Getting Your House Ready For The Market With Children

Are you worried about the prospect of trying to make your home show-ready with your children around? Selling your home can be a complicated process, especially when you have kids. It can take a lot longer than you want and add a whole level of additional stress to your life. Making sure your house is show-ready, however, should help you find a buyer faster and could lead to you getting more offers.

Selling a house with kids can be far more challenging to get your home in top, showing shape, but in the end, it will be worth it.

Let's take a look at some of the best advice that will increase the odds that your home really appeals to potential buyers.

Preparation Before Listing

Choose a real estate agent that you feel comfortable working with. It is wise to interview a minimum of three real estate agents. Let them make their pitch on why you should use their services. Keep in mind there is a wide variety of what each agent will do to sell your home. If you are using an agent that you are happy with, you are more likely to have a terrific home sale experience.

One of the things the best real estate agents will do is provide you counseling and guidance on what should be done to the home to make it more show-ready. Getting some advice from a pro just makes perfect sense, and best of all, it is free!

Have them go through the house to highlight things that could be improved or changed, to give you a better chance of appealing to more buyers.

A fresh pair of eyes, and from someone with a lot of experience, could reveal things you hadn't considered doing to improve your home sale preparation. They may suggest you change the decor in a room to make it more appealing, or leave something alone that you were thinking of changing. They might suggest changing your color scheme to something more neutral. Great agents are comfortable in their own skin and won't be afraid to give you constructive criticism.

Never be offended by what the agent says. They are on the same team and want you to sell your home quickly and for the most money. The experience of a good agent could be invaluable in making your home more show-ready.

De-clutter All Your Unnecessary Stuff

One thing they are likely to suggest, if you haven't done it already, is to de-clutter your home. Go through your things and have a clear out. It will help with your move as well and gives you an excuse to get rid of those things you had been meaning to throw out. One of the best ways of doing that is to hire one of the companies that will pick up your donations. There is a whole slew of them that will do it for free!

Not only will you be getting your home in much better showing condition but also be helping others that desperately need your help. Gather up all of your kid's excess toys, books, and games that they have outgrown. Can you imagine how the next family will feel when they get such a gift?

Items you don't want to throw away could be packed up and stored somewhere out of the way or in a storage unit. Having things already packed will make getting ready for the move easier.

Things Need to Keep Doing While Your Home is For Sale

You have to consistently maintain the curb appeal of your home while it is on the market. You don't want potential buyers arriving outside and being put off by how your house looks before they've even entered.

As they say, you only get one chance to create a great first impression. If your front yard is untidy, with an overgrown lawn and flower beds full of weeds, you aren't creating a good impression. Make sure to take care of these simple things throughout the time your home is being shown.

In the home, it can be a good idea to remove anything which is too unusual and of an acquired taste. You want your home to appeal to the majority, so get rid of things that are too out of the ordinary. You don't need to completely remove any personality from the house, but don't overdo it. For example, a full wall of family pictures is not going to make your house look appealing to most buyers.

Your home needs to be staged to make it look its best. Decorate tables with things that look appealing, like plants or flowers, for instance. This doesn't need to be an expensive exercise, but thinking about the visual appearance of your rooms can benefit home sale preparation.

Pay special attention to your kitchen and baths. Make sure the counters are completely bare in these areas. Buyers are able to visualize themselves living in sharp clearer spaces. Your kid's rooms should also be picked up with clearly defined spaces.

Before a Showing

When your agent has a showing booked, make sure the place is super clean. Though you may not need to vacuum before every showing, do make sure items are put away and everything is in its place.

Again, it can't be emphasized enough to make sure the bathrooms are looking good. The toilets should be flushed, counters cleaned, and neat towels. Make sure you turn on the lights in any dark areas of the home and draw the curtains to make sure there is as much natural light as possible. Don't leave it to the agent showing the house to have to turn on lights while the buyer is already there. The stage should be set for the show before it happens.

A trick to really make your house feel like a home is to appeal to the buyer's senses. Freshly baked bread or cookies, as well as freshly cut flowers, can have a positive effect on how people feel when the home is being shown.

When everything is looking good, there is one final thing you should do. Leave. It is better to allow potential buyers to walk around your property and talk about it, without the fear of upsetting the homeowner.

If you stay in the home during a showing, it can be all too tempting to point out things on the house you love or promote how great the neighborhood is. While you might think this is helping, it might be putting people off. Better to leave the house and let the agent do their thing.

Have a plan for where to go during a showing. This is particularly important if you have kids to entertain. Have a bag ready with things the kids will need during your time away from home, and remember to bring it with you when you go out.

Final Thoughts on Making Your House Show-Ready

One of the most important things when selling any home is first impressions. Leaving the buyer with a positive feeling will put you on the right track to getting an offer in a shorter period of time. If you follow these simple tips, you should have a better experience when selling your home.