Do you ever feel intimidated by beautiful home design pictures that you see on social media ? The homes all look lovely, but how do the owners live in them without destroying the aesthetic? Effortless Designs can give you the same beautiful interior but sometimes it can be more challenging to keep up appearances while grappling with the day to day challenges of life. This month, I would like to provide a few tips to help you maintain your staged ambience while still living in your home. These will be sure to keep life going a little easier during this crazy time.
1. Clean weekly.
a. Create a schedule with a chart. If you have a house full of kids, this can become a fun family activity. Michelle Finnamore of Finnamore Interiors suggests: “For the little ones, you can put the timer on the microwave and make a game out of cleaning up. The kids laugh and giggle tossing their stuff into the bins to see who can do it before the buzzer goes off.”
b. If you aren’t able to maintain a weekly cleaning schedule, think about investing in a weekly cleaning service. Having a clean home goes a long way to presenting all the possibilities to potential home buyers.
c. Whichever solution works best for you, here are some things to keep in mind for weekly cleanings.
i. Spend ten minutes every night vacuuming and sweeping just to get the day off your floor and to make sure that dust does not begin to accumulate.
ii. Right before a showing, run Lysol wipes over the kitchen and bath counters to maintain a clean surface and a refreshing scent.
iii. Don’t forget to dust and straighten up the main areas of the home.
2. Organize with large totes or decorative baskets. This simple tip is a growing décor trend with great results.
a. Having several large woven baskets on hand can make it so easy to declutter a space before a showing. Placing blankets, toys, shoes, and other odds and ends into the basket makes the room warm, inviting, and more importantly… neat.
b. For items like toothbrushes, sponges, and soap, invest in smaller plastic storage to place neatly under the sink.
3. Designate a room for packed boxes or rent a storage unit.
a. Instead of leaving packed boxes stacked around the house, place them either in one room of your choice or rent a storage unit during the selling process.
b. Not only does this keep clutter away from your living area, it is a great tip to keep peace of mind during the moving process. It will allow you to feel as though you are living in a home and help you get much needed rest between showings. One room containing boxes is better than several boxes scattered throughout the home as potential tripping hazards for future buyers.
"It's certainly not easy living in a staged home," one home stager comments. "It can be exhausting living in a home you have to keep spick-and-span, especially those of us juggling children, pets, careers, and more. But it's most definitely worth the time and investment.
As you move forward to the next step of the selling process, I hope these tips help make living in a staged home a little easier. I genuinely believe your home can look its best and still function like a home. Strive for simple solutions to keep your staged home sale ready and your nerves simply steady.
written by Certified Home Stager Esther Hernandez
edited by Victoria Roberts
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