If you have a large family, just keeping some semblance of order and cleanliness – and sanity – from day to day is a big enough job. But it gets even tougher and seemingly impossible when you’re trying to keep your house ready for showings, for those times when you get a call and are informed that interested buyers will be there in 15 minutes. Still, with some planning, preparation, and persistence you can do it. Here’s how to get your house showing ready and keep it that way with a large family in Santa Cruz.
1. Declutter and Be Ruthless About Keeping Clutter Out
Decluttering is absolutely crucial, but it’s not a one-shot deal. You have to stay on top of the clutter and be ruthless about keeping everything out of the house that isn’t essential. If your house stays on the market for several weeks, it’s all too easy to start filling up your house again with junk after the initial decluttering. Just use your storage areas, put things away after using them, and don’t buy new stuff till your house sells.
2. Designate an Area for Kids and Toys
You have to keep your Santa Cruz house showing ready, but you also have to let your kids be kids. And that means letting them have their toys and a place to play. The trick is to designate a certain area as the kids’ area where they are to play and keep all their toys – instead of all over the house. That way you can keep the disorder and damage inflicted by those little tornadoes called children confined to just one room or two and can keep the rest of the house showing ready at all times.
3. Have an Unyielding Schedule for Daily Chores
Another tactic to keep your Santa Cruz house showing ready is to set up a schedule for daily chores and cleaning and then stick to it no matter what. You can even get the kids to willingly help if you make a game out of it and offer rewards for helping with certain chores. The two hard and fast rules here are 1) never go to bed with a dirty, messy house, and 2) never let the laundry pile up. Just do some every day, and it becomes far more manageable.
4. Opt for Paper and Plastic
One way to make sure dirty dishes don’t pile up is to switch to paper and plastic. Sure, it may cost a little more and you may feel slightly guilty about adding to the landfill, but it’s worth it. You can’t eat out all the time, and switching to paper and plastic will help you get your house showing ready at a moment’s notice.
5. Do As Much as Possible Away From Home
You can also get and keep your house showing ready with a large family in Santa Cruz by doing as much as possible outside of and away from home. You can go on day trips to museums and parks, visit grandparents, or just go swimming at the local pool a little more often. Any activity that takes place away from your home will help ensure that it is showing ready. It can even be something as simple as cooking out and playing family games in the backyard.
6. Ask Your Agent for Additional Tips
As you know, showings are critical. It may be the difference between a sale and a long wait. So it really is worth the extra effort and some inconvenience to get your house showing ready with a large family in Santa Cruz. Your agent can also be a wealth of ideas and tips on getting and staying showing ready.
