Tips to get your home Guest Ready or "Market Ready" !
On Monday afternoon, I received a call from family in Alabama. Guess What? 
They are coming to visit and should arrive within 36 hours!!!! I know, not a whole lot of notice, but something we get a lot of living at the beach!
Let's pretend that I am not a perfect housekeeper and my house is a mess ;-)
Did I panic after hanging up the phone? Of course not! Okay, maybe a little, but I have a system in place for quick cleanups. Each family member gets an empty basket and they walk around collecting their things. Then, we each empty the baskets by returning items where they belong. Certain family members sometimes have to fill their baskets several times (I won't name any names, but it begins with an A and ends with a Y). I put on my running shoes and then I grab the Cleaning Kit out of the Laundry Room. The kit includes Windex, Fantastic with OxyClean (my all time 
favorite cleaning product), Lemon Furniture Polish (love the smell), bathroom cleaner and cleaning rags. In 1-2 hours, I can wipe down every surface in the house. Then I drag out the vacuum and can get that done in about 20 minutes. I grab some towels out of the linen closet and place them in a basket in the guest room, spray some febreeze and Viola...my house is ready for guest.
Now, if you are a hoarder, or collector as some prefer to be called, this may take a little longer. I like to keep things in my home simple so that I can clean quickly. If you are planning to sell your home, you may have a few other items to take care of, like patching the holes in the bathroom wall where the towel rack fell. Or maybe, a little touch up paint (or a total overhaul) is in order. Before you sign that contract to place your home on the market, I suggest you have it "Market Ready" and have a plan in order to keep it clean spotless for all showings. There are plenty of other homes on the market for a buyer to choose from. Your real estate agent is going to want to take LOTS of photos and your agent is going to post them all over the internet. Do you really want the world to see your dirty laundry?
If planning to place your home on the market, Now may be a good time to have a garage sale or make a nice donation to a local thrift store. Most Thrift Stores will schedule a pic
k up and you don't even have to lift a finger. Donations are also tax deductible so remember to get a receipt. If you can't bear to get rid of things, pack up some of the personal items that you don't use and store them. And please don't forget the yard! If the buyers can't see the home through the grass and overgrown shrubs...They may not go inside! Give the front door a fresh coat of paint, fix the crooked mailbox, replace lightbulbs if needed, tighten loose handles and doorknobs...little things make a BIG difference.
Whenever a showing is scheduled, do not leave dirty dishes in the sink or dirty laundry on the floor, and make up the beds. Do not clean your countertops by stuffing everything in drawers, cabinets or closets...Buyers (and sometimes guests) will look there too and you want them to see just how much storage is available in the home.
With so many properties available on the market, having your home clean, well maintained and "Market Ready" is critical. For more information and tips, give me a call.
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