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I love entertaining and having friends over to my house. Most of the time the gatherings happen at my house on a whim. Being prepared makes entertaining on short notice a breeze. Just a little preparation and you can be the hostess with the mostess.

Entertaining kits
Organization is always key! We often entertain on the fly, so having extra glasses, napkins, plates and forks in plastic storage containers makes entertaining “grab and go”. Don’t forget to label the outside of the container.

Keep it simple
Some of the best gatherings I’ve had with friends are those times when I’ve simply put out appies and wine. It gives me a chance to spend time with my guests (which is why they are there).

Keep the party flowing
At any party, everyone tends to gather in the same place. To keep the flow, set up different areas (chairs and tables) for people to gather. Putting the food and drinks in different areas will encourage people to mix and mingle.

Extra food
Nothing dampens the party mood like running out of food. Simple backups like frozen pizza, chicken wings, and frozen appies are easy to pull out in a pinch.

Get a little crafty
Brown craft paper or black chalkboard paper makes a great rustic tablecloth, it also offers a place for kids to draw (big or small) and makes clean up a breeze. Win, win, win!

Warm up by the fire
When the nights grow cooler, there is nothing better than a patio fire. Don’t forget the marshmallows and the pack of hot dogs I am told that if you are using the fire to cook, the fireman doesn’t get upset.

Here are some must-do’s before you list your home.

De Clutter
Listing your home gives you a great opportunity to decluter. We all collect things that we don’t need and now are a good time to go through those items that have been hiding in the basement. Now is a great time to have a garage sale or donate these items to charity.
If you have a lot of items, junk removal companies can help you quick and easily remove your unwanted items.

Clean
Giving you house a deep clean can give you a competative advantage in the market. Give everything from the baseboards to the curtains a good clean. Ensure that your counters sparkle and the bathrooms are spic and span. If you need a hand cleaning companies can help give your house a good deep clean.

Storage
Storage is a key factor on most homebuyer’s lists. Half empty closets and cupboards to display your storage space. Buyers will be looking inside your cupboards so ensure you keep them tidy.

Make your “home” a “house”
The more personalized things you have in your house the harder it is to sell. Buyers find it hard to visualize themselves in a house that seems like someone else’s. Take the time to stage your house and take down items like family photos. Create a blank slate for those looking to buy your house.

Hide the dog
Family pets are also family members, but not everyone is an animal lover. If you are planning an open house, it is best to take Fido and all his items with you. This will open the market to pet friendly and not so pet friendly buyers.

Kitchen is key
The heart of the home is the kitchen. A quick refresh of your kitchen can make a big difference when selling your house. Fast inexpensive kitchen refreshes can be as simple as natural paint and new hardware. Other simple changes like painting cupboards and replacing the counter can take a kitchen from out dated to updated.

Smells like home
Not all smells are good for selling houses. A common mistake is too many plug-in air fresheners. A more successful approach is to air out your home and bake some cookies before your open house. Freshly baked smells make a house seem more of a home. Just don’t burn the cookies.

Anyone that has bought and sold a house knows that keeping your house staged and clean can be challenging. (Especially if you have children). It is important for any showing or open house that your house shows well. Here are some of my favourite tips to save your sanity when you list your house.

Hire a house cleaner
This could be for one deep clean or have a housekeeper come ever couple of weeks. The extra hands to keep on top of the cleaning can save so much stress.

Declutter
Less items in the house, means less to clean. It will also make your house look bigger with more storage space when there are fewer items in it.

A checklist is a must
Make a checklist so that everyone in the house knows what needs to be done before an open house or showing. Many hands make light work.

Morning cleanup, evening cleanup
Set aside some time in the morning and evenings do a little bit of cleaning. Keeping on top of the cleaning and tidying will help when a short notice showing might come up.

Laundry baskets aren’t just for laundry
Have a couple of laundry baskets handy for the times you just need to throw everything in put it in the car with you. Those times sometimes happen and laundry baskets are easy to take in and out of the car.