There is a lot of helpful information about how to stage your real estate for sale in Summit County. However, it is difficult to find good advice on how to live comfortably once your home is staged. Your home needs to be ready for buyers to show up anytime. It’s a daily challenge to keep personal items put away, keeping laundry and dishes clean, and kids’ toys out of the way. There is a fine line, however, between your home feeling like a museum and a home that is actually lived in.
If you’ve recently put your home on the market and are trying to figure out how to live in it while it’s staged, here are some tips to survive this difficult time in the home selling process.
Pack up the Things You Don’t Need
You’re already getting ready to move, so go ahead and begin the packing process early. Your home will be easier to stage with fewer items lying around, so pack away the things that you will use in the future and sell/donate those items that you don’t use. It’s always a surprise to discover how stuff much you actually don’t ever use. Ideally, your packed possessions should be taken to a self-storage unit, but can also be placed in an attic or crawl space.
Keep Personal Items in Closed Storage Around the Home
Take advantage of cabinets in the kitchen and bathrooms, use storage ottomans, closed baskets, chests, trunks. Just about anything that has a door or cover are great ways to keep your personal items out of sight. In case of a quick showing, you can pack everything up quickly and be ready for the potential buyers.
Keep Kitchen Areas Clean
Kitchen countertops, no matter how big or small, can look cramped and cluttered when they contain too many household appliances. So, leave just the bare minimum of small appliances that are needed for daily use on the counters. You can easily store the others inside cabinets – out of plain view – that can be ready to use at a moment’s notice.
There should be no trace of dirty dishes in the sink and no clean dishes in the dish drain. Put away dirty ones in the dishwasher and clean ones back in the cabinets.
Keep your pantry and other kitchen cabinets neat and organized as most potential buyers will take a peak to see the amount of potential space they will have once they have moved into the home.
Keep Bathroom(s) Clean
You will want to make sure that bathrooms are clean and free of clutter. It is important to be flexible with toiletries and personal items that are used on a daily basis. Consider using a portable tote to organize shampoos, toothpaste, soap etc. These totes are widely available and can easily be stored under the sink or in a linen closet when not in use. Utilizing a medicine cabinet will work as well. This will help your bathroom stay fresh and tidy at all times.
Bedroom Storage Ideas
Bedroom clutter tends to accumulate in closets or on nightstands and dressers. Declutter your closets and make sure all clothes and accessories are neat and tidy. Again, prospective buyers will want to view available space inside of a closet.
Keep other items in cabinets or nightstand drawers. You can also make use of a bedroom bench with storage or baskets that fit under the bed. Make sure that all of your bedroom clutter (pens, journals, reading glasses, tissues etc.) is hidden from plain view. An alarm clock and a few books/magazines are okay to leave out. Also be sure to make your bed every morning to enhance the appeal of your bedroom.
Conclusion
Living in a staged home is no easy task. However, it is not insurmountable. The trick is to adopt a clean and tidy lifestyle as soon as your home is staged, and stick to it until your home sells. Don’t wait until you get a call from buyers to start cleaning and organizing, a constant everyday approach will be the best way to go.
For tips on how to increase the value of your home, click here.
Download our Seller's Guide!
Fill out the form below. This free guide walks you through all the steps needed to sell your home quickly and for top dollar.
Need Help Selling Your Home?
The experts at Coldwell Banker Mountain properties can help! Contact us today to get this party started.
By Coldwell Banker
