Casula
Selling a home involves everyone in the family working together to make the sale as smooth as possible. Sometimes though when we have children getting a house ready for sale can be a little bit of extra work.
I often find it is helpful to make the kids aware of plans to sell as soon as possible – after all you don’t want them to overhear you talking about it later on. Make the idea of moving a positive experience and get them to help when it comes to presenting your home at inspections.
If your child has a lot of toys and items lying around your house, or maybe there is stuff you want to throw away, go through all their items with them first. In general it’s probably a good idea to pack away really messy items like play-doh or paints, as these can be hard to pack up quickly if you’re in a hurry for an inspection. You might also want to create incentives to help them keep their rooms clean, such as some extra pocket money or maybe a trip to the movies.
It is definitely helpful when selling a home with children to have an understanding real estate agent. You might require a bit more notice if you have kids so you can get the home tidy, or explain that you’re about to have visitors over. Some parents may also prefer not to have inspections that interfere with their kid’s daily routines.
When it comes time for packing up, one vendor suggested putting a couple of toys in each box. That way when you’re all unpacking, the kids will get excited from each box and will be more willing to co-operate and help out.
Overall selling and presenting a home when you have children doesn’t need to be a nightmare. Make the idea of moving a positive and fun experience for the kids, and selling your home is sure to be easier for everyone.