We’re trying to sell our house and have shown it six or seven times in the past year. Our most recent showing was three days ago, and we got an offer! So I guess I must have done something right. When an interested party contacts us (when we were selling it ourselves) or our realtor, anxiety sets in; we can have a few hours to a few days of notice, but it’s never long enough to do as much as I’d like to! Here’s the checklist I go through to prepare my house. I do it just hours before the showing so it doesn’t have time to get messed up! If at all possible, I send my husband and kids out of the house from before I clean until after the showing. The bedrooms and living room tend to go pretty quickly at our house, so I do those first just so I feel like I’m making good progress!
Checklist: Preparing Your House For A Showing
Every room:
I spray a nice non-chemically smelling air freshener when I start the “big clean”, so it will smell nice when they get there, but not like I’m trying to hide something.
Put away clutter (Doesn’t have to be perfect, just has to be hidden.)
Sweep down cobwebs
Dust
Sweep and mop/vacuum floors–don’t forget baseboards! (I do this last.)
If time: wash windows, wash hand prints from light switches, doors
Bedrooms:
Make beds
If time: do laundry so it won’t be funking up the room.
Kitchen:
Do dishes and put away.
Scrub sink
Clean counters
Clean trash can if applicable/visible
Clean stove
If time: clean fridge (Ok, ok, I’ve never had that much time! A girl can dream!)
Bathrooms:
Clean toilet all over and inside
Scrub tub
Clean sink
Clean mirrors
Remove used towels
Close shower curtains
Outside
Mow lawn or shovel if necessary
Put away tools and toys.
Finishing Touches:
I close all closet doors and turn on lamps instead of overhead lights for ambiance. If I can, I like to leave some vases of fresh flowers around.
Of course, we had done major tasks like touching up paint, planting a flower garden, hauling away old appliances, etc. before we ever listed the house for sale, so I haven’t included those things. That’s another post for another time. Good luck selling your house!
The post Checklist: Preparing Your House For A Showing appeared first on Thinking Outside The Sandbox Family DIY, Recipes, Autism, Kids.
