The Plague Diaries: Prep Dat House!

[stevenpiziks]

Monday evening, Max and I set about cleaning, straightening, and stuffing.  We scoured the bathrooms, cleansed every counter, dusted every bit of wood. We put away or straightened every possession for maximum show-worthy quality.  And we cleared off every surface that could be cleared. If we didn't need it--or even if we did--we stuffed it into a drawer or into a box in the garage.  I even dismantled my indoor altar and disguised it as an end table.

This process went on through Tuesday. I reminded Max that his room would have to stay in show condition every minute, since we could get a request to see the house at any time. And I cleared out every bit of remaining evidence that cats had occupied the house--stray bits of litter in the basement, little crumbs of carpet snagged by their claws, the darker spots on the corners Dora always cheeks.

Jim was asking for photos.  I took lots of them, every room from every angle. As a buyer, I always get suspicious when a listing has a paucity of pictures. What are they hiding? What aren't they showing? I know I'm not alone in this, so I took lots and lots of photos. The weather cooperated, giving me a beautiful sunny day to get the outdoor photos and light-drenched indoor photos.  I saved them to Dropbox and sent Jim the link.  He said he would get the listing up and running that evening.

This was Tuesday, and unknown to us, the storm was brewing.