Nobody expected this year to be this wild and crazy, and for most of us, things are way different from what we’re used to. A lot of us are working from home and quarantining, which means that the spaces we’re living in and working from are one and the same. What is more, when you’re trying to sell your home in the middle of this chaos, you might feel like you’re in over your head. When realtors announce they’ll be showing your home, you need to clean it quickly and effectively – here’s how:
Clean as you go
With your house on the market, cleaning up is not a chore but more of a lifestyle. You never know when you might expect someone over, and you don’t want to add extra stress, so try to clean up after yourself and your family every day. If you assume that the realtor will be coming every day, you should make it your job to leave a room as clean as possible, like you weren’t even there. Dirty dishes should be put in the dishwasher, beds should be made first thing in the morning, laundry folded and put away immediately, and groceries placed in the pantry and the fridge the moment you come home. It might be a bit more work than you’re used to, but it saves you a lot of stress.
Have an official junk zone
When you have children and/or pets, having a house perfectly clean is virtually impossible because they seem to leave an explosion of toys and trinkets everywhere they go. You can’t throw away their toys and games, of course, but you can declare a ‘junk zone’ in your home where everything will be kept. Find a secluded place in your home where you can place a couple of storage bins or big decorative boxes and make it a place where all toys and trinkets are. This way, you can easily put these in a closet, vacuum the carpets, and take them out again after the realtor and potential buyers leave.
Keeping glass surfaces polished
Glass top tables, mirrors, windows, and showers always look elegant and modern, but they are a pain in the neck to keep spotless and shiny. Household cleaners are the best and the simplest for polishing any of these surfaces, but in the case of shower cabins in your bathroom, you might need to use hot water and vinegar too. If you’re sick and tired of using elbow grease, you can always apply a layer of hydrophobic coating for glass, let it stay on the surface for a while, and simply wash it off with water later. Not only is it effective, but also incredibly easy and time-efficient – you won’t have to spend a lot of time polishing away old water stains.
Have small decluttering missions
When you live in a nice, spacious home, it’s easy to move things out of sight for a while and end up forgetting all about them. While ‘out of sight, out of mind’ method works for some things, it will soon make you feel like you’re living in a storage unit. Living in a small space means that you’ll notice the clutter much sooner, but regardless of the size of your home, you should have mini decluttering ‘missions’ and free your home from things you don’t need or use. Decluttering regularly means that you won’t have to spend days doing it when your realtor announces they’re coming.
Make your home smell good
Even though you might be used to the smell of your home, people who are coming to see it don’t want to be greeted by odors. To prevent your home from smelling bad, you should wash your trash cans every time you take the trash out, vacuum and wipe down baseboards as well as window sills, vacuum under furniture, and wipe off the stove after you’ve finished cooking. This being said, you should also make it a point to light scented candles in your house regularly, as well as to use air fresheners in the living room and bathroom.
With your home on the market during a global pandemic, you will feel exhausted and drained most of the time, trying to keep up with work and realtor showings. We know that it’s virtually impossible to always be on top of everything, but when you use some of these simple tips and tricks we prepared for you, you’ll find that keeping your home clean for showings is not that hard.
About the author: Mike Johnston is an avid blogging enthusiast and experienced freelance writer with a focus on home improvement, interior design, family life, and sustainable living.
