Spring is inching closer with every flip of the calendar. That means that the home buying and selling season is on the horizon. If you are ready for a change of scenery, you might think that getting your house ready for the market is not possible when you have children. Fortunately, although having kids does make it a bit of a challenge, it’s perfectly possible to manage the little ones, master your move, and make things happen so that you never miss a showing.
Do Your Research
Whether you have kids or not, one of the most important things you can do when it’s time to sell your home is to carefully research the market. The San Diego area is extremely competitive — in fact, 1,165 homes sold in San Diego over the past 30 days — and knowing exactly what you’re getting yourself into can help you better plan for any home improvements that you want to make before listing. Plus, you can familiarize yourself with the competition and keep a close watch on similar houses to see what others have that yours doesn’t. Something else to consider is making sure visitors to your home have access to information about the school district. Even if your kiddos have yet to hit kindergarten, spring and early summer are prime times for families; if you live in a great school district, play that up.
Do You Know Why Your House Is a Wreck?
By this point, you’ve probably already talked to your realtor and decided on improvements that you’ll make as well as a listing price. Now the hard work — keeping it clean and clutter-free — can begin. First, you’ll need to know why your home is a mess. According to the Pint-Sized Treasures mom blog, it could be because life is too busy, the kids aren’t properly supervised, or you have too much junk. In actuality, it’s probably a combination of all of those things.
When you know why it looks like a tornado has run through your house, you can jump into action. For example, if the kids simply don’t have household responsibilities, it’s time to make a chore chart. Similarly, when junk is part of the problem, you’ll know that it’s time to do a whole-home purge and rent a storage unit for the things you need but don’t need in the way.
Fast-forward to a clean and organized home. Everything looks great, but now you have to keep it that way. Make sure that everyone in your house knows what they have to do each day. If you have to, change the WiFi password, and don’t give it out until everyone’s job is done.
You’ll also want to consider rearranging the furniture, particularly if you’ve removed several pieces in your decluttering efforts. Architectural Digest suggests several helpful apps and software that can help you envision your space as a showplace.
Last-Minute Showings Aren’t a Thing to Fear
One of the most challenging aspects of selling a house when you have kids is the dreaded last-minute showing. Fortunately, if things are already relatively clean, you should be able to get ready within an hour. LifeStorage suggests that you keep a last-minute house-showing checklist handy. You also want to keep empty totes close at hand so that you can stash wayward toys and stray socks on your way out the door. Load the dishwasher, remove any obstacles from the floor, and, depending on the weather, open the windows to let in the breeze.
If you are still not certain or have questions on how to keep your house together with a full family, talk to your realtor. They are experts and may have a trick or two hiding up their sleeves. Whatever you do, don’t shy away from moving on with your life. A little preemptive work will go a long way, and you may find a moving truck in your driveway quicker than you expected.
Guest Blog by Kris Louis from the Parentingwithkris.com.
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