How to Master Selling Your Home as a Busy Parent
Kris is a mom of two boys, a 10 year old and a 7 year old. As a former advertising copywriter, she created ParentingWithKris.com where she discusses the lessons she’s picked up while raising her kids. No one claims that selling a home is easy, but it can be tougher when we have young children. You want to provide stability during this transition, which can be a challenge — but it isn’t impossible. Before you prep your house for sale, here are some things to consider.
How to Declutter
The most important step to selling your house is to get it decluttered. While crucial, many of us struggle with the process, as we don’t know where to start. Before you begin, picture what you want each room to look like to give focus to your work. Next, schedule time for your family to go through individual rooms. As you do so, you may have to expand storage capacity to avoid things looking cluttered for viewings. You can get creative by hanging bars in kitchen cabinets to stop mugs taking up room, or use baskets to store unused towels in the bathroom. Not only will this look elegant, but you free up space in the linen closet at the same time.
Keeping Things Clean
Once you’re rid of the excess, you have space to do a deep clean. Still, one or two people managing a whole house will take hours, so try to involve the kids with the promise of rewards, like a new video game or a trip to the movie theater. Even then, you should break the bulk of tasks into chunks to avoid burnout or feeling rushed before a showing. Spend half an hour each evening doing one room or chore as a family, and by the end of the week, you’ll only need to do basic maintenance to keep everything sparkling. However, when you start pricing cleaners, make sure you get at least three bids to stay competitive.
Talking to Your Kids
Children can struggle with moving, particularly if it’s long distance. With that in mind, discuss the transition early on to give them time to come to terms with it. Schedule a family meeting so everyone is present, and lay out as many benefits and good things about the coming move as you can think of. If possible, give them positive information about the neighborhood as well, like nearby parks or attractions that could excite them. They will likely want to ask questions, but if they have a negative reaction, don’t get angry. In time, they may warm to the idea of moving.
Managing Curb Appeal
The very first way to attract a buyer is to ensure the outside of your home looks flawless, which is called curb appeal. Given this, all fixtures should look new, or at least maintained, so consider replacing your door, house number, and mailbox, as well as fixing other visible flaws. Spruce things up with outdoor lighting as well because such features appear luxurious and can increase safety for evening showings. To keep the garden in great condition, have the whole family participate in yard work on the weekends to spend time together while cutting down labor.
Staging Your House
Lastly, staging a home is an important step in prepping for your sale. You want the home to appear organized and neutral without seeming lifeless, and hiring a stager can help achieve that. They will not only organize furniture layout, but they often oversee any repair work needed to ensure a quality finish. This can be a smart investment, especially if you’re new to selling a house. After all, staging your home professionally only costs roughly $822 on average, and if you can spare the space in your budget, it’s worth it.
Your kids may not be thrilled with the situation, no matter how many times you talk to them. Help them process their feelings, and do what you can to work together as a team. The more hands involved with keeping things perfect, the easier it will be to get your home off the market.