This is the first time I’ve ever tried to sell a house, and let me just tell you – it’s not for the lazy or faint of heart. There was a time in my life when I was obsessed with the tidiness and cleanliness of our home. I became a stay-at-home mom when our son was born, and to say I became obsessive with our house would be an understatement. Not in the healthy “I follow a cleaning list and stick to it” kind of way, but in a “I’m going to vacuum for the second time today before I scrub the baseboards with a toothbrush” kind of way. I could feel my blood boil when the dog dripped water on the floor and I wanted to yell every time my husband would leave his hat on the couch.
I knew I was being ridiculous, but it wasn’t really until I had a second child and then started this blog that I just became too busy to focus on that stuff. But, as we prepared to list the house, I found the old me creeping back in.
We spent the weekend cleaning and organizing. With each room I found more and more that needed a good wipe down or some paint. I was determined to take control of our house again and make it the spotless beauty it once was. I was feeling totally overwhelmed and stressed out by my to-do list when this happened…
At about 9pm on Sunday I went to shake a can of paint that’s lid was apparently not on very tight – in slow motion, the lid flew off and the paint went flying. It went flying all over our new bathroom: the counter, the cabinet, THE TILE. The tile I spent ages on! My first thought was “somebody call 911!” Micah had run down to a neighbor’s and I was frozen. With paint on my hands and all over my feet, the slightest movement meant more mess. I grabbed my phone (yes, covering it in paint) and called him to come home quick.
Thank the Lord it was latex paint. Thank the Lord for Goof Off. But the time needed to clean up the bathroom and the time needed to wash the paint out of my hair were much more than I had time for. This was not fitting into my schedule. I had so much to do in so little time. But it was in that moment that I realized how little control I have over the whole house-selling situation.
A smudge on the door isn’t going to stop someone from buying our house. A dust bunny or two isn’t going to change someone’s mind about whether they see this as their next home or not. But, in an attempt to tackle everything “wrong” with this home, I managed to creep back into my old, controlling behavior – the kind that leaves me cranky and my family feeling hurt or neglected.
I kind of needed that paint spill. I needed a reminder of who is really in control and that what He has in store for us is much greater than I could ever imagine.
Kristin@bliss-athome.com says
I am only laughing because I had the EXACT same thing happen 1 day before BHG was here to shoot! I had bought black paint to give my front door a fresh new look. Late the night before the shoot, I asked Dave to bring the paint over to me since I was laboring away…He accidentially dropped the paint can and it busted open and the entire can spill and splattered everywhere. At first I thought it was just a pool on the hardwoods and then to my horror I saw it had splattered all over our new Morroccan rug in the living room. Panic set in and we spent a good chunk of the evening getting black paint out of the white shag rug. It was all over the rug. I was mortified! Dave felt so bad and was angry with himself. Luckily, the paint came out and the whole ordeal reminded me of your point exactly–who is in control! I guess sometimes a little paint spill is good for us 🙂 xoxo
Julia Konya says
I'm always afraid that will happen to me one day because I shake my cans too. Glad you were able to clean it up and enjoy the rest of your time in your house.
Beth of designPOST Interiors says
I would have had a major melt down…bad words and all!! I find that my kids are the best solutions for times like this. They force you to just live in the moment and laugh, which is the best cure for me when i am over stressed! Good luck girl, and hang in there. Hopefully the house sells soon!!
Sonja Hoyt says
I've moved seven times in the last 15 years, so I understand. Good luck!
themakerista@gmail.com says
Wow, you're probably a moving expert then!
Emily Kuhlman says
Yes I need the tips for showing with two kids and a dog too! We are in the exact same boat! I feel like we just need to stop buying food, throw away all toys, and move in with my parents.
themakerista@gmail.com says
Exactly! Ha. Where are you all moving to, Emily?
jax says
We are under contract on our house (www.355eastnewhampshire.com) after, gratefully, just 3 weeks on the market. We had a ton of interest during that time and while that was exciting, we ended up showing it at least once every 2-3 days for the next few weeks — and sometimes several times a day. We have 3 kids under 5 and I'm due with our 4th any day now, so cleaning up for showings was NOT easy. My best advice would be to MAJORLY declutter. I try to stay on top of clutter anyway, but during this time of trying to sell I've gone ahead and moved out about 1/5 of what we own (thankfully we already own our next house). Whenever I had a few spare minutes I would spend a little time with a Magic Eraser or dusting cloth, doing the kind of cleaning that might actually last more than a couple of minutes with the kiddos around. Each time we had a showing, my husband would take the kids away for an hour or two beforehand and I could do a whirlwind cleanup. I think the most important thing is to focus on what really matters! Unless the baseboards are TRULY gross, no one will notice them. Clutter is a turnoff (and makes your home feel smaller), and I tried to pick out my home's best points (beautiful kitchen counters, restored historic windows, etc) and focus on making those shine. I also kept fresh flowers in several places in the house and felt that it made things feel a little brighter too, even when I didn't have time to mop the whole kitchen floor before potential buyers walked through. My last tip, and this one kind of killed me, but for truly last-minute showings, I would run around with a rubbermaid tub, throw in things I didn't have time to put in their proper place, and put it in the car. :/ You do what you have to do!
I guess most of this is just common sense, but I hope it helps! It's a stressful time, but it's also fun to have people walking through your home and appreciating all your hard work!
Brad says
Ha! I'm not laughing at you, I promise, I'm laughing with you… you're laughing, right? Seriously though, I wish you the best of luck in selling your home. From the pictures alone, it's beautiful so I can't imagine you'll have any trouble.
—
http://www.bradleycowan.com
Haley says
OOOH NOO!!!! That kind of stuff is the story of my life. Good luck with your house. People will realize you have a dog and kids and will be able to look past that stuff.
PS. That bathroom floor looks AMAZING!!! I can't wait for the whole reveal.
Bethany DeVore says
I've kind of felt that way lately with our house on the market too, but have recently learned to let it go! It makes everyone in our house much happier 🙂
themakerista@gmail.com says
Agreed, Bethany!
Julie, Creative Little House says
Keep listening and asking for Wisdom Gwen! You'll know the right next step!! I find the more stressed I get the more clumsy I get. It's good your taking breaks to enjoy!!
themakerista@gmail.com says
It's true! Thanks so much, Julie!
Jina says
I sometimes wish I freaked out cleaning more. Instead, I feel like I live in mountains of dust bunnies and neglected baseboards. Oh well, I guess. Side note: Where is your outdoor swing from? My littlest would LOVE that!
themakerista@gmail.com says
Jina, I made it and you can find a tutorial here for it. Thanks for reading!
House Envy says
This is hilarious! I meal an, I'm sure it wasn't at the time…. Good luck! I bet it will go in a heartbeat so you are smart to enjoy it and take it in!!
Jennifer @ Dimples and Tangles says
Keeping a house "show ready" is so hard! It never fails that the one time you leave the house without everything perfect, that's when the realtor shows up! 🙂
Jennifer@The Chronicles of Home says
No sugar coating here…moving with little kids a few months ago was probably the most stressful stretch of my whole adult life. Granted, it happened in the middle of two giant snowstorms, both my daughters were puking, and my husband was traveling for work. I've mostly blacked it out of memory.
The house looks lovely, though I am sort of devastated that you are leaving that amazing floor behind! I bet it'll sell in no time and you won't have to worry about all the tidying. We did eat out a lot while trying to keep it all show-ready 🙂
Brittany @ Make it Mine says
Oh my gosh that floor is so incredible…. cannot wait for the full reveal!
Summer Hogan says
Aw man that's rough, hang in there! I can't wait to see your bathroom and enjoy your time there!
Karen @ a house full of sunshine says
Love your perspective on this! We had our house on the market for almost a year before we sold – with a 3 year old, a 2 year old and a baby. Not an experience I'm in any hurry to repeat. It's hard work, and hard not to stress over things not being perfect all the time (which they weren't.) But you can only do what you can do. Your attitude is amazing. God will bring along just the right buyer at the exact right time. Wishing you a speedy sale and happy last days in your house!
themakerista@gmail.com says
Oh my! I don't know how you did it, Karen! Thanks for your kind words, and yes, I'm just putting my faith in the fact that the right buyer will come along at the right time. Thanks for your well wishes and have a lovely holiday!
Shavonda@AHomeFullOfColor says
Leave it to a can of paint to put things into perspective!! Take deep breaths and rest easy knowing that everything will work out just as it should.