Even with a busy housing market that often brings multiple showings right after the listing goes live, you still need to maintain a clean, show-ready home while the house is for sale. That can be difficult over time, especially with kids and pets.
Here are a few tips to make keeping your home show-ready a bit more manageable:
Start packing now to declutter
You’ll be moving soon anyway, so get a start on by packing away seasonal clothing. Clear closets of anything you do not think you will need in the next month or two, scale down displays on bookcases and shelves and pack these items up and put them away. Not only will you make your home less cluttered but you have got a great start on packing for the move.
Baskets & bins are your friends
Life happens… daily mail, permission slips, receipts, homework. In each room, have a small decorative basket or bin where small items can be stashed quickly prior to a showing.
Give everyone a job
Charge older children with keeping their room clean on a daily basis and consider adding an additional chore that would be helpful. Maybe come up with a reward system to help with this.
Start off right in the morning, every day
Maybe you do this every day already, and maybe not. Make the beds, touch up the bathrooms, empty garbage, toilet seats down, put away dirty dishes. By making this an everyday habit, it will make last minute cleaning before a showing much easier.
Keep cooking to a minimum
From-scratch cooking can create a mess and many dirty dishes – as well as create odors in your home. While actively showing your home you will probably eat out more than usual – or maybe have frozen dinners more often. This will lessen ypur stress and keep everyone fed – and the kitchen clean and odor-free.
First Weber sells real estate throughout Wisconsin: Metro Milwaukee and Southeastern WI, South Central Wisconsin/Greater Madison, Southwest Wisconsin, Western Wisconsin, Central Wisconsin, Northeast Wisconsin and Wisconsin’s great Northwoods.