Make Spring Cleaning Fun for the Whole Family

Spring is a popular time to sell a home. It’s also the season of tidying and purging. Spring cleaning gets your home in tip top shape and ready to list.

Rather than tackling the task on your own, get the whole family involved. You can cut your cleaning time in half while enjoying some family togetherness. It’s not always easy to get little ones to agree to a day of chores, so try framing it a new way. Create incentives for helping and cleaning out old items. Establish the strategies that work well for your family and return to those methods next spring or during your move.

Plan Ahead

Establish a plan ahead of time. This helps you stay on track and accomplish everything you need to. Make goals and a list to help you accomplish them. Also, make sure your family is part of the planning phase, too. Let them know which days you plan on cleaning and your goals for the project.

Older children and teens may be particularly reluctant. Be honest about what needs to get done and their expected role in the process. If you’ve made a list, let them choose their assigned tasks. Getting your team in order ahead of time helps avoid conflict and finish tasks quicker.

Make It a Game

If you’ve got smaller children, this is a great chance to weave some fun activities into your cleaning. You could plan breaks for a dance party. Make a playlist with five regular songs and a sixth “dance party” song. This breaks up cleaning into digestible blocks of time and motivates your kids to keep working to get to the dance party.

Incorporate a treasure hunt in your decluttering. List some popularly misplaced items around the house. The child who finds the most items and puts them away gets a reward. The incentive speeds up the process and brightens the mood.

Incorporate Rewards

Rewards boost morale throughout the day. Consider your child’s interests, and find some smaller and larger prizes. Perhaps she has a sweet tooth and chocolate is her motivator, or he loves crafts and some new supplies would keep him cleaning.

Consider a treat for everyone at the end of the day – maybe a favorite dinner or movie. Little treats throughout the day keep the process moving, and one big reward finishes off the day right. Don’t forget a reward for yourself, too!

A seasonal home clean-up spruces up your living space, jumpstarts the packing process and gets your home ready for a home inspection. While you don’t need to prepare for a home inspection, an organized space makes the process easier. Spring cleaning doesn’t have to be a dreaded chore – with some fun elements sprinkled in, it can serve as a fun, happy memory for you and your family.

To find a trained, friendly home inspector in your area, visit WIN Home Inspection.