Getting Ready to Sell Your Home: A Step-by-Step Guide to Selling With Kids
Selling your home with kids involved can be difficult. Between trying to keep things neat and tidy for potential buyers, open houses, and making sure that your children are well-behaved, it can be hard to stay on top of everything. But don’t worry – with a little bit of organization and planning, you can make the selling process as smooth as possible for your whole family. In this article, we will walk you through some best tips for selling your property with kids. At the Whalley Group, our real estate agents will give you tips on how to prepare yourself and your home for potential buyers, and we’ll also offer advice on how to keep things running smoothly and securely during an open house and showings. By following these guidelines, you can make the selling process less stressful for everyone involved and end up with a home ready for a successful sale!
1. Set Realistic Expectations
When you sell a home while you still have younger kids, it’s important to set realistic expectations. Before selling your home, take some time to talk to your kids about what selling the house means and why it’s happening. Explain that strangers will be coming in and out of the house while selling, you’ll be leaving before those strangers come into the home, and that they need to use their clean-up zone when getting ready. Having a game plan upfront can help ease any anxiety most kids may have. Additionally, setting expectations with your family can help to keep the selling process orderly and organized.
2. Designate a Clean-Up Zone
Designating a clean-up zone for toys, stuffed animals, and other items is an important step in selling your home. Kids can be messy and forget to put away their things as we all know, so it’s a good idea to have one area in the house that you can use as a storage space for all of their belongings. This will help keep the other areas of your home clutter-free and presentable during showings. Choose an area that is out of sight if you can, such as a back room or hallway, where you can store any items that need to be hidden during showings. You can also use storage bins or toy chests to keep all the daily toys in when it’s time to get ready for a buyer tour. Additionally, make sure to remind your children regularly about what should go into the clean-up zone and how they should keep it organized while selling your home. Doing this upfront will help ensure that everything goes smoothly.
3. Preparing the Home for Sale
When selling a home with kids, it’s important to make sure that the house is in its best condition for potential buyers and especially if you do an open house. This means staging the home and possibly a deep clean before any showings or open houses. Staging can involve rearranging furniture, removing any kid posters hanging on the walls, removing extra items, decluttering rooms, and adding small touches of decor to give your home an inviting feel. If there’s a lot to pack before the move, consider packing away unnecessary items and putting them in a storage unit. Your real estate agent can help with recommendations. Deep cleaning things like scrubbing the floors, wiping down surfaces, dusting shelves, and other areas that may have been neglected during regular upkeep. Doing these things will help ensure that your house looks ready to sell when potential buyers come through.
4. Set Up Guidelines for Showings
Kids can sometimes be intimidated by strangers in their house, so set up guidelines for them when selling your home. For example, you can let them know that both you and them will leave with you during the open house and showings. You can also enlist them to help give things a quick once over before you leave! Let them grab their favorite toys on the way out if they don’t have them already. An experienced real estate agent can also help with timing to ensure you have plenty of time to get ready without showings on a moment’s notice. In the worst-case scenario, it’s good to keep a bag ready for the kids if you don’t get enough notice from a potential buyer. Explain to them why it’s important to do this and how it will help to successfully sell your home. Additionally, remind your kids of any rules about cleaning up or putting toys away. Showing homes requires patience, respect, and understanding from everyone involved; setting guidelines ahead of time is key to helping ensure that selling goes smoothly and quickly. Create a fun list of ideas to take the kids to while the home is being shown. Here’s a starter list:
- Go to a nearby park or amusement park
- Go to a friend’s house for a play date with other kids
- Enlist a family member to entertain at their house
- Take everyone to a movie
- Do your grocery shopping and have everyone help
- Pick a nearby restaurant and go for lunch or dinner
- Pick a favorite museum and spend a couple of hours there
- Go to a trampoline park and as a bonus, the kids will be tired when you’re done!
5. Create an Ongoing Cleaning Schedule
Cleaning your home regularly is important when selling, but it can be hard to stay on top of it with your whole family. Create a cleaning schedule that outlines what needs to be done and when, so you don’t have to worry about things getting out of hand when showings might get scheduled with short notice. Have family members take turns doing specific tasks before showings, such as vacuuming or wiping down surfaces. You can also designate certain days for more detailed cleanings, such as deep cleaning the kitchen or bathrooms. Doing this will help ensure that everything looks its best during showings and make selling your house much easier!
6. Keep Things Simple
When you’re selling a house and have younger children, it is important to keep things simple. Kids can be easily overwhelmed by too many changes or tasks at once, so try to make the selling process as straightforward and stress-free as possible. For example, take down the kid posters gradually and have a special spot for their personal items. Aim for minimalism throughout the selling journey; declutter and organize any unnecessary items in your home and get rid of anything that won’t be helpful during showings. Family photos and extra furniture might even be able to go to a storage unit or the new house to help get the house ready. Additionally, keep other personal items and furniture to a minimum; this will help create an open atmosphere that potential buyers will appreciate. With children, remember that less is more!
7. Talk it Out With Your Children
Sometimes your children see this as a stressful process, but it doesn’t have to be. Communication with your kids is the key to reducing the stress level when selling your home, so make sure to talk openly and honestly about the selling journey. Involve them in the process by asking their opinion on certain tasks or decorations or even let them help! Doing this will help them feel more included and give them ownership over their part in the selling process. Additionally, create opportunities for your kids to express any anxieties they may have about selling your home; talking it out with them can turn into a positive experience rather than something overwhelming or scary. Give them a space to let them tell you what they’re feeling.
8. Stay Positive
Selling a house even when you don’t have children in your home can be overwhelming, but it’s important to stay positive. Remind yourself and your kids that selling is just a temporary process and soon you will all be in a new home. Positive reinforcement goes a long way; praise your kids for their help throughout the selling process and thank them for understanding any changes or tasks that need to be done. Additionally, try to make selling as fun as possible – make it into an adventure! You can have special selling activities like painting the walls together, having family movie nights while getting ready for showings, or packing extra stuff. Doing this will help keep everyone in good spirits during the sale and make the entire experience of moving to a new home much more enjoyable.
Final Thoughts
When you put a sale sign in your yard and you have kids it doesn’t have to be a stressful experience. With some organization and planning, you can make selling your home less stressful for the entire family. From making sure that everyone’s needs are taken care of to creating a cleaning schedule, there are steps you can take to ensure the real estate transaction goes as smoothly as possible. Remember, it is important to keep communication open with your children and stay positive throughout the selling process. Your Whalley Group real estate agent can get you advice on preparations you might need, the current market, and the timing for the best home sales price and the most money for your home. We have lots of experience with kids and expert advice on how to sell your home for the most money while keeping things neat and running on schedule for you. By following these tips, you will be well on your way to getting your home sold and finding the perfect new property for you and your family! If you want to know more about how we can help, send us a message.
