Everyone knows how important it is to prepare your home for showings and open houses. But sometimes it’s those little things that get overlooked and can keep your home from looking it’s best. I find that I work really well from a to-do list and I’m sure that some of you do too. So I reached out for a little professional help from a friend who does this every day…
Amie Chaney, of Home Staging by Amie, has provided us with this handy list of Tidy Up Tips:
Daily Tidy Up Tips
- Make the beds
- Get clothes off of floors and into a hamper or back on hangers
- Hang towels and on towel bars to dry; put in hamper when dry.
- Give tubs, showers, sinks and ovens a light scrubbing after use.
- Wash dishes or put them in the dishwasher as soon as a meal is finished – empty it as soon as dishes are clean; letting clean dishes sit in the dishwasher encourages dirty ones to pile up in the sink
- Sort and file or dispose of mail as soon as you get it
- Find a home for everything. Newspapers go in the recycling bin, coats and shoes go in the closet, dirty clothes go in the hamper – no exceptions
- Put away personal items, such as eyeglasses and magazines on a nightstand and lotions, toothbrushes and other products on a bathroom vanity.
Weekly Tidy Up Tips
- Tend to the yard (mow lawn, water plants, pick up debris)
- Dust, vacuum, and sweep bare floors (do more often if needed)
- Lightly scrub refrigerator and oven
- Shake throw rugs; vacuum or wash if very dirty
Other General Tips
- Windows and light fixtures need to be cleaned and dusted – remember to keep a watch on all light fixtures to make sure bulbs are not burned out
- Laundry should not be piled up in a heap on floors or by the washing machine
- Pet food bowls and litter boxes should be kept in an out of the way place and the area around them clean
- Avoid cooking foods that leave strong odors, such as bacon or fish. If you must cook them, open windows.
- Garages and carports are spaces that easily become too crowded. If these areas are overcrowded and you cannot part with these items, rent a storage unit so you don’t give buyers the impression there is not enough storage in the house.
Open House Checklist
- Grind half a lemon or orange in the garbage disposal
- Make sure all of the toilet seats and lids are down
- Empty every trash can and put them away out of site
- Open curtains to let as much natural light in as possible
- Wipe down all sinks, faucets, and mirrors
- Empty the dishwasher
- If you are using fresh flowers make sure they are fresh and not wilted
- Make sure all of your green plants are tended to and look their best
- Turn on all of the lights in the house
- Turn on classical music on low volume
- Close the shower curtains
- Fluff up the pillows and bedspreads
- Sweep off the front porch
- Shut all the closet doors
- Be sure that everything is off the floor (clothes, toys, papers, vacuum, ironing board, etc.)
- Put away all mail or newspapers
Do you need a little help getting your home ready to sell? Contact Amie for a professional home staging consultation. Her advice can make the difference between listing your home and selling it.
Are you considering buying or selling a home? The West Bank Living Team provides local, professional real estate services to buyers and sellers on the West Bank of New Orleans and military personnel relocating to and from NAS JRB New Orleans. It would be our pleasure to assist you with all of your real estate needs.
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Vacuuming is essential for me to do weekly. If I don’t, the dust build up begins to wreak havoc on my sinuses.
All excellent points. One little thing that a seller might do is to place a dryer sheet in each of the trash cans. It just helps to make things smell fresh without using a lot of heavy deodorizers.