Chances are, on the only day of the week that you’ve decided to live like a slob, you will be surprised by unannounced guests knocking at your door.
Does this sound familiar?
“Coming! Be there in a jiffy!”
That big bowl of ice cream and bag of chips you were eating in the middle of the day? These get hidden in the pantry cupboard after you turn off the TV and wipe the dust off the coffee table with your sleeve, then shove into the nearest closet the stack of laundry sitting on the couch ready to be folded. Next, you run into the kitchen and sweep the dirty dishes piling up on the counter into the dishwasher — or the oven if the latter is full. And just before you make your mad dash to the front door, you push crumbs from the morning’s breakfast, along with that big ball of pet hair rolling around on the floor, under the rug.
“Hi! What a nice surprise!”
I confess I have been guilty of this hide-’em-quick emergency cleanup a few times — after all, nobody can be guest-ready all the time! Unfortunately, these tricks don’t work when you’re selling your home. Which is why you might want to supervise any bedroom cleanups assigned to teenagers.
Buyers love checking out closets — the bigger the better — and you can be sure a closed door won’t stop them from taking a peek. So where to put all that clutter you or the kids removed from the dressers and the floor? If there’s no room in the dresser, pack it up and put it in storage. Just don’t throw it in the closet!
Other doors buyers will look behind:
- Kitchen cupboards/pantry. Since the cupboards come with the house, they have a right to check them out. So be sure to organize your cupboards before your Open House. You don’t want buyers to think there isn’t enough cupboard space — even if there really isn’t.
- Bathroom vanities. Again, they come with the house, so buyers will want to see how much space they will have for their stuff. Don’t embarrass yourself by leaving personal items on view.
- Linen closets. Make sure the closet isn’t so stuffed that sheets and towels will come tumbling out when a buyer opens the door.
- Laundry closets. Don’t leave dirty laundry, or items you’ve set out to dry, on the washer or dryer. Buyers will want to take a closer look at the appliances if they come with the house.
All of this, of course, means there is nowhere to hide … well, except for the attic. That’s one place I have never seen anyone but the home inspector check out.
Have a favourite “ran around cleaning like mad for unexpected guests” story? Share it here!
Tags: Clutter