You get home from work to find random stuff all over the place. Shoes are on the bed; the sink is full of dirty dishes. But this is not what is making you worried. It’s the call you got from your real estate agent about getting your home ready within an hour because some potential buyers are coming to see your house.
If you have never sold a house before, you may be finding it hard to get your house “show-ready”. This gets even more nerve-wracking if you want to sell your house as fast as possible. Now, the million-dollar question is, How do you go about dealing with this situation in an easy manner?
The first thing you need to do is develop a team to get things done more efficiently. This team may include you, your kids, your spouse and some other family members or friends. Next, simply follow the tips given below to get your house ready in no time.
#1 Clean the TV and the Toilet
Begin with the TVs, tables and toilets. Why should you make a start with them first? A few extra things on the table can actually make the whole room look cluttered. Therefore, remove all extra items and wipe the table with a clean rag. Even if you have to keep a few necessary items out, make sure you remove the rest.
As far as the toilets go, make sure you wipe down the base/bowl until no traces of dust are left behind. And the lid should be on the toilet as the buyers won’t want to see what is inside.
Although the TV may seem neat and clean to you at first glance, know that it’s the center of attention in living room. When the TV is off, dust and other nasty marks tend to stand out. Therefore, it’s important that you clean the TV and the area around it.
#2 Remove the toys
You may want to collect all the toys from all the rooms, put them in a toy bin and then put that bin somewhere else, preferably a closet or garage. You don’t need to organize the books or toys. Just get them together, put them in a box and hide the box in a place where the buyers won’t be able to see it.
#3 Hide the dishes
If your sink is teaming with dishes, you may want to do them as soon as possible and then put them away. An easier way is to stash them in the oven. While it may sound crazy, it works great. The buyers are unlikely to open up the oven to see what is inside. Before you put the dishes in the oven, be sure the appliance is cool. You don’t want to burn yourself.
#4 Get rid of pet hair
Your house is clean from all sides, but have you taken care of the pet hair? Pet hair can be a big turn off for some buyers, especially the buyers who don’t keep pets. So, what you need to do is use a rubber glove to remove pet hair from the furniture. You can also use a lint brush if you don’t have access to a pair of rubber gloves.
#5 Store unnecessary appliances
You may be in love with your coffee maker, but the problem is that the appliance covers a lot of space on a countertop. Your countertop should be as empty as possible so that buyers can see how much usable space there is in the kitchen.
If the countertop has no free space, it will make a negative impression on the buyers. So, you should remove as much of the clutter and appliances from the countertop as possible. You can always set them out again after the guests have gone. Remember: the effort is worth it.
#6 Make the beds
Although it’s obvious, most homeowners forget about it, especially when they are in a rush. It’s important that you tidy up each bedroom. You should make all the beds and clean the nightstands as well.
The easiest way to make sure all the rooms are ready is to make the beds early in the morning.
#7 Open the windows
Make sure you open a window in each room. This will let the fresh air in, and a few minutes with the windows open will remove stale air and bad odors.
#8 Wipe the baseboards
Don’t forget to wipe the baseboards as this is the most neglected area in a house when it comes to cleaning. In fact, this area collects a lot of dust and dirt which can make it look ugly. Even if you are in a rush, you can wipe it down quickly. It won’t take more than one or two minutes, and it’ll make a big difference.
#9 Open curtains
Check each room, except the bathroom, and open the blinds and curtains to allow fresh air and light into the rooms. This will also make your rooms look bigger than they really are.
If you don’t have the time to clean the bath, you can close the curtains partially, preferably three-quarters of the way.
Bonus tip: To keep things organized, make sure you spend a few minutes every day and put things where they belong, one by one.
If you don’t want to do things in a rush next time, we suggest that you spend 10 minutes each day making sure each item is in the right place. This way you won’t have to do things in a hurry when you get a call from buyers saying they will be with you within an hour to view your house. This will make the viewings go much more smoothly.