to know you could always get things out of sight in a hurry.