6 Steps To Living in a House While it is on the Market

Living in a house while it is on the market is a stressful endeavour. It is extremely challenging to present and maintain a home that is neat and clean at any given moment. It takes considerable energy to leave your house in the morning with not a coffee cup in sight or a wet towel hanging in the bathroom.

I recommend my clients follow the six following steps to lessen their stress and anxiety.

Step One: Change your mind set about how you view your home. It is now the largest investment of your life that you want to sell. It is no longer your home but a house that you want to market. Hire a professional Realtor and Stager to assist you in evaluating your home from a third-person perspective. You have lived in the space and no longer can see it as a potential buyer will.

Step Two: Move most of your belongings into storage. All cabinets and closets should be cleared with only those items you really need for the next two months remaining.  This will allow potential buyers to see the size and space of these storage places. Follow the recommendations of your Stager and remove all furnishings, art and accessories that he/she outlines.

Step Three: Live with Less. You can live with only one TV in the house for a short period of time. I once had a client who refused to remove a large, ill-placed storage table from her kitchen because where else would she store all her spices? The kitchen was large yet she was unwilling to edit her cabinets and pack up those holiday platters to make room for the items she truly needed while the house was on the market. She was sabotaging her own sell.  Let go of your stuff. You will get it back in the new house.

Step Four: Don't try to do it all yourself.  Hire house cleaners, window washers, gardeners and a handy man to properly prepare your home so you can concentrate on other things and not become overwhelmed. I recommend hiring a weekly housekeeper to come in just prior to the Open Houses for a quick clean to get it "model home" ready. Most house cleaners will discount their services for repeat business.

Step Five: Eat Out More Often. Keeping a kitchen clean can be difficult if you are cooking meals every day. Unless you have the time and energy to spit-clean that stove every morning  I would recommend you let someone else do the cooking. It also helps eliminate any cooking odors which could be offensive to a potential buyer.

Step Six: Plan some vacation time. The first two weeks that your house is on the market is the perfect time to take that much needed vacation. This is the time period that has the most market activity and your home can now be shown at any time of the day or evening. Don't go anywhere that you cannot be reached by phone so you can be available to accept that first great offer!

Please give me a call if you need any assistance or have questions.