Right now, I am trying to sell my house, I agree with those who say selling a house is one of the most stressful life experiences, but throwing children into the mix can sometimes make it trying… to say the least. Let’s be honest, just the fact of having children around when you want to get on with something important can turn things into a hassle even at the best of times. Here are 10 ways in which you can have a more pleasant house selling experience when you have children trying to sabotage your every move.
1. Make sure you schedule time to clean and tidy up before a viewing
If you shudder at the thought of having someone looking at your house through your children’s mess, be sure to tidy up and clean around before someone comes for a viewing. From my experience, some of the things that people look at when they are viewing a house are, how clean the carpets are (and if they need replacing), how clean the sinks/baths/showers are, and the state of the windows and bifold doors. A brilliantly easy way to keep on top of the cleaning is to use something like Scrub Daddy. It’s an amazing, face-shaped all-purpose sponge that differs in texture depending on the temperature of the water you’re using. It’s non-stick, and you can even keep Scrub Daddy clean and sanitary in the dishwasher! You might as well make cleaning fun, right? My kids love using this as well. I regularly catch my 5 year old scrubbing the floor with Scrub Daddy when he’s spilled something! Find out where to buy Scrub Daddy.
2. Potentially look into depersonalising rooms
Murals on walls and children’s themed wallpapers all may look nice, but it’s not versatile. The majority of potential buyers want versatile rooms, so minimalistic colours would go a long way.
3. Take your children out whilst a viewing is happening
It’s quite distracting for the buyer when children are in the house whilst there’s a viewing. But most of the time, you don’t have to be in your house during a viewing, they only last up to 30 minutes, so go for a walk and get some fresh air with the kids!
4. Look into storing things elsewhere
Do you have things laying around that you won’t need until you’re in your next house? Then, in order to reduce clutter, you could look into self storage units at a nearby self storage facility. Or, if you’d rather avoid the extra expense, ship your belongings into the loft while you’re on your selling mission.
5. Consider open house days
Following on from taking your children out, you could also try an open house day. This allows you to have plenty of viewings in one day and then you can spend the whole day with your children at the cinema, a friends house or have a picnic. Plenty of people do it, and it also vastly saves the amount of times you have to do the cleaning, as there is a better chance of getting an offer when you’ve got lots of viewings on one day. You then also need to make sure that you get the best estate agent if you are selling, as that will lead to a better sale price. Have a look at this Bristol estate agent as they always do very well and have very low fees, so they are a great example of what to look for.
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6. Keep it positive for your children
Although it’s a stressful time, keeping things positive will have an impact on your children. Try not to pack all of their things away too early and make sure to let them choose their favourite things to keep out.
7. Make sure there are no odours present
Keeping your house smelling as fresh as a daisy may be problematic with children around, but this is even more important when making a first impression with your house. I went out and bought a Glade Plugin for most rooms, and a fragrance diffuser for the bathrooms. Even if you think your house doesn’t smell, and is kept super clean, it only takes one meal of spag bol to make the whole house smell of beef and garlic!
8. Keep a checklist!
Being organised will save you a lot of stress when selling a house and at least you will know that you’re on top of things at all times with no stone left unturned.
9. Showcase the playroom
If you must keep your playroom a playroom at the time of selling, then show it off to its full potential, but make sure it’s still tidy. If your playroom is anything like ours, the windows will be FILTHY, from the grubby little paw marks, to the smears from snotty noses.
If your windows could do with updating entirely, investing in some cheap windows on special offer might be a great idea for some rooms, as potential buyers love to see that you took pride in maintaining your home. As in tip 2, keep room decor to a minimum if you can, as someone might be thinking of using your playroom as a guest room, study or extra sitting room.
10. Involve the children
If you involve the children to help clear things away and/or clean when there are viewings, then that could potentially save half of the battle. Children love to be included, and I find that if I crank the music up loud and make it into a game, or even bribe with a few pennies, the job gets done faster than ever!
Have you had any experience with selling a house when you’ve had small children? Do you have any ideas to add? Feel free to comment and let us know!
Images from Giphy.
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Last Updated on June 22, 2023 by Lucy Clarke
1 comment
Fab tips Lucy! We went through this long and trying process of first selling and then buying a house just last year – with a 3.5 year old in tow – and it was anything but easy! You’ve shared some very useful advice.
Here’s a post that might help you on the next stage;) All the best.
https://talesfrommamaville.com/10-things-i-learnt-while-moving-house/