Selling a home is always a challenging and time-consuming process. And if you are selling a home with kids living in it, the process becomes even more daunting. Selling a home with kids presents a whole new set of challenges for you to overcome to have a successful home sale. The most challenging thing about selling a home with kids is the constant battle to maintain cleanliness to entice potential buyers. Most kids have the habit of reversing any efforts you put into cleaning a room. You clean one place and move on to the next, and they will mess up all your work with effortless ease! However, a bit of planning and organizing can make the process a lot easier. Here are a few tips to make the home selling process much less stressful for you and your kids.
Talk to Kids about Selling
Moving and selling a home is a major transition for kids. You should talk to your kids regarding selling the house as well as moving to a new one. Explain your reasons for moving and also share some positive features of your new home. Explaining things help prepare them for the move and might even get them on board for the selling.
Decide if You Want to Involve Kids in the Process
You need to decide early on if you want your kids involved in the selling process or not. However, this decision depends on the age of your kids and their temperaments. You can let your kids clean the windows or wipe the countertops along with their other chores. Otherwise, let them clean up their toys and tidy up their bedrooms.
Declutter and Organize Early on
It is better to start the cleaning and to declutter early on. Clutter can instantly overshadow the true appeal of your home. So, give yourself enough time to clear the confusion from every room. Gather all the extra items and store or donate them to Goodwill. Keep baskets and bins handy to store toys and other small things instantly.
Choose an Agent with Experience in Selling a Home with Kids
Having an agent with experience in selling homes with kids can make a huge difference to your chances of selling. It also helps in keeping your sanity throughout the selling process. Working out a timeframe is a great start to a healthy agent relationship. It can help you work around personal and family commitments or avoid showings during kids’ bedtime.
Require Two to Three Hours Notice for Showings
If you get to specify the notice time, take full advantage of this. Make sure you have enough time to declutter the house, move around furniture if you have to, and prepare the kids. This should take at least a couple of hours. Thoroughly utilize your notice time to make your home as presentable as possible.
Dedicate a Room for The Kids
Sometimes it’s better to dedicate a room to the kids and keep the rest of the house clutter-free. If your children are in the habit of freely roaming in the house, you may want to change this while trying to sell the house. This will make it easier to clean things up as all the kids’ stuff is in one room.
Staging Your Home
When selling a home with kids it’s important that the home is staged to appeal to the masses. Staging involves clearly defining the use of each room and ensuring that the home looks appealing to buyers. If you are using a bedroom as a playroom, you need to convert it back to a bedroom or home office. Your home should look cozy, comfortable and inviting.
Explore the Option of Storage Units
A great option to tackle the problem of storage is to secure a storage facility or designate a less used space to storage. Homeowners with kids know how quickly things can pile up. Having a separate space for storage keeps the rest of the home free of extra items. You can use the garage, attic or basement for storage.
Prepare Go-To Bags For Kids
Keep emergency go-to bag with snacks, toys, diapers or anything else your kids need always ready. These emergency go-to bags can reduce the pressure on you while prepare your house for the showing. Keep an emergency bag for you too with all your essentials. Store them in the car or your garage for easy access.
Videos and Virtual Tours of The Home
The buying process starts online with potential buyers looking at photos of listed houses. But sometimes pictures fail to give a good idea of the layout or details about a home. With a video or virtual tour, buyers can experience what it would be like to visit the home. They can easily see the overall layout of the home.
Keep a Checklist for Showings
Prepare a checklist of all the things you need to do before a showing and refer it when needed. The process of preparing for a showing becomes much easier when you know what needs to be done. Do a final check of the entire house when you are ready to leave.
Try to Group your Showings
If possible, try to schedule all potential showings at one time or a day. If you have enough inquiries on your house in a good timeframe, try to schedule one showing for multiple buyers. This will help you limit the showings while increasing the perceived demand on your home.
Leave Your Home during Showings
Visiting a home when the sellers are still present becomes really awkward for all parties involved. So hit the road as soon as you are done preparing your home for the showing. This is a great opportunity to go to the park or a café and relax. You can also do some fun activities with your kids to pass the time.
Pre-plan Your Activities during Showings
Pre-plan your activities during showings to avoid last-minute planning or getting the kids annoyed. The less planning you have to do at the moment, the easier the process becomes. Gather some ideas for easy trips or fun activities you can do to utilize this time. You can go to parks, or malls, go on a hike or visit a relative.
Listen to Feedbacks with an Open Mind
Not everyone who visits your house is going to like it! Just remember, every buyer is looking for a perfect home and will be picky. Don’t beat yourself up about it. Listen to every feedback with an open mind and take note of things that were disliked. This will help you improve your staging and do better in the next showing. Selling a home with kids is tough. You should accept the fact that you might not have a perfect home for every showing; especially if you have unexpected showings within mere minutes. Just try to find a balance between trying to sell the house and keeping your life in order. Following the above tips for selling a home with kids can increase the chances of your home selling quickly and satisfactorily. Just do your best and stop worrying about the rest!
