When you have your home on the market, you must be ready for people to stop by at a moment’s notice.  This means that your house needs to be “show ready” at all times.  It might seem like an impossible task, especially if you have kids, but it is important to keep your home clean enough to make a good impression because buyers will and do judge.  The good news is that you don’t need to hire a live-in housekeeper in order to keep your home clean.  These clever ideas will keep your home looking its best anytime day or night. 

Keep Up with the Little Things

If you take small steps throughout the day, you will save yourself a lot of time and your house will look good all the time.  Start by making the beds each morning.  The last thing you want to be doing is scrambling around to get all the beds made minutes before a showing.  Next, pick up as you go.  This is especially important if you have kids.  Pick up toys throughout the day and keep the floors free from clutter.  Make it a habit to put your toiletries under the counter each morning.  In the kitchen, keep your sink free of dishes and keep those countertops clear of clutter.  These little things go a long way in staying on top of a neat and organized home. 

Make Use of Storage Containers

Grab a few plastic storage containers in various sizes.  Place one or two in each room and when you have a showing on short notice, you can easily throw things into the containers and stack the boxes neatly in your garage or storage shed.  You will tidy up your house in no time and buyers will think you are just getting a head start on your packing.  As soon as the showing is over, you can put everything back in its place.  It’s a great way to clean up on short notice.

Rent a Storage Pod

It goes without saying that the less you have in your home the less you have to keep clean.  It is super helpful to go ahead and pack those items that you don’t use every day.  Clean out your closets. Pack up some of those extra decorative pieces, and even open up space by packing up a few pieces of furniture.  Not only will it give you a head start on your packing, but it will also help you to keep your home neat and tidy between showings.

Give it a Good Wipe-Down Each Day

Let’s face it…you are not going to have time to thoroughly clean your house before every showing.  That said, you can still keep your house looking spic and span between showings by taking a few extra minutes each night to give everything a good wipe-down.  Enlist the help of your family and give each person a rag and a spray bottle.  You can have the whole house clean in no time! Give kitchen and bathroom counters a good wipe each night and use a spray mop that allows you to clean on the go.  In a matter of minutes, your home will be sparkling clean and ready to show.  

Make Some Rooms Out-of-Bounds

There are probably a couple of rooms in your home that you could survive without using for a few weeks. It might be a dining room, sitting room, play room, or spare bedroom.  It can be very helpful to stay out of these rooms for a while because the less activity a room sees the easier it is to keep clean. This way, instead of having to clean your whole house on a moment’s notice you only have to pick up a few rooms.