It's understandable that you are nervous. People traipsing through your home, scrutinizing everything.

But, it's time to recognize the fact that you have done enough! Enough so that the house shows well, enough so people can see themselves living there, and enough so that you will get many offers on your beautiful home.

Take a deep breath, and back away from the house!

I walk around with a damp dishtowel wiping down every surface I walk past. It becomes an obsession. We go to closing on Monday. We have leased the house back for a month to arrange the move. It was a quick closing. I haven't hit a lick in a week. This cleaning obsession has become a hard habit to break.

I really enjoyed reading your post. I even chuckled when you hid the hotdog package.

We've been thinking about selling and the other day I opened the fridge and immediately thought I needed to clean it better if the house goes up for sale. So I can see where you want everything to look perfect. But try to take a breather. It sounds like the house looks great already. And I don't know if fancy water would change my opinion, but you never know :)

DD/DH have their house on the market, and when I was visiting a couple of weeks ago, noticed the oven had not been clean. In my own house I check the top of my microwave(the ledge above the door)and it seems to accumulate a film of grease. If your microwave is above the stove there's a filter underneath that needs cleaning occasionally. Doors/drawers cabinet fronts are sometines assumed not to be dirty, and often missed~I hate fingerprints. Sometimes just the handles need wiping down. And don't forget about light switches.

How about the garage? Have you painted the floor? ;)

Oh have no fear - it is not just you. After reading an article, I made sure that I had the higher end brand sahmpoos/conditioners in the shower. The article recommended it. . .

We have looked at probably hundreds of houses over the years (as potential buyers) - I have no recollection of the shampoo, and yet, I did it when selling my own!

Just make sure you are willing to include the high end cheese in the sale if they ask for it (kidding!).

Breathe... If your realtor says it's perfect, trust them. If you're even thinking about buying special cheese or hiding the hot dogs to stage your fridge you have already gone way above what anyone else in your area has probably done to "stage" their home.

Sit back, relax, and wait for the offers to come in. If you e had 5 showings in 6 days and it's even half as nice as it sounds, you'll have offers in no time.

I lined up all my spices and oils in the cabinet when I was selling. Lined up everything in my pantry cabinet. Made sure the rags in the utility closet were folded neatly. Made sure all the towels and sheets were folded in the same direction in the linen closet.

Thank you for all of your comments and it is reassuring to know that I'm not the only one who does this. Selling a home is new to me, we've been here for 34 years and when I look at other homes online they all look so perfect.

I think underneath it all I do realize the we've done enough. I think I worry more because DH doesn't. We even hired a home inspector to inspect our place so that we could correct those items that a buyer's inspector would flag. It was helpful since he pointed out some things that we weren't aware of.

Cpartist - I did the same thing with my sheets and towels - but then that's how I usually keep them. My spices are more or less arranged by size and are not lined up and for some reason it doesn't bother me.

At the moment we can only park one car in the garage because my half has items waiting for Habitat for Humanity to pick up - at least they're coming this morning so then we'll be able to clear that out. And then the kids are stopping by this weekend to pick up other items.

I know I'll survive this - but it is stressful.

Thanks again,

Maire

For all of you stressed out sellers. Please relax, The vast majority of people dont open your refrigerator. I won't say, "never", it has happened but it soooo rare. Usually, the house is vacant or someone opens the fridge because they are trying to determine if the house is vacant. LOL

BTDT, but, we had supper with work friends and I helped load the dishwasher. OMG, the inside around the door was filthy! I never forgot that AND TO THIS DAY, WIPE IT DOWN REGULARLY. I also zeroed in on my toaster oven when selling, figuring that a prospective buyer would figure that if THAT was spotless, so was everything else LOL. One thing that stuck with me during the 2 years it was on the market was how simple it became ( and still is) even after 6 years, to keep on top of it. Not " trying to sell" diligent, just every day upkeep :-)

They are not buying your cheese, and probably not the fridge (unless it is built-in, in which case I would think that it may get opened). But even then they aren't buying what's in the fridge and you really don't want to start them thinking about you and your quirk and whether they like what you like or hate it-- you want them to think about the house. That package of hot dogs might be what makes a mom who is looking at your house and thinking she could never keep the house this neat with her kids stop and see something she can relate to and realize normal people do live here. You can go too far and make folks feel uncomfortable.

it's something I experienced too(not to the point of buying different cheese though..))..never ever your house looks so dirty to you when it's in its most clean state. This paradox keeps you running like a hamster in its wheel, constantly noticing something new that should be wiped/polished/touched up/improved in some other way

I'm usually neat regarding folding etc..shampoos are expensive anyway(DH sets me back though big way lol)..but yes..I was constantly in this state of horror of seeing something new that's imperfect.

lascatx - what a great comment about hot dogs and the fact that normal people do live here. They're coming out from underneath the Kraft American cheese slices! I need to remember that because we figure the most likely buyers will either be a family moving into our town because of the schools or one that's already here but moving up in size.

My realtor mentioned that several of the prospective buyers he brought through did open the refrigerator or freezer when he pointed out that we didn't have 2 refrigerators. We have the Sub Zero 36" all frig and the 36" freezer. Since many realtors consider that a selling point they often point it out.

thanks,

maire

If a person has never had a built-in or a full size fridge and a full sized freezer, they are going to want to look. The space inside and how you would use it is as important in daily use as the bathrooms, and you wouldn't expect them to not open the door there. But you also wouldn't think they would be shocked to find toilet paper in the WC or extra rolls in a cabinet. Or that they wouldn't like your house because you don't use the brand of toothbrush or toothpaste they like.

That package of hot dogs might be what makes a mom who is looking at your house and thinking she could never keep the house this neat with her kids stop and see something she can relate to and realize normal people do live here. You can go too far and make folks feel uncomfortable.

True story my agent told us:

One couple came through our condo. The husband loved it. The wife didn't. The wife said she didn't like it because it was too sterile.

The husband retorted, "It's not sterile. It's clean. I know that's a new concept to you."

Well, most staging is aspirational, i.e. the life you'd like to live. Still think that while some may be resentful at your perfect housekeeping, the majority likes to pretend they could live in an organized household, etc. So, the hot dogs have to go, attractive, nutritional food items have to appear. Maybe neatly labeled lunches?

"the majority likes to pretend they could live in an organized household"-LOL!!!!

PS you all know my opinion..this staging to real estate is what essays in college applications are to future learning. "We have a chance to get to know you better!". yeah, sure. And very very important to show how much of a leader you are. Even though-why wouldn't people ask themselves this very theoretical question...why the hell would anybody need so many leaders? The ones they've got are not enough? lol

But keeps the industry going, with this new sense of inflated importance attached to it, new jobs created, and I'm sure families fed.

Sorry! made a promise to myself already as to oak cabinets discussions..soon will swear to keep myself out of anything mentioning staging..:)

When I bought my first home, a rowhouse, the place wasn't immaculate but the seller was single, so was I, and I knew I'd be pulling out carpet and vinyl floor and painting, so I wasn't too concerned. I did give a list of things that needed fixing before I'd close, and they did most of it. But when it came time for the final walkthru, it was in a much worse state. The kitchen sink hadn't been cleaned in 2 months and something(s) exploded in the refrigerator. I told the agent I wanted the refrigerator out before closing. I had a fridge I could bring in so I didn't even ask for an allowance (they'd actually been pretty good about other repairs).

Jannicone, Thanks. I laughed so hard I cried!

Maire_Cate, Very good sign with so many showings. I would have to just move out to sell.

First time we sold a house, we had a barely 1 year old toddling around, me two steps behind with a bottle Fantastic to be ready for showings. Fortunately, we sold after 3 days, even though one realtor feedback was that the best thing about the house was the baby.

I'd draped fabric over the windows in the master BR, which the buyers made a big deal over at closing because they insisted they should be included. They were a bit embarrassed when I dropped off the cut up sheets I had used for that purpose.

Babies are the best thing about any house:)

No, they are messy and require extensive child proofing, i.e. "decorating" around them. And, please, don't tell me that your kids were different and you taught them to treat your valuable art with respect. (I know, either way it was my and DHs fault, bad genes and/or bad parenting).

I wouldn't worry about what's in the fridge - well, only if it looks like a biology experiment gone foul, or smells bad...

No, babies are still the best thing about any house:)

(I never did extensive childproofing I must say. That's more of a here-concept.

Oh of course I watched them all the time and nothing breakable was in their way. And I did teach them to pick up toys at a very young age..(a bit of a lost battle with my DD lol)

And they've ruined things sometimes of course..but I was very ..umm..lets say very much not like my SIL who was all about letting my nephews to express themselves freely -thus all the walls in their place are covered with monsters and the likes, elaborately drawn with black sharpener

At some point when they were already eight or do she got fed up with it and told them no more drawing on the walls. They were deeply surprised because why they could before, and now they suddenly can't? lol

Btw their light upholstered furniture also has reminders of how they learned to write..also in black sharpener. The couch has "Our couch" proudly written on it, and the armchair has "Our armchair"..:)

They are very bright and creative and one of them is actually very artistic and draws very well now, so maybe all this drawing wherever played a role, I don't know:)

My artistic expression on my parents' domicile got nipped in the bud when I was two, possibly three. I don't recall it, but apparently I had fun with the crayons on my bedroom wall. It never happened again (mother made me clean the wall to the best of a 2-year old ability, and I suspect I was also soundly tanned...) and my brother never had a chance to get started.

I suspect we weren't allowed any implements of color or paint until she deemed us old enough - not unless one of the parents were watching.

Funny thing, I would have advised to not worry about the frig. Yesterday I went and looked at a home with DH. The first thing he did in the kitchen was open the fridge. It was a built-in fridge. I don't know why he did it, but I thought of this thread when I saw him with the door open, head peering into it.

homechef - that makes perfect sense to me. We have possible buyers for our home and they sent a list of questions to our realtor asking for the age of various appliances that are included in the sale so I'm sure that's why they looked inside my Sub Zeros.

My kids didn't write on walls but the 1 1/2 year old climbed on top of the fridge. One more reason for built-in or integrated fridges.

Oh according to our family legend I also climbed on top of the fridge! Well I climbed anywhere. And talked to all the animals I met including cows(one took offence lol). I was pretty fearless. Then it changed..:)

You are a woman after my own heart! We used to have something here called Amnesty Day: once a year we could throw out anything no matter the size (now we buy stickers to toss oversized items.) There would be a parade of cars going by, of people scoping out potential treasures.

I set up an old table, 2 chairs, a lamp, books and some other items in a little vignette at the curb. My husband laughed me: "We're throwing those away... and you're offended when people drive by without stopping! You're staging our trash!"

Chicagoans - we must be related. None of our kids wanted our wicker porch furniture so we placed it at the curb the day before trash pick-up. It's not unusual for people to stop and pick up items that they can use or sell. But DH just wanted to lay it down and I went back and placed all the chairs in a double row and the tables next to them - no reason why my discards shouldn't at least look inviting.

lol chicagoans. We are fixing up house to sell and we replaced the kitchen sink. I cleaned it before I put it out for trash day! Didn't want anyone to see our old dirty sink!