Sunnyside Up

We had a showing yesterday evening. Patrick had a short day and was home early to help me clean. Our house wasn't that bad, but there is a difference between tidy and "show ready". 

Here is the biggest thing I struggle with - the details.
We got our whole 2590sq feet all tidy, clean, and show ready yesterday. But... no matter how much we clean or straighten up, we never seem to get it perfect. Just really top-notch. You know??

Yesterday when we left, the house was looking good, but there was laundry in my daughter's laundry basket. There was overflowing laundry in our laundry basket, that I 'hid' on top of my husbands shoes. The oven is dirty. The microwave is a little splattered. The toilets are technically ....clean...., but they need a detailed scrubbing. (yes, I know... maybe I should be doing those things instead of blogging....)

The question is this: How thoroughly are the people looking? Are they just walking through the rooms taking it all in and mentally mapping out their furniture?? Or are they flushing toilets, running sinks, and looking in cabinets and...ovens????

So we come home and the house was so nice. (in my opinion) I had a candle burning downstairs, all the house lamps and lights were on since the showing was at night. (It's amazing how warm and charming your house looks with every lamp and light on!) I get the kids a snack before bed and start making my way around the house to turn off all the lights.

I am peacefully enjoying a quiet, warm house, all clean and semi-perfect....when I open the laundry room door ... and see the horror.

Right before we left, my son had a few touch-ups to do in his room to make it show-ready. Specifically, some laundry on the middle of his floor. Instead of the obvious throw-it-in-the-laundry-basket-in-his-closet maneuver.... he took the pair of socks and two dirty underwear and tossed it in the laundry room.

Smack dab in the middle of the floor.

Sunnyside up.   (so to speak)

Let's just say I'm glad there weren't skid marks on display, but I was still horrified that we showed our house this way!! Absolutely horrified. Someone told me a few months ago that their friend was selling their house and everything was perfect, but on the way out they inadvertently left a poopy diaper on the kitchen counter... and the house sold to the people looking at it that day. She told me that story to encourage me for the times the house may be less than perfect, but it wasn't much comfort last night. :)

Can you imagine if that was you touring a house and you saw that as you entered the room?? And they had to actually step over it if they walked through the laundry to see the storage room. ugh.

If there is one thing I can take away from this as positive, it is this: it was children's underwear. Thankfully it wasn't an adults... like mine or Patrick's. That's just worse. Much, much worse. With kids there's at least the chance they can laugh it off. "Oh... hahah... crazy kids..."  If it was an adult's it is just gross. "What is wrong with these people? This is sick."

Well - I would love to get an offer on the house... but I'm not sure if I should be holding my breath waiting for one from these fine folks!