Our house has been on the market for about seven weeks. I get asked all the time about the stress of trying to keep it clean and ready to show while homeschooling small children in it each day. And you know what? It IS stressful.
I’m typically a “that looks good enough” kind of gal. Not a homemaking perfectionist…at all. But I have to admit that keeping it clean hasn’t been as bad as I expected–partly due to the months of decluttering prior to putting the house on the market–but also because by trying to stay somewhat on top of things, it hasn’t spiraled until an overwhelming mess like it usually does.
But I’m also not holding myself to a ridiculous standard. I mean, people LIVE here. And most of those people are 6 and under. I’m not attempting to keep the floors mopped, windows free of tiny handprints, and bathroom pristine at every moment. Those are things I’ll need to do right before we leave the house for a showing because they’re losing battles. As soon as I mop, someone spills oatmeal. So I just mop every couple of weeks and give the rooms that need it a once over before a showing, wipe down the windows and all the bathroom surfaces right before heading out the door.
What I AM trying to stay on top of at all times is laundry, dishes, meal planning, and general tidyness. If the dirty clothes aren’t overflowing out of the laundry room and everything is promptly folded and put away, I don’t have that pesky problem of finding mystery laundry in every room cluttering things up, getting dirty again, and needing to be rewashed.
I’ve also been trying to make sure that all the dishes are in the dishwasher and all the counters cleaned before I go to sleep. There’s something about starting out with a clean kitchen that motivates me to keep it from becoming a nightmare by the end of the day.
Daniel and I are both involved in meal planning because he cooks at least half the meals around here, probably more. We don’t usually have a written out list, but we discuss the meals we want to have and make sure we have what we need. (It’s slow cooker chicken tonight, tofu stir fry tomorrow, and a gluten-free pasta dish Wednesday. We usually plan 3-4 days out.)
And I’ve been keeping floors and surfaces generally clear of things piling up and getting cluttered so that if need be, I could easily scoop what’s on the counters and other surfaces into a laundry basket or into a drawer so it would be out of sight for a showing.
Do you struggle with keeping the stuff under control? Any expert declutterers out there willing to share tips?
It’s funny we had my husband’s family staying over during easter weekend and so there were 8 extra people in our house yet somehow it was easier to keep clean because I stayed on top of it. And now I’m sitting on the couch looking at all the blankets and toys strewn all over the floor like it’s some insurmountable thing to clean. If you just stay on top of it it’s easy(ish) to keep clean. But when it’s just me and the kids I have no motivation to do it.
That is so true! I’ve found keeping the house clean to be, although stressful for showings, much more motivating since someone could ask to see it at any moment and it’s not just us hanging out.
Your home is lovely and fresh looking! Have y’all outgrown it?
Thanks, Elizabeth! No, we haven’t outgrown it. It’s smallish–1100 sq ft–but plenty of room for us. We’re just relocating.
Praying for your house to sell, and quickly! Ours was on the market from November 2013 to March 2014 and it was stressful and overwhelming with just one baby. Now that said baby is a toddler, and if you were to add 2 preschoolers to the mix, I would be pulling my hair out. Anyway, I’ve been imagining that you have big plans so I’m excited to hear your future plans (if/when you’re ready to share)! On a somewhat unrelated note, have you buried a statue of St. Joseph in your front yard?
where are you relocating too, or has that not been publicly announced yet?
Haley, please tell me what that paint color is in your living room! I LOVE it!
I THINK it’s Sherwin Williams–Sherwood Green? Something like that!
We just went through the process of selling our house. Even with just one baby, it was definitely stressful! Your house looks great, though, and I’m sure it will sell!
Thanks, Cayla! Hoping it sells so soon!
I’m afraid the stress would kill my poor wife. While I always think the house is cleaner than she believes it is, keeping it “show ready” with our nine children, would drive her crazy, which in turn would cause the entire household to go completely NUTS! As momma goes, so goes the family.
I’m glad to read you two figured it out… mostly.
It’s definitely a bummer–keeping it show ready, haha.
We’re not planning on moving anytime soon, but this got me thinking: Where do your kids play? Mine play all over the house each day (as I’m sure yours do too). So, do you confine them to one play area a day when trying to keep it show ready?
Great question. Thank goodness for the warm weather because we’ve been spending most of the time outside. The kids room is basically just their beds, hardly any toys. So they mostly play in the living areas and outside. And we’ve been eating outside for almost every meal to keep the floors from getting nasty!
I have sold 3 houses each time with several little kids..it about kills me each time. I will have to sell this house here in Alaska next year and I am already freaking out. I basically start praying to be able to sell a house as soon as I move into it…which can be a little tricky trying to make it feel like home when I am constantly thinking about somebody else living in it eventually…a strange existence for sure.
Good luck !!
Lisa
I just watched the first video (in bed with earbuds in as little man refuses to unlatch tonight-how I wish I could just eat all night while sleeping) and it’s such a simple tip! I’m looking forward to the other videos. A friend of mine is my homemaking guru. Her house is always tidy but warm and inviting and she can whip up a delicious meal with very little time or effort. I’m always studying her and taking notes. Hopefully this course gets me a little closer
We got super lucky and our house sold the day before it went on the market. 1 showing! I was stressing so much about how I was going to keep it clean and pack (we’d already bought our new place) with three littles. We’d put it on the market a couple of years prior just to test the waters and the stress of the showings was one of the contributing factors to us taking it off the market at the time. Hope yours sells soon!
HELP! Signed up for videos, got initial email promising further emails, then … nothing. And yes, I checked my spam folder.
How weird, Tricia! Sorry about that. I will email you the links of the videos!
Hmmm, my email to you didn’t go through, Tricia. if you drop me a line at haley.s.stewart@gmail.com I can respond with the right links 🙂