"Do I have to hide my toothbrush?"

"What can I do about wet towels when I leave in the morning?"

"I can't ask the kids to not play with their toys."

"Who hid the remote?" 

"Put the lid down when you're done."

"Nobody lives like this!" 

Sound familiar?

These are the kinds of things people living in staged homes utter. Are you one of them? Are you taking it in stride, enjoying an uncluttered, clean, and prettied home? Or do you hate having to keep your closets and counters picture-perfect?     

I want you to love your staged home and enjoy living there. Maybe the following tips will help. They come from my own experience and from people who have lived in staged homes, waiting for the days when they can leave their beds unmade once in a while. 

Under the bed

When prospective buyers tour your home they will open cabinets and closets. But under beds is one of the few places they won't look. Slide some oversized, lidded, plastic storage boxes under there to hold magazines, hobbies, and other ordinary things that don't need to be on view.

Opaque containers 

Box up the little s
tuff.  Rather than having stacks of tee shirts, socks, bras, scarves, or purses on closet shelves, line up some matching baskets or boxes and fill them up. Your closet or cabinets will look so much neater. And it's still easy for you to find and replace things.

Car trunk

There's always room in your vehicle to throw last-minute clutter when your Realtor calls and asks if she can bring some buyers over. Most likely that trunk is roomy enough to accommodate a couple baskets of unfolded laundry.

Dresser

Rearrange your dresser drawers so that one of them is empty. You can throw the non-glamorous things into it every day before you leave the house.

You can also use your dryer or washer to temporarily stash what you don't want visible. 

Routinize

Get some routines going. Polish the faucet when you brush your teeth. Dry down the shower stall with a microfiber cloth when you're done showering. Store your magazines under the couch cushions. Get in the habit of putting the toilet seat and lid down. These tidy-up habits will make short-notice showings stress-free. 

Cover up and hide

It's best if your 
hampers, wastebaskets, and recycle bins have lids or are tucked away in unseen places. You can always toss a towel over a basket of laundry. People often look under the kitchen sink to see if it leaks, so that's not a good hiding place unless you store things in opaque boxes. I like top shelves in closets for putting private possessions out of sight and out of reach.        

Happily living in your staged home takes some forethought. But you can do this! Remind yourself that staged homes sell faster for more money. Repeat.

Get the look, get the book

Read more about the problems that home sellers face, such as old furniture, no budget, no time, mismatched furniture, and an uncooperative spouse! I offer helpful advice for all these situations and others, in my eBook, DIY Home Staging Tips to Sell Your Home Fast and for Top Dollar.