• About
  • Contact
  • Courses
  • Binder Kits
  • Collaborate
  • Nav Social Icons

  • Skip to primary navigation
  • Skip to main content
  • Skip to primary sidebar
  • Skip to footer
  • Home
  • About
  • Organize
  • Projects
  • Lifestyle
  • Crafts
  • Holidays
  • Courses
  • Binder Kits
  • Media and Press
  • Mobile Menu Widgets

    Connect

    Search

Organized-ish

Organized-ish

Progress > Perfection

  • Organize
  • Projects
  • Lifestyle
  • Crafts
  • Holidays
house staging tips for selling

Tips For Keeping Your House Clean When Selling

May 7, 2020 · In: Cleaning, Moving

From the initial photo shoot to the revolving door of showings, to inspections, appraisals, and everything in between, it’s SO hard to keep a house looking clean and staged while still living in it. I totally get it, because I’m going through the selling process right now. Me, my husband, our teenager, 70 pound dog, two cats, and two baby kittens. And so far, even with two full time jobs, we’ve actually been able to hold down the fort and keep it looking just as good as it did in it’s photo shoot (minus the “box room…).

Here are my real-life personal tips for keeping a house clean and staged throughout the selling process. These things worked really well for me, but always remember to make adjustments based on your exact lifestyle and schedule.

keep house clean when selling

1. Think Like A Home Stager

If you haven’t actually put your house on the market yet but you plan on doing it soon, this is the key to a good start. You’ve got to stage your house. Even if you have the most gorgeously decorated home. Even if you own really nice stuff. And even if you don’t have any extra money for professional staging. You HAVE to do a little work on the front end to make your home look like a house others will want to live in.

Treat it like an Air BNB. If you were staying in a vacation rental, you would never see photos of the owner’s family or their mail on the counter. You’d never see their pet’s beds or their dirty laundry. And you’d never see a bunch of random clutter that doesn’t serve a purpose. Now is the time to turn your home into a house so potential buyers see it as a neutral space, not a visit to someone else’s abode.

Here’s a post I wrote on how I staged our last house to sell in two days. And guess what? I did the exact same thing in this house and we were under contract in just two days. AGAIN! Obviously it works. Or we’re just really stinkin’ lucky.

Some highlights are easy things like clearing your countertops, decreasing the amount of toys and decor on display, and putting excess furniture in a storage building until the move.

cleaning caddy tips

2. Get Yourself A Cleaning Caddy

Time is short when you’re selling a house. You could be halfway through a movie and bowl of popcorn, then all of a sudden get a phone call asking for a showing in an hour.

To save you from scrambling, keep all your cleaning supplies in a handled caddy so you can zoom through the house and touch things up without running back and forth to your supply closet. Here’s a post on how to stock a cleaning caddy and what you should keep inside.

And to remind you how important it is to stage a home well, less stuff = less to clean. So purge, donate, and pack up anything that’s not necessary.

keep bathroom clean when selling house

3. Wipe Counters And Sweep Floors Every Night

Have you ever noticed that clean countertops and floors can make a messy house feel cleaner instantly? There can be a pile of clothes on the chair, dishes in the sink, and toys oozing out of every basket and shelf. But clean countertops and cleared floors make it feel at least halfway better.

I cleared and wiped down every counter and swept the floors in our house every night before bed during both times we were selling. Even if we didn’t have a showing the next day. And even after showings were over and we were under contract. Because you never know when someone will need to come in. And you never want your buyer to see the house any other way than it was when they fell in love with it and put down their earnest money.

Here’s a post with the things I do every day to keep my home guest-ready at all times, even if I’m not moving. It’s a great resource for both your selling process and regular daily routines.

4. Utilize Your Hampers!

First of all, if you thought you could cram all your stuff in closets and cabinets like you do before surprise guests show up around the holidays, think again. Buyers, inspectors, and appraisers are all looking in your closets and cabinets! There are literally NO hiding places when your house is on the market.

I used clothes hampers to put random items, toys, pet stuff, and electronics in right before time for the house showing, then I popped the hamper in the trunk of our car and headed off into the sunset in hopes that I didn’t forget a dirty sock in the bathroom floor.

We also took our dog’s bed, the litter boxes, and anything else that made it look like people reside here. Of course all this didn’t fit in one vehicle, so we usually put all the “stuff” in one car and the pets in another. Then we dropped off the “stuff” car at our local grocery store to sit for a few hours (with their permission) and we went to my mom’s house to hang out until the showings were over.

If you need help learning how to purge things while you’re planning a move, this post will walk you through how I got rid of almost half my stuff before we packed up our house.

home staging tips for keeping house clean

5. Turn ON ALL The Lights

This may sound counter-intuitive, but turning on every single light in the house makes it look cleaner. The brighter it is in the house, the less dust, smudges, and floor scratches will show.

All the imperfections and signs that you didn’t get a chance to Swiffer this morning will be hidden by the harsh brightness of 34 light fixtures blasting through the house.

Also, here’s a reminder right here and right now to make sure no light bulbs are blown out in your house. Inspectors may flip the switch of a burned out bulb and can ding you for “maybe having an electrical problem” even if there isn’t an electrical problem…

6. Minimize Kids’ Toys

Did I just lose you there? Before you say that’s not possible, let me assure you that it is. If you have three rooms in your house that are bursting at the seams with toys, or if your kiddos have a bad habit of making a big mess in 5 minutes flat, hear me out.

No matter their age level, they probably have too many toys anyway. I’m not asking you to go through their room with a trash bag to fill with donations, but I am asking you to do some pre-packing.

Let each kid pick their absolute favorite things that they can play with for hours without getting bored, and put those into a backpack or suitcase to keep out. Then pack up the rest. It’s only for a little while and less toys available means less mess to clean up on the fly. Your kiddos will be fine with just a few toys and art supplies, I promise.

Need help teaching your kids to be ok with letting go of clutter and toys they no longer play with? This post has got you covered.

house staging tips for a clean house

Do You Have Tips To Add?

If you’ve sold your home recently and had a cleaning hack that helped save the day, I’d love to hear it! Share your experiences below in the comments and let’s get a good conversation started!

And if you’re in the process of moving or will be soon, here’s a collection of all the moving/buying/selling posts I’ve ever written. Beware, some are OLD! Haha!

If you’re not moving now but may be later, don’t forget to pin this for later!

how to keep your house clean when selling it

By: Lela Burris · In: Cleaning, Moving · Tagged: declutter, move, move house, moving, packing, selling, staging

you’ll also love

linen closet in laundry room organization12 Ways To Get Organized In The New Year 2023
Lela Burris neutral guest bedroom with floral wallpaperThe Organized-ish Purge-athon Kickoff Details
white stone fireplace with flameless candles and neutral decor11 Things That Make Your House Look Messier Than It Really Is

Get Blog Posts In Your Inbox

Every Saturday morning I send out a weekly recap of all the new blog posts. Want in?

Reader Interactions

Comments

  1. lauraeverydayedits says

    May 8, 2020 at 9:54 am

    Love this list. I am a Realtor and I love the cleaning caddy idea. I also tell sellers the showing starts at the front porch! Clean out the cobwebs and add a new doormat and fresh hand towels in the powder bath! Great list! laura

    Reply
    • Brad - Admin says

      May 8, 2020 at 11:57 am

      It absolutely does, Laura! Not to brag, because she’s extremely humble about this stuff, but Lela once sold a house to a woman who bought it almost completely because of a well-staged, inviting porch. Not a kitchen; not a closet; a porch. It makes an enormous difference, and I’m glad you found the list helpful.

      Reply
  2. Lee Russell says

    May 8, 2020 at 9:04 am

    This is good, I would be trying some examples, thanks for sharing 🙂

    Reply

Leave A Comment Cancel reply

Next Post >

How To Pack Kitchen Knives For A Move

Primary Sidebar

Meet Lela Burris

Meet Lela Burris
hey-o!

My name is Lela, (say it like LEE-luh) and I'm so glad you stopped by my blog! Whether you're into organizing, home improvement, crafts, or you just think my pets are cute, you'll find all kinds of inspo here.

Tell Me More!

Connect

Get VIP Emails

Search

Shop My Planners

printable planners for home organization

Organize Your Craft Room

lela burris organiziedish

Hang With Me

  • Email
  • Instagram
  • Pinterest
  • YouTube

Follow Along

@lelaburris

Bin Clips are perfect for fabric bins and woven ba Bin Clips are perfect for fabric bins and woven baskets. I found these at Target, but Amazon has a larger variety to choose from. They come with a card inside you can write on, but I used a Cricut Joy and Writable Vinyl to make these cute label stickers. 🙌🏼
Do you have a running “too small” bin in your Do you have a running “too small” bin in your kid’s room?
Kids grow out of clothes SO quickly, and the ones that don’t fit often get left in the closet or drawers until we have time to deal with them.
To cut down on clutter, add a “too small” bin to their room. It saves you time and keeps their clothing that still fits tidy and easy to find. 🙌🏼
Wait for it… Organizing FAIL! Decanting is grea Wait for it… Organizing FAIL!
Decanting is great for items you buy in bulk to cut down on cost and packaging waste, as well as to keep some foods fresher for longer. But DON’T fall for the pretty organizing videos of every single thing moved into different jars.
I have seen some people decanting lotion, peanut butter, and even toothpaste, and I’m here to prove it’s a complete waste of your time and money. ✨What’s the weirdest decanting video you’ve ever seen?✨
Fill in the blank: It’s the […] for me 🤩 A Fill in the blank: It’s the […] for me 🤩
And it’s ALWAYS the ✨hidden trash✨ for me!

Footer

Browse By Category

  • Organize
  • Projects
  • Lifestyle
  • Crafts
  • Holidays

Get Organized-ish

  • Courses
  • Printable Planners
  • Shop My House
  • Amazon Faves

Blog Info

  • Contact
  • Media and Press
  • Disclosures
  • Privacy Policy
  • Terms and Conditions

Organized-ish LLC © 2023 · Theme by 17th Avenue