Undoubtedly the most agonizing thing about selling your house is living in it while it’s on the market. During this time, your house has to be in impeccable shape at any given moment lest a potential buyer wants to come and see it.

The best advice I ever gave to a family in this position was: you’re no longer living in your home—treat it accordingly. In other words: treat your home as if you are now a guest in someone else’s house—the new buyer. In someone else’s home, you wouldn’t leave clothes on the floor. You wouldn’t leave a mess in the sink. You’d put your things where the owner asked you to when you came in the door—somewhere it wouldn’t look so messy. You’d clean up spills as soon as you made them and not leave a cup in your bedroom. You are a guest in the new owners home…

To that end, you’ll really need to come up with a set of routines that helps keep things clean. You may feel that people will understand that you are human and not perfect, but in reality buyers are driven by a gut reaction to what they see no matter how much they can or will rationalize it to themselves. At the end of the day, don’t fight the gut feeling—make it a good one.

In particular, here are 10 things you’ll want to be sure are done at all times:

1. Sweep out entryways and walkways. How often you need to do this will depend in where you live and the season. But make sure that it looks like you just swept it at all times. This is the buyer’s first impression of your home.
   
   
2. Your kitchen counters should always be clear and clean
   
   
3. You toilets should be “swished” every day or two.
   
   
4. Bathroom sinks should be wiped down with the scrubby side of a sponge every night before bed or (preferably) after everyone’s washed up in the morning.
   
   
5. Vacuum. You may not need to do this daily, but you will absolutely have to do it weekly.
   
   
6. Keep up on your laundry.
   
   
7. Make the beds. Every single day before you leave the house.
   
   
8. Wipe any obvious fingerprints from doorways, mouldings, mirrors, windows and appliances.
   
   
9. Keep your kitchen appliances clean—and clean them immediately after use. If you have a hard time with your microwave, boil a cup of water (you can add a squirt of lemon juice if you’d like) in the microwave and let it sit for a minute. Then take a clean cloth and wipe all the interior dried-on food.
   
   
10. Keep toys and personal items stored.
    
    Also, keep in mind that anything that is attached to your house is open for inspection. That means cabinets and closets, but not dressers or night tables.
    
    A kept house gives the appearance of a well-maintained house. Say what you want about what people “know”, but at the end of the day—clean houses sell faster and for more money than ones that people have to make excuses for!