The Best Advice for Busy Parents Who Want to Sell Their Home

Selling your home has its obvious rewards, but there’s no question that you’re going to have to work for those rewards. This can be especially challenging for busy parents who have to keep the family, especially kids, under control, while also making sure that the property is appealing enough for potential buyers. Thankfully, there are ways you can stage a home for success amidst the rowdiness of home life, short of developing superpowers overnight!

Get inspired.

No doubt, one of the biggest challenges you will face when trying to sell your home is competition. It’s a good idea to start by getting a feel of the other home listings in your area, especially if it’s a competitive market. Take a look at what different properties look like, note what’s going fast, and get a clear picture of what you’re up against.

This kind of reconnaissance is also a great way to enhance your staging. You will undoubtedly find aesthetic inspiration when you visit other houses on the market, as well as observe firsthand what they’re doing right (or otherwise), which you can then leverage in your own staging efforts. You can even get decoration and staging ideas and tips when you scour the internet, especially when it comes to kids’ rooms.

Address your clutter.

As you work on prepping your home for sale, you will find that clutter is your worst enemy. As Upstate Clutter Coach explains, clutter can be a deal killer. This is particularly stressful when there are kids in the house as toys, clothing, and so forth often have a way of invading just about every part of the house.

There’s really no other way to address this than by good, old-fashioned decluttering. The objective is to make your property look like a model home that potential buyers can see themselves owning, and that won’t happen when your family’s stuff is strewn helter-skelter. And if it all gets to be too much, consider calling in a professional organizer to give you a headstart and solid strategies.

Maintain green practices.

Haste might pressure you to feel you can’t keep up green practices, but My Moving Reviews explains this actually can be achieved in an environmentally-friendly way without losing speed. For starters, make use of packing supplies that you already have on hand to minimize waste, as well as opt for eco-friendly materials that are biodegradable or reusable, and recycle, donate, or sell your excess items.

A good chunk of your discards will likely be old electronics that are no longer serviceable, which often contain toxic and hazardous materials, so make sure to dispose of them properly—or better yet, recycle them in accordance with green tech practices.

Clean up.

Once clutter is out of the way, it’s time to give your home a deep clean to make it spotless for showings. This, of course, is easier said than done when you’re a busy parent, so save yourself much time and effort by cleaning as you go and consistently staying on top of the family messes. It’s also smart to employ some green cleaning methods while you’re at it, too. You can use natural, green cleaning products to remove stains and messes throughout your home—sans the toxins which can be potentially harmful to your family and viewers alike.

If you don’t have time to address this problem yourself, you can always hire a housekeeping service to lend a hand. In addition to general cleaning (vacuuming, dusting, washing dirty dishes, etc.), housekeepers will also take care of any laundry you have or straighten up your bedrooms. However, they won’t help with deep cleaning appliances (oven, refrigerator, etc.) or addressing any serious problems with your furniture or carpeting.

Work with a schedule.

Finally, it’s important to have a game plan for showing days. Consider scheduling fun activities for the kids on the days when you have potential buyers visiting your home. You can even arrange visits to friends and family or hire a professional to care for them on the interim—the possibilities are endless!

Indeed, showing and ultimately selling your home when you’re a busy parent will challenge you in many ways. But take heart because you really can achieve what looks to be impossible. Make use of these foolproof measures so you can sell your home with minimal disruption to your family’s life.

Blog Credit – Kristin Louis @parentingwithkris