Written by Kristen Louis
When your house is on the market, it becomes evident pretty quickly that there’s a major difference between a home that’s “clean” and one that’s “showplace-ready.” You can run the vacuum cleaner every day, keep the kitchen straightened up and the bathrooms wiped down, and declare your house “clean.” However, a professional stager will tell you that “just clean” isn’t good enough. Your home should make buyers start thinking about where the furniture will go and the first time they’ll host guests. Showplace-ready means your house is spotless and ready to impress.
But what if you have children and a busy work schedule? How do you maintain that standard week after week without overspending? The secret is to be economical with your time, money and cleaning regimen so you’re not reinventing the wheel with every showing.
Budget-friendly home prep
One of the most reliable, budget-friendly strategies for staging a home is to cover the walls with neutral-colored paint. Keep an eye out for weekly deals from stores like Lowe’s, which often offers discounts on paint in its weekly ad. A fresh coat of neutral paint will give your walls a clean, simple look that always appeals to buyers. Additionally, put the family photos away, and replace them with inexpensive and non-specific wall-hangings (nature scenes work well). Remember, you want buyers to imagine your space as theirs, so neutral and inexpensive upgrades work just fine. Manage your home decor costs by watching for sales at major retailers like Target, and search online for a Target coupon code before each shopping trip to really stretch your dollar.
Lighten your load
The less stuff you have, the easier it is to stay clean and organized. Decluttering comes first. Be resolute, and jettison anything that’s not needed. If it’s borderline, get rid of it. Ultimately, you want a home that can be made showplace-ready after 20 minutes of picking up and tidying. If you’ve decluttered and already deep cleaned, you shouldn’t need to use expensive cleaning materials every time buyers come by.
Hide the junk
If you have children, you’re always fighting the battle against junk. Kids have an uncanny ability to find old junk you thought was gone (like a favorite but threadbare blanket). Designate a junk spot when you need to keep something out of sight but don’t have time to give it any thought. This should be a hidden place buyers can’t get to, a spot where you can hide last-minute junk for a few hours. Use those handy and inexpensive plastic bins that can be stored just about anywhere (the Container Store always has these at bargain prices). It could be the back of a deep, dark closet or the trunk of your car. Just keep it out of sight.
Budget-friendly bathroom cleaning
Bathrooms are notoriously hard to get clean, especially on short notice. The good news is you can do it without overspending on fancy cleaning supplies. Your kitchen cabinets are probably already well-stocked with natural and inexpensive substances that will do the job very well. Baking soda and warm water will get rid of that ground-in grime. A water-and-vinegar spray solution works great around the base of the toilet and in those dirty corners (vinegar and hot water does a great job on mirrors and windows). Hydrogen peroxide, olive oil, and herbs also provide cost-conscious bathroom cleaning alternatives.
Natural carpet cleaning
Even if you’ve had the carpet steam cleaned, it’ll still need to be vacuumed now and then throughout the selling process. Forego pricey industrial carpet cleaning products. Just sprinkle some baking soda around, let it sit overnight, and hit it with the vacuum in the morning. It’ll clean up those stains and deodorize at the same time.
Keeping your home clean, organized and well-decorated can be done efficiently and inexpensively. You don’t need to spend a lot of money on fancy decor. Just create an appealing, neutral interior with economical improvements, and maintain a manageable system for keeping your house showplace-ready for buyers.
Courtesy of Pexels.com.
(This post may contain affiliate links, which means if you click, or make a purchase by clicking on them, I may receive a small commission, at no additional cost to you, that will help me continue to bring you valuable content. To that end, not all of the items on this page are affiliate links, as that is not a requirement to be on this page. Thanks for your support!)
We are a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means for us to earn fees by linking to Amazon.com and affiliated sites.
Disclaimer | Privacy Policy | Terms of Use