It happens to all of us: That last-minute phone call from a relative who just happens to be in the area and wants to stop by. With hardly any warning, you have to turn your disheveled dwelling into an immaculate abode. Well, this scenario could also happen when you’re trying to sell your home. Ideally, your house will be spic-and-span at all times when it’s up for sale. But we all know that we don’t live in a perfect world. We live in a world full of soccer games, dance recitals and late-night work meetings, where we don’t always have time to keep the house spotless. Here are some tips for how you can clean up quickly when you get a last-minute call from an interested buyer who wants to see your home.

Make a good first impression – Move any shoes or toys and clean up any clutter that may be sitting by the front door. First impressions last, and you want buyers to be interested from the moment they set foot in your home.

Prioritize – Concentrate on the main living areas and the focal points of the home, the spots that guests are most likely to see. If you’re crunched for time, don’t worry so much about the less noticeable places. Just hope that visitors don’t wander around and find that random closet where you stashed everything.

Vacuum – Don’t worry about moving furniture and getting every single spot; just be sure to hit the busiest areas. A little vacuuming can go a long way when it comes to making your house look clean and fresh.

Make sure it smells good – A pleasant aroma will invite guests into your home and it might even distract them from any clutter you didn’t have time to clean up. Check out this post for some ideas on eliminating odors in your house.

Do the dishes – It doesn’t look good to have the sink overflowing with dirty dishes, and it only takes a few minutes to throw them in the dishwasher. Try to make sure that the dishwasher is emptied on a daily basis, so you’ll be able to use it in a moment’s notice to hide dirty dishes.

Turn the master suite into a retreat – If you don’t have time to clean all of the bedrooms, focus on the master suite, making it look as luxurious and elegant as possible. The master bedroom is an important selling point, as it is the room where the buyer will be spending a great deal of their time.