We’ve received a few notes recently that go a little something like this… Julie wrote:
Our house is for sale, and I’m wondering if you have any tips for keeping your house clean while it’s on the market. I feel like with young children, it’s almost impossible. If you have any advice, I really would love it because… this is hard. HELP!
Some of you guys have asked for an update, and if you’re just tuning in, our home has been on the market going on two months now. Yep. The average time for a home to be on the market on our side of the planet is around ohhhh… 145 days. It is what it is. We’re just being patient in the meantime. And that’s okay. Because it has to be.
{Shameless plug for what it’s worth: Totally giving 2k to the person who connects us with the buyer… so if you wanna share…}
And we’re trying not to pull our hair out. Because we have three young children. And we homeschool. And work from home. And now it’s summer.
And Jamin thinks it’s very important for me to also mention: I was the crazy person who just had to have two pups, even though we knew it would be going on the market soon. Yeah. I did that.
Look at that face. No regrets.
They eat their poop. We are working on that…they’re getting better.
So that means our spaces go from spotless to chaotic in about 2.5 seconds flat. And anyone who has owned a house before, much less sold one, knows keeping it clean is a feat within itself. Without all our, um… additional challenges.
So here’s our routine.
What we started with: {read in a sing song fairytale voice} Wake up every morning, and clean. Do all those little things every day, so it doesn’t pile up. And be happy about it. Make the beds. Fold the laundry, scrub the baseboards, and pick up all the things. Color coordinate the legos. Whistle while you work. Clean windows. Mow the lawn. Again. Scrub the toilets. Organize the kitchen utensils because someone might open a drawer. Clean the shower glass. Mop.
Repeat. Repeat. Repeat.
No one touch anything until it sells.
What we actually do {60+ days later}: Stumble out of bed, and remember that we have jobs. Get a little depressed because we have to be patient and that sucks. Start on second cup of coffee to give false sense of optimism before moving from emails, and pick up dirty underwear. Do the rest of needed schoolwork with the kids, and then threaten them with a mixture of guilt and vague, yet scary life threats to clean up their #&?!$&* legos. Regret puppies while cleaning up half eaten dog beds. Shove third load of clean laundry into current hiding place. Write a post on keeping your home clean while you have your home for sale so that the irony is not lost on you. Receive call from realtor that the home will be viewed in one hour. Go into absolute panic mode, put on a sports bra because you mean business, and sweat it out while you make up for lost time to have your home perfect.
Because it will be. You’ve gotten it down to an art, and this is reality. Seriously y’all… we’re like, really good at this.
All joking aside on the home-for-sale spectrum, we probably fall somewhere in the middle. With three cups of coffee. And more %&#$* legos. It’s kinda hard to give tips when every home and family are so different, but here are a few of our faves to apply in your own way. So without further ado:
A {realistic} guide for keeping your house clean on the market
1. Keep the daily things simple.
And then alternate those daily tasks. We have a mental list of things for the morning, and then one for bedtime. It can get a little like the initial scenario painted above if not kept in check, and it can be a little overwhelming if taken to the extreme. Like, tears and sweat and maybe blood when you get in a hurry and bash into things… hysteria induced overwhelming. So find what works for you in your home, and do it daily. But that doesn’t include baseboards and toilets. And you kind of have to live your life for that in-the-meantime phase.
For example, here’s some of our morning list: Wiping down visible surfaces, picking up and straightening. Make the bed. Notice bed{s} are not plural… because you’d better believe that the loft bed is not made daily.
Bedtime list: Pick up toys, do the dishes, and straighten pillows.
Do laundry one day and the floors the next. Keep it within a manageable time frame {We try, depending on the condition to keep it in a 30-45 minute time frame, total daily.} Because we feel like for us personally that’s realistic. And it’s ridiculous to be a slave to your home while it’s on the market. Do your major cleaning on Thursday nights before the weekend.
For what it’s worth, it’s also amazing what you can accomplish in an hour with that adrenaline rush. {And a sports bra}. Trust us. Make your list of things that help keep it manageable for you personally, and tackle those daily.
Then take solace in knowing that home owners everywhere are pretty much experiencing the same frustration and it’s stupid to pretend we’re all perfect.
2. Identify areas that are the dirtiest and stay on top of them.
Ours will be the kitchen, the heart of our home. We keep the puppies corralled there so they can’t do damage. They’re potty trained, and they have broken their chewing habits but we still keep them corralled because, puppies. You never know when they’re going to leap the countertops like a kangaroo and eat all the dishes. I wouldn’t put it past them.
That means that our floors get a bit dirty on a daily basis. And our kids drop crumbs and we do projects there. So that means we will clean that space daily, at some point.
Keep those “dirty” areas as your focus, and it prevents a crisis later when that agent calls and wants to show your home, and you haven’t touched anything in five days.
LAWD help us all.
3. Get them all involved.
Our kids are owning up to the messes they make. We don’t torture them about it or anything, but they know that it takes teamwork to keep our home clean. That means they are fully responsible for their messes. Including the legos.
Depending on their ages, adjust your expectations, but ours do plenty to pitch in. So the more you can enlist them, the easier it is.
This definitely includes spouses, too. Selling a home with multiple parties who dwell there takes major help on all ends.
You can’t do it alone. So adjust schedules so that everyone participates, daily. If that means early morning cleaning sessions so that it happens together, make it happen. Or bedtime cleaning routines so the kids keep their spaces in check, do it.
It cuts the work dramatically and helps keep everyone aware of what they’re doing. It also keeps your sanity in tact.
These photos aren’t full on messes. Trust us, we have those accurately documented. But they are what I snapped on occasion and what our home looks like while it’s on the market. Beds aren’t made every day and all the toys aren’t always put away because we live here. We simply can’t have it perfect all the time.
And we won’t be miserable in the meantime.
Adjust your expectations and know that it just is what it is for now. You live here and people need to remember that. You’ll get the rest accomplished, as you can. I’m fighting that perfectionist in me, but the truth of the matter is that it doesn’t have to be photo shoot perfect. People just want to see your floor plan, and get a feel for the house. If an unmade bed deters them, then so be it… they’d be a pain at closing anyway.
The right buyer will come along. Ya just have to be patient. ::she tells herself, rocking in the corner a-la the fetal position, singing a vague, slightly creepy song and eating lots of dark chocolate::
Selling a home is a challenge, to say the least.
Just know you’re not alone and no home is perfect, even when it’s in ‘showcase’ mode.
We hope this helps you… at the very least to know other people selling their homes feel the very same way!
What are your favorite tips for keeping your home clean and your sanity in tact? We’d love to hear! Have an inspired day!
Rebecca says
About three years ago we had our house on the market for 6 months and had multiple showings every week. I got so tired of cleaning the house! In facet after we pulled it off(my husband found a job) I left it messy for so long! I was so happy not to be cleaning. You have some great tips. For those days when you get an unexpected showing, I would shove all the dirty laundry in the washing machine and all the clean unfolded laundry into the dryer. Instant clean. I would also shove the dirty dishes into a laundry basket and put them in the back of the van. Yep, you start to get creative about ways to keep it nice. Now we are getting ready to sell as we are building a new home and I am dreading having it on the market again. praying your house will sell quickly!
ashley @ the handmade home says
HAHAHA! See? We’re not alone. ;} I have been known to throw quite a few things in the car, along with the kids and dogs… and keep wondering what would happen if someone stopped us… like a cop or something… and I’m sitting there all awkward with lots of laundry and dishes in my car! ;}
Jana says
You captured the after 60 days cleanup perfect!! Our house is on the market, we home school, and have 5 kids that include a 18 mo old and a baby. Yep I get the mess, the crazy and the IMPATIENCE!!! I can’t wait to be settled again! I love having a clean house all the time but am so tired of the effort to keep it that way! I work on picking up after myself and getting my kids to do the same through the day. Then we have ‘showing ready’ clean up parties we all rush around (a few of us move at a snails pace) making the house picture perfect. I hope for your own sanity your house sells soon!
Sheila says
I think your reality photos look pretty darn good! Maybe that’s because my reality is so much worse! Haha
ashley @ the handmade home says
No that’s my attempt-to-clean photos! That IS my clean. I promise I have much much worse documented! 😉
Jenna Krabacher says
Your home is absolutely amazing; I cannot believe it has not sold yet!
I’m sorry I have no advice though; with 3 dogs I’ve had to tame my OCD and embrace the dog hair dust balls that are an inevitable staple in our home. It’s clean; it’s just not show worthy clean and I’ve learned to be OK with that. And honestly, I’m sure your home is just fine even on it’s messiest days. The amazing work you’ve done to it shines through any clutter.
Kim says
I can’t believe it hasn’t sold yet! If I were down there I’d buy it! But alas, I’m in Iowa. Kind of a long commute 🙂 Good luck with it all!! I’m looking forward to seeing what’s next for you. On that note – have you done house hunting up in Nashville? I love looking at homes for sale!
ashley @ the handmade home says
Awe thank you so much Kim! We’re just exited and ready but know that timing is everything so we have to trust in that. It truly is just the market we’re in, so we’re trying to be super patient! :/ And yes, I kind of obsess over homes in Nashville and I need to calm down because there’s no point just yet! Although there is a foreclosure I currently keep stalking… HA! ;}
Julia @ Hooked on Houses says
I love your house and echo everyone else who’s surprised it hasn’t been snatched up yet. I know how frustrating that can be. I thought our last house would never sell, and it was so stressful trying to keep it “show ready” with two little ones underfoot. I swore I wouldn’t move again until the kids were grown and out of the house. Ha.
P.S. I’ll feature your listing on my blog if you’ll send me the hi-res/original photos from it and any others you want me to use. Be happy to help get the word out! 🙂
Richard Davis says
I agree with tip no 2. It is important you know which part of the house will always be messy especially the kitchen. It is difficult to keep your house clean but if you have schedule cleaning then I guess it will be easier. Great guide, by the way, this is really helpful. Thanks for sharing!