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5 Tips to Keep Your House Viewing-Ready While You Still Live There

Category Selling

5 Tips to Keep Your House Viewing-Ready While You Still Live There

Congratulations! Your house is officially on the market! 

Soon, these past few months of decluttering, packing, and spring cleaning will pay off. 

The professional photos came out amazing and your estate agent just submitted your photo to online portals. 

It might feel like the hard part is over, but you still have to go through the buyer viewings. 

The most important thing to remember is that the decluttering process does not end when the photographer leaves. 

Buyers want a house that is well-cared for, so how do you keep it spic and span while you still live there? Here are a few useful tips:

#1 - A place for everything and everything in its place

This might sound like something your mother(-in-law) would say, but she probably also said that all mothers are right - this rings true for when you are in the middle of the viewing-process: 

Everyone in the family has to get on board with this in order to make it a success. If something is taken out of its place, then it has to be returned. If something is moved for some reason, it has to be moved back as soon as possible. 

Buyer viewings can happen at any time. 

#2 - Do a quick clean of the bathrooms

You might have spring cleaned the bathroom and scrubbed every square centimeter of tile that you can find, but it is advisable to do a quick clean before potential buyers arrive. 

Before the viewing, wipe down the counters and the mirrors. Get rid of any dirty towels that might be lying around, but don't hang them on the bar - get them out of the room completely. 

Use a duster to collect any dirt and debris that might be stuck to the floor and do a quick mop if it is necessary.

#3 - Freshen the kitchen

If you are having a buyer viewing, but you forgot to wash the dishes or pots and pans, simply throw them in the oven! 

Not the ideal choice, but it is better than having potential buyers see dirty dishes in your sink. Most buyers won't open the stove during a viewing. 

Clear the counters of anything that shouldn't be there, wipe the counters, and clean the sink until it sparkles. If you have a window above the sink, it probably drips water. Give it a quick clean on the inside. 

#4 - Quickly run a vacuum through the house

You should have already finished the deep-cleaning and decluttering of the house, so don't see this as a repeat of what you have already done. 

No matter how much you clean a room, dust settles faster than anything else and potential buyers don't want to see that when they arrive. 

Plug in the vacuum cleaner and give it a quick zoom through the house. Focus on the carpets and make them nice and fluffy, as well as areas where pets walk through. Pet hair is a definite no-no during a buyer viewing. 

#5 - Keep an empty laundry basket handy

After you have completed the above steps, go through the house again. 

It is easy to miss something when you are in a rush or when you are pressured to get it ready before potential buyers arrive. 

Take an empty laundry basket and throw anything that might be out of place in there. Place the laundry basket somewhere out of sight where no one will see it. You can sort through it later and put everything back where it should be. 

Remember to breathe - your home is now clean and it looks ready for the big sale. 

Author: Ikonic Real Estate

Submitted 26 Nov 19 / Views 950