If you share your Nashville rental house with others, you know how hard it can be to keep things pristine. Whether living with roommates or family members, you’ll want everyone to pitch in and help to keep your house clean. Other than that, you’ll need to make sure that everyone in the house knows who is responsible for which chores and when those chores are due. This is where a chore chart can come in handy. By outlining a few simple steps, you can create a chore chart that will keep your rental home in good shape at all times – something both you and your Nashville property manager will appreciate.
Define “Clean”
The first step to creating an effective chore chart is to ensure that everyone doing chores has the same definition of “clean.” Different people may have quite different thoughts about what it means to clean different areas of the house. If you and a roommate or family member have different ideas about what “clean” is, that can lead to unwanted friction in the home. To prevent conflict, make sure you discuss expectations ahead of time.
Make a List
Next, it’s time to list each chore that will need to be completed. It’s best to do this as a group and try to make it as comprehensive a list as possible. First of all, agree that each person in the house is responsible for their belongings, bedroom, and private bathroom (if this applies). Then create a list of chores for everything else. Include both indoor and outdoor tasks, and be as specific as possible. For example, instead of simply putting “clean the kitchen,” consider listing out the different factors that should be cleaned in the kitchen. This will help reduce confusion and resentment if certain things get overlooked.
Create Your Chart
With your list of chores in hand, it is time to begin creating your chore chart. You can purchase a whiteboard or corkboard to be used as your chart or use a large piece of paper or poster board. Make it as simple or as elaborate as you like, as long as you can see, and assign tasks to each household member.
Assign Specific Chores
After you’ve completed your chart, you can begin delegating responsibilities. One of the most effective ways to get started is to encourage each person to volunteer to do chores they love doing. Perhaps one roommate detests washing dishes but doesn’t mind vacuuming carpets. Another alternative is to divide tasks by room and have each person responsible for cleaning one room weekly. This may work for lighter cleaning, but deep cleaning might be easier to tackle if everyone helps. You can divide the work in any way that makes sense for you and those living with you but ensure that it is fair and that each person’s chores are assigned.
Set Deadlines
An effective chore chart ensures that tasks are completed on time. Along with assigning chores, it is important to set deadlines for when each assignment is to be completed. This can help hold each person accountable for their assigned tasks and ensure that all the chores are done regularly.
Follow Up
Finally, it’s important to remember that no chore chart is perfect right out of the gate. Rather, collaborating on household chores is a process that will continue to evolve. For this reason, meeting regularly to discuss what’s working and address any problems that may have occurred is important. Being proactive with your follow-up can help hold off arguing or bad feelings that may otherwise result.
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Originally Published on July 31, 2020