If you are putting your home on the market for sale, you may be wondering: Just how am I supposed to maintain a “staged” house while myself and my family are still living here?!!!
A good question. How can you make sure your home is ready for that last minute or end-of-the-day showing that pops up? We do have lives you know! We eat. And brush our teeth. We sleep in our beds and change our clothes for goodness sake!
Well, I’m sorry to have to break it to you. But, in all honesty, while you are selling your home it does almost have to be like you don’t actually live in your house. As a matter of fact, if you told your realtor you’d move out for them to sell it, they’d probably do back flips for you.
Staging your home is not enough. Maintaining the look of a staged home is just as important. And it takes effort. On everyone’s part.
The best way to keep up the maintenance is to have a checklist. Here is a sample list that you can use to make sure that when you walk out your front door, the next person in will see the beautifully staged house you want them to see:
- No clothing lying around. Not on floors or beds or chairs. Not in any room.
- Wipe down bathroom counters and put A-W-A-Y all toiletry products. All bathrooms.
- Wipe down kitchen counters. Leave them clean and dry.
- Nothing in kitchen sink. Not even crumbs. Put dishes in dishwasher or away in cabinets and wipe out sink. Leave it clean.
- Put away jackets, coats and shoes. Nothing left on floors, benches or backs of chairs. In any room.
- Take one last look. Stand in the doorway of each and every room before your leave the house and look for things that don’t belong or are out of place. Fix the issue and move on.
All family members need to see and agree to whatever checklist you use so that the home remains show ready and there is never too much that falls onto any one persons plate.
