Tips and Tricks for Busy Families Putting a House on the Market

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Entering the housing market brings its share of stresses under any circumstances. With a family that enjoys an active lifestyle, it can often make home selling especially challenging.

Trust me. I know because I just went through it with my own family. Long before the sign went up in our yard, we decided that we didn’t want selling our home to become our whole lives. We didn’t want to waste weeks or months of our family time constantly on edge and stressed. We just knew there was a better way. (Spoiler: there is!)

We learned that, when it comes to setting your household up for success, a handful of clever strategies can make a world of difference. I can’t wait to share our favorite, most impactful tips with you.

Set a proper stage

Presentation is a crucial element for any home showing, and for busy moms and dads, it’s often also the crux of the matter. To help you navigate the challenge, put at the forefront of your mind the concepts of decluttering and depersonalization. Decluttering allows buyers to see the framework and features of your home more easily, especially the amount of space the structure provides. Depersonalization helps them feel at home, and avoids distracting them with your personal belongings.

Before you start pulling items, you need to have a conversation with your children about moving, explaining that home showings are temporary and they only need to endure the process for a short period of time. Encourage your kids to set aside a few favorite toys, and make sure they are things which you can either incorporate into a display or hide easily when you get calls for last-minute showings. Remove collections, hobby items, and decor with strong themes, including in the kids’ rooms.

Your changes don’t have to be expensive. Instead of spending a lot on temporary items, you can replace things like bed linens and window treatments with simple, inexpensive designs from discount stores. Paint is another inexpensive upgrade, and you can use it to tone down bold color schemes. CBS News recommends quiet hues with broad appeal, like gentle blues and greys.

If it’s all too much to figure out on top of your routine obligations, arranging finances, and house hunting, consider hiring a pro to stage your home on your behalf. It’s a great way to get a jumpstart on preparation, and also ensures it’s presented well. On average, professional home staging costs $959.

Get down and dirty

Once you have your home set up properly, a thorough deep cleaning is in order. Dust, scrub, and sweep your abode from top to bottom, ensuring you don’t miss the nooks and crannies of cabinets, closets, and crown molding. A printable checklist can help you stay on track, and a stocked cleaning caddy makes tidy-ups a breeze.

Cleaning for showings can be daunting, and you want to make this period of time as simple as possible. With busy kids, the very idea can leave you feeling overwhelmed, but some clever tricks can help you stay ahead of the game. With a spotless home, keeping messes localized can ease your cleaning burden, so consider restricting your kids on where they do their activities until after your home is sold. Eating should be in one specific space, playtime in another, and so forth. You can even have them share bedrooms and bathrooms. Cutting the spaces they use means less to clean.

You’re coming when?!

Last-minute showings can leave you in a tizzy if you haven’t prepared properly, yet if at all possible, don’t turn them away! One of the best ways to manage is by always tidying your home before you leave, even if you’re just running a quick errand. That way, when those calls come in, you can give them the go-ahead without a mad dash home.

With your cleaning caddy and stick vacuum, plan to catch messes on the run. Also consider keeping a tote or laundry basket handy for throwing in toys, haphazard laundry, and what have you as you make your dash out the door. Leave room in the back of the car to stash it, along with a few toys and snacks for your kiddos, and you’re good to go while buyers peruse the premises.

Parents don’t need to pull their hair out when putting their home on the market. Set yourself up for success with a few clever tricks. Stage your home well, keep it clean, and involve your kids in the process. The house will be sold in no time!

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