Selling a House with Kids: It’s As Easy As 1, 2, 3
By Guest Columnist Kris Louis
https://parentingwithkris.com/
Your biggest job as a home seller is to keep your house show-ready at all times. When your house is clean and everything is in its place, you can host buyers at a moment’s notice. However, maintaining a show-ready home is easier said than done, especially when you have kids.
These 3 tips will help busy parents maintain a tidy home from listing until closing day.
1. Declutter, then declutter some more
With the exception of vacant homes, there’s no such thing as too clutter-free. That’s because buyers want to see your home, not the stuff inside of it. Start decluttering your home by getting rid of things you don’t plan to keep when you move. Next, tackle the items you’re keeping but don’t need over the coming weeks and put them in storage. This includes items like recreation equipment, holiday decorations, spare linens and dishes, and yes, your kid’s toys.
2. Adopt a cleaning schedule
You have to keep your home looking and smelling great until it sells. Since there’s no way of knowing whether that will take days or weeks, you need a plan for maintaining your home’s cleanliness. To speed things up, invest in quick-cleaning tools like a stick vacuum and microfiber spray mop so you’re not lugging bulky tools around the house every day. Stick vacuums are ideal for these kinds of quick jobs because they’re simple to maneuver and aren’t heavy.
3. Get the whole family involved
Get the family involved in keeping your house show-ready by assigning age-appropriate chores like making beds and putting away the dishes. Rather than trying to convince your kids to keep their rooms spotless, give each child a lidded basket where they can stash clutter in a pinch. You’ll also save a ton of time and stress if you set mess-preventing rules like no shoes in the house and no eating in the living room.
While these tips will help keep your house clean while it’s for sale, don’t expect perfection. There will inevitably be days where you’re scrambling to tidy up and get the kids out of the house before buyers arrive for a last-minute showing. However, by following this advice, you can keep those days — and your stress — to a minimum.
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