Maybe you’ve decided 2017 is the year you put your house on the market. Your family is growing, and it’s time to move on.
There’s just one problem. You have young kids.
Putting a house on the market when you have kids of any age, but particularly young ones, can be difficult, to say the least, but not impossible. There are things you’ll have to consider as a mom with a house on the market that someone without kids wouldn’t have to think about.
Below are some realistic ways to make it work if you’re juggling kids and also a house that’s for sale.
Get Rid of The Clutter
One of the number one things that deters buyers but is so easy to fix is clutter. Very rarely is a buyer going to walk into a house full of clutter and want to buy it. Unless you’re trying to sell to an investor who’s willing to buy the house and everything in it, it’s important to do an audit of your home’s contents well in advance of actually listing it.
You can throw away and donate items, and if you have things you want to keep but don’t want on display when you’re trying to sell your house, you may consider renting a storage unit until you move.
Anything that’s not an essential in your life should probably be eliminated or put away while it’s on the market.
Plan For Flexibility
When your house is on the market, you’re absolutely going to have to be flexible. Otherwise, you might be turning down showings that can lead to someone buying your home.
Go ahead and put yourself in a mindset that it’s okay to miss a naptime or be late with it if a showing comes up.
You can, however, ask that your real estate agent give you an hour or two of advanced notice before a showing, or consult some commission sales people for a better arrangement that can make it easier if you have kids.
Have A Bag of Essentials In the Car
Again, planning to be flexible is key if you have kids and want to sell your house. With that in mind, create a bag of essentials for you and your little ones when showings come up.
Include snacks, diapers, wipes, toys and anything else you might need to stay out of the house for an hour or two while potential buyers are there.
Consider a Cleaning Service
You might not ordinarily have professional cleaners at your home, but if it’s on the market and you have kids, it can be worth the short-term investment. You might have them come once a week while you’re trying to sell your house to help you handle the major cleaning.
That way, as a busy mom you’ll just have to worry about the daily pickups and straightening, rather than having to do a top-to-bottom clean every week to impress buyers.
It’s definitely not impossible to put your house on the market with young kids, but you need to be willing to embrace a sense of flexibility, and also make sure you plan ahead to make it work. With any luck, your house won’t be on the market for long before a buyer comes along.
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