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A lot needs to be done before putting your home on the market. Decluttering, cleaning, and staging your home will help it sell much faster and for the price you want. But for many busy parents, it can be tough to find the time to tackle all of these tasks and maintain a spotless home for unexpected, last-minute showings.

Fortunately, there are several professional services available to take the pressure off. If it’s in your budget, consider hiring a professional to stage your home. It costs an average of $822 to have your home staged, including the rental of furniture and décor to make your home inviting to homebuyers. If you’re on a budget, save money by having a stager rearrange your belongings.

Here are some other time-saving tips to get your home ready for the market.

Pack Early

Start packing some of your belongings before showing your home off to potential buyers. Removing clutter from your home will open up your rooms and make the place more comfortable. Plus, if you start packing now, you’ll have less work to do on moving day. Focus on packing things you don’t need on a daily basis, like the trinkets lining your shelves and seasonal clothes piled in the closet. Remove bulky furniture that is making rooms appear cramped.

Your child’s bedroom may need a considerable amount of decluttering attention! Encourage your kids to go through their belongings and pick out things they want to get rid of. Simply Well Balanced recommends rewarding your child for decluttering by letting them keep the proceeds from the toys and other items they decide to sell.

For any items you're keeping, avoid storing them in the house. People viewing your home will undoubtedly want to look in your closets. If these are overflowing, homebuyers may think your house lacks adequate storage space. Instead, consider an off-site storage rental, moving your items to your new home, or asking a friend to hold onto your things for now.

Make Small Upgrades

Sure, you may not have time to remodel the bathroom, but you might be able to make a few small upgrades. For example, if your kitchen walls are red, consider refreshing the paint with a neutral color. You can further upgrade the look of your kitchen by replacing your cabinet hardware and hanging new tea towels.

If you’re too tight on time to make upgrades, go around your home and fix anything that’s broken or damaged, such as scuffs on the walls, loose doorknobs, and leaking faucets. Pay some attention to your home’s exterior as well. Make sure to mow your grass and tidy up your flower beds. Alternatively, hire someone else to do a bit of landscaping work.

Stay on Top of the Cleaning

One of the final things to do before showing your home to buyers is a thorough cleaning. Deep cleaning your home can take time, so stretch it over multiple days and get your family members to help out. You may also want to hire professional cleaners. Whatever you decide to do, make sure to hit a few key areas: wash your windows, scrub the shower, and clean carpets.

To keep your home spotless and ready for last-minute showings, develop an organized cleaning plan. If you take a few minutes to wipe down surfaces, sweep, and load the dishwasher every day, you’ll have less cleaning to do when you’re called about a last-minute showing. Create a weekly or daily chore checklist for your family members so they know what’s expected of them. Calgary Homes recommends limiting meals to the kitchen table to keep crumbs and spills out of the rest of the home. You may even want to use paper plates to cut down on dishes.

As any real estate agent will tell you, selling a home takes a lot of careful planning. Anyone can put a house on the market, but if you want to sell quickly and get a fair asking price from buyers, you’ll put care into your preparations. And when you’re short in time, don’t hesitate to hire professionals — like landscapers, stagers, and interior cleaners — to give you a hand!