Your home is on the market, you\u2019ve had it styled within an inch of its life and every surface is gleaming and immaculately presented.<\/strong><\/p>\n Now for the real challenge: How on earth do you keep it that way?<\/p>\n Keeping your home inspection-ready throughout a sale campaign is one of the biggest challenges facing vendors, so here are some handy tips for maintaining that sparkle for weeks at a time.<\/p>\n Houses<\/a> rarely look better than they do in the professional photos used for a campaign.<\/p>\n So use them to your advantage and make them your template.<\/p>\n A lot of effort goes into presentation for house inspections. Picture: Kate Griffin<\/p>\n<\/div>\n Nelson Alexander Carlton North agent Charlie Barham says if the agents have set up or styled parts of the property in a certain way for the photos, there\u2019s almost certainly a good reason for it, so look at the photos and try to mirror what you see.<\/p>\n \u201cI think the biggest tip is to try to keep your house in photo condition,\u201d he says.<\/p>\n \u201cA lot of time and effort goes into presentation for the photos, and if you can reference the photos and put in as much effort for appointments and every viewing or open for inspection, it will definitely have the best impact from a buyer\u2019s perspective.\u201d<\/p>\n It\u2019s not often that you walk into an open for inspection to find a house<\/a> looking a little frayed, but it does happen.<\/p>\n And it\u2019s the little things that matter.<\/p>\n Beds should be well-made every morning, while personal effects and clutter should be kept to a minimum.<\/p>\n It\u2019s much easier to wash the dishes and give the kitchen a quick wipe over every night than it is to let things go all week, leaving the kitchen requiring a major clean before the weekend.<\/p>\n And empty the rubbish every night, so that the smell from things in the bin doesn\u2019t get the chance to permeate the living spaces.<\/p>\n It\u2019s not always an option for everyone, but Barham says increasing numbers of buyers are doing away with the headache of trying to keep their home looking like a showroom while still living in it, by simply moving out for the duration of the campaign.<\/p>\n Inspections can happen at the last minute. Picture: Kate Griffin<\/p>\n<\/div>\n \u201cA lot of our campaigns, vendors will move out, particularly if there\u2019s a couple of kids,\u201d he says.<\/p>\n \u201cIt can be very stressful if someone wants to come through for a second inspection or a building inspection \u2026 at the last minute.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cA lot of vendors we\u2019re finding will Airbnb for three or four weeks, or do a short-term lease or stay at a family member\u2019s house, just so they can make sure that everything\u2019s presented to the absolute optimum.\u201d<\/p>\n Few things are harder to stay on top of than hair-shedding pets, particularly if you\u2019re selling in the warmer months.<\/p>\n Keeping your house immaculate while you have pets can be a challenge.\u00a0Picture: Kate Griffin<\/p>\n<\/div>\n They can also present problems if agents need to show potential buyers through the property when you\u2019re not there, as you can never be sure if your dog or cat has behaved itself while you\u2019re not home, so Barham says it often makes sense to send your dog or cat away during the campaign.<\/p>\n \u201cA pet can often go on a holiday and stay with a family or a friend or at a kennel or something for a few weeks, if the vendors feel that it\u2019s going to be a real hassle to keep things in tip top order,\u201d he says.<\/p>\n Barham says it\u2019s important to maintain the same effort throughout the campaign, and that having a routine in place will help.<\/p>\n \u201cHave a structure from day one and stick to it. We sometimes find in the first one or two weeks vendors are terrific at having the house perfectly presented, but you hit the three-week mark and you can sometimes get sick of the campaign,\u201d he says.<\/p>\n \u201cIf you can be really diligent and remember it\u2019s only four weeks and that every bit of effort that goes in will have a positive impact.\u201d<\/p>\n <\/p>\n<\/div>\n Realestate.com.au <\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"Check the photos<\/h2>\n
![\"House](\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.realestate.com.au\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/05\/22153149\/inspection-body-1024x768.jpg?resize=1024%2C768&ssl=1\")
<\/p>\nDo the basics and clean as you go<\/h2>\n
Move out<\/h2>\n
![\"Couple](\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.realestate.com.au\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/05\/22153217\/door-body-1024x768.jpg?resize=1024%2C768&ssl=1\")
<\/p>\nRelocate your pets<\/h2>\n
![\"Cat](\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.realestate.com.au\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/05\/22153244\/pet-body-1024x768.jpg?resize=1024%2C768&ssl=1\")
<\/p>\nStay the course<\/h2>\n