How To Live In A House That’s For Sale

Selling a house is stressful in itself, but things can become more complicated when you’re living in the house you’re selling. Naturally, you must be extremely cautious to ensure you don’t do anything to make your home seem undesirable. You’re not alone if you’re wondering how to live in a house that’s for sale.

When living in a house that’s for sale, clean the windows, plumbing fixtures, bathroom, and kitchen daily. You must also prepare a travel bag, as you'll have to leave the house when the realtor shows buyers your home. Downsize and pack your belongings to keep your home clutter-free until it sells.

Don’t hesitate to ask your realtor for tips, as they can help you avoid doing anything to discourage buyers. The key is to make your house look as attractive as possible, so buyers can picture themselves living there. Follow along as we highlight some essential tips for living in a house you’re selling.

10 Tips For Living In A House You’re Selling

1. Declutter Before Doing Anything Else

Your first instinct may be to pack your belongings before showing your house to potential buyers. However, you’ll quickly realize that packing before decluttering is unproductive and distracting. You can make your life easier and make your home look better if you declutter the house.

If you’ve already listed your house, you probably still have time to declutter before potential buyers visit. Waiting until the last minute is among the biggest decluttering mistakes, so take your time to do it over a few days or weeks. Start one room at a time, or split the decluttering duties with your partner, friend, or roommate.

Focus on drawers, cabinets, and closets, as well as common areas, like the family room. Potential buyers should be able to look around without feeling smothered by clutter. Excessive clutter may make them picture themselves living in a messy house.

2. Pack Your Belongings

Once you’ve decluttered, you can start packing your belongings. Of course, you shouldn’t pack everything, since you’re going to keep living at the house for a while. Make a list of clothing and items that you won’t need for the rest of your time at your current home.

That may include seasonal clothes and decorations you only use during part of the year. You can probably also pack a good portion of your cookware and utensils, but leave enough to get through the week. It’s also worth packing things that you have many duplicates of, like blankets, pillows, and towels.

You may want to ask your realtor about what you should not pack away, as putting too much away may affect the buyer's decision. Often, buyers like to look at homes that feel “lived in”, so you don’t want it to be too barren. For the things you will pack up, until you move out, you may want to keep them in a storage unit.

3. Keep It Clean

The hardest part of living in a house that’s for sale is that you must keep it looking impeccable. This can be a pain, but it’s better than scaring potential buyers away with a messy house. Ideally, you should clean your countertops, mirrors, and plumbing fixtures daily.

You must especially focus on the kitchen and bathroom, as those are areas that buyers focus on. Get into the habit of cleaning up right away after each meal and being extra careful when cooking.

4. Consider Your Pets

Moving with pets is difficult, and so is living with pets in a house that’s on the market. You have to get comfortable with the fact that your pets will temporarily inconvenience you until your house sells. The key is to minimize your pets’ footprints, or pawprints, so to speak.

For example, instead of letting your pets roam free in the entire house, you may want to limit their range for a while. That may include keeping them contained to a smaller portion of the home until the house sells. Of course, you should still give them plenty of room, love, and attention.

When showing the house, you may want to bring your pets somewhere else, like a family member’s house. If you have cats, you must change the litter boxes daily until the house sells. Otherwise, buyers will likely notice the distinct smell of dirty litter.

5. Let Your Home Shine

The “vibe” that your house emits has a lot to do with how soon it sells. Your house may look nice, but it can easily deter buyers if it’s dark and grim. That’s why you must do everything you can to make your house look bright and uplifting before potential buyers visit.

It helps to increase the natural light by trimming shrubs and trees in front of your windows. Pull the curtains and blinds back before people walk through your house to ensure it shines brightly. Ideally, you should regularly wash your windows until your house sells.

That way, potential buyers can look outside and picture themselves waking up to that view every day. You may even want to place some mirrors and reflective decorations near your windows. Doing so can help you fill the space with warm sunlight to impress buyers.

6. Hide Your Valuables

In a perfect world, you could show your home to strangers and trust them not to steal or invade your privacy. Sadly, that’s too risky, and you must consider that when living in a house that’s on the market. This shouldn’t be too difficult if you invest in a safe or dedicate a few drawers to sensitive and valuable items.

That includes jewelry, mementos, family heirlooms, weapons, dangerous items, and medications. Take pictures of these items in their hiding places before locking them up. That way, you can easily prove that someone stole or tampered with them in case something happens.

7. Make Sure You Can Easily Leave

There’s a good chance that your realtor suggests you leave the house before each showing. This is normal, as it lets potential buyers view your home without any pressure. In that case, you should set yourself up to easily leave the house with little notice.

Granted, you reserve the right to turn down last-minute showings if you aren’t comfortable with them. You must put your foot down if your realtor is pushy and neglects your comfort and needs. However, it’s worth noting that showing your house with little notice can be an unfortunate part of the process.

8. Consult Your Realtor

Even if you’ve sold a house before, you may still want to consult your realtor for some tips. The housing market always changes, and new trends and tastes come and go with each year. Your realtor may have some tips that can make a big difference in how you approach living in a house you’re selling.

They may even provide direct feedback after each showing, which can help you pivot as needed. Such feedback may inspire you to make some changes around the house. Whether it's painting the kitchen or replacing a window, you’ll be glad you listened.

9. Replace Your Lightbulbs And Air Filter

This may seem insignificant, but you’d be surprised at how much a lightbulb going out can disrupt a showing. That doesn’t have to be the case, however, especially if you replace your lightbulbs before showing your house. You should at least stash some extra lightbulbs somewhere you or your realtor can easily access.

It’s also important to replace your air filter before showing the house, as this is something that keen observers will notice. That’s especially true for allergy-prone buyers with respiratory problems and dust sensitivities.

Some buyers may even ask the realtor if they can look at the air filter. The last thing you want to do is make buyers think that you’ve neglected HVAC maintenance.

10. Schedule HVAC And Plumbing Maintenance

HVAC and plumbing inspections are a part of the closing process when selling a home. However, it’s a good idea to take care of any deferred maintenance before showing your house. After all, you still live there, so you should enjoy nice plumbing and HVAC fixtures, and so should the buyer.

Yearly HVAC tune-ups are essential and ensure your furnace and AC run as efficiently as possible. The HVAC technician can let you know about any underlying problems, and they can fix them on the spot in many cases. The same can be said for plumbing inspections, so schedule both before showing your house.

Summing It Up

It’s important to thoroughly declutter and pack your belongings when living in a house that’s on the market. Clean your windows, countertops, furniture, kitchen, and bathroom every day until your house sells to make it as appealing as possible. It’s also important to hide your valuables and sentimental items before showings.

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