Spring Cleaning 101 (Or Pretend to Sell This House)

Thought I’d repost this since I started my spring cleaning method this week!

Here’s how I spring clean:

1. I buy a notebook.

I make a heading for each room. Even closets.

I imagine that I’m a potential buyer of this house. You know…PRETEND!…and see the room through someone else’s eyes.

I stand in each room and look around and see all the imperfections.

2. Then I write down what needs to be done if I were to put it up for sale. Every single thing.

Yes, this is scary.

But it works.

For example, in my master bath, the shower really needs to be recaulked because some of it is peeling off and it looks messy. One of the towel bars is coming out of the walls. (Hmmm, someone swinging perhaps?) And I think the closet in my bath needs to have some reorganization…bigger plastic bins for medicine and so forth are in order. It looks messy.

I write that all down. Numbered.

And proceed to the next room.

EVERY SINGLE ROOM.

No matter how small OR big, I write down what needs to be done.

That’s my Master List for the year.

I go through it once or twice a year, and sometimes it doesn’t get all done, but that’s OK.

Because when it’s written down I know it will be, eventually.

I came up with this method when I had to show our past two houses in order to move. I learned this: It’s super super annoying to have to do all those little things you procrastinated for years, for SOMEONE ELSE! My houses never looked so good as when they were ready to be put on the market. This really annoyed me.

But this way, I don’t feel overwhelmed about all the little repairs and improvements that need to be done, because I know I’m working on them-they are accounted for and on a list.

3.When my list in my handy dandy notebook is done, I carry it with me to the first room, when I’m ready to get to the “cleaning” part. This way, I can write down what I need, the measurements, and so forth, and put all that on a separate sheet in the notebook. I can go to the store with my list, maybe 3 rooms out, and get everything I need, without making constant errand runs. If I need a new curtain, or organization bins, I have the measurements right there.

4.Then I scrub like I’m showing the place.

Sometimes, I know I will get just one room done a day. Or maybe even one a week. I set a realistic goal for myself so I won’t burn out and I can still keep up with my daily happenings.

I relegate to a separate page, those BIG projects…painting a leaky ceiling, finding a new chair for the den, so I don’t get too slowed down. This list can also serve as a “to-do list” through out the year if I can’t get it all done right away.