Kids and Real Estate: 5 Tips for Your Sellers

Did you read last week’s most popular post: Kids and Real Estate – 5 Tips for Your Buyers?

Well today we’re posting the companion piece, created to help home sellers with young children prepare for the sometimes hectic days and weeks ahead. When you decide to list your house and you have kids, it can seem like you have so much to do to get (and keep) everything in a presentable condition.

This list of easy tip and tricks will help sellers with little ones stay calm, cool and collected throughout the sale. It will also help you make sure your listing is attractive to buyers with or without families.

If you’re a real estate agent, you can share these on your agent website, in your listing package or include them in emails to your clients.5TipsForSellers_03-11_blog

5 Tips for Sellers with Children

1. Be Prepared to Repaint

If your kids have brightly painted bedrooms, consider taking the initiative to repaint them using a paint color that sells. A neutral bedroom will appeal to all buyers, whether they have children or not, and can help you avoid costly repainting estimates during contract negotiations. While you’re at it, check doors, window sills and bannisters to see if they could use a touch up.

In addition to repainting and touching up, scan your home for stickers or decals and remove them before taking listing photos. Although they may only seem like little things, you don’t want potential buyers to see stickers and instantly think of the work they would have to do to remove them if they bought your house. Putting in a little elbow grease will make your home look as move-in ready as possible.

2. Invest in Attractive Storage Solutions

Spending a little money now on appealing baskets and tubs to stash toys and other kid paraphernalia in can save you a lot of clean up time later. Place a cute basket or lidded box in a corner of each room or closet and ask young children to lend a hand by tossing blocks, dolls, toys and laundry inside before home showings.

Decluttered and clean surfaces, closets and floors will make your home appear more spacious to potential buyers who are looking for a clean start in a new home.

3. Clean the Fridge

You would be shocked by how many buyers will check out (and even open) your fridge! A dirty, sticky fridge can equal a dirty, poorly maintained house in the minds of home seekers. A clean fridge gives a much more favorable impression.

Start by removing any photos, art, stickers and magnets from the outside of the fridge. Then move inside the fridge and give it a good deep cleaning.

4. Keep Your Trunk Clear

Sometimes you have to make a getaway at a moment’s notice! If a prospect wants to see your house again before making an offer, you need to keep your trunk clear so you can throw any mess or clutter or kids sporting goods in it and go!

5. Get Kids Excited About the Move

If you want help and a positive attitude from your little ones during this busy time, get them excited about the move by talking about all the good things that can happen as soon as you sell the house. Show them their new neighborhood or talk about exciting features of the new house you will be moving into. If they feel ready to move, they will be more invested in keeping the house buyer-ready so that it sells more quickly.

What is one of your best tips for selling a house when you have kids?