Selling A Home

Selling a home is overwhelming, especially when you have kids. As we all know, kids live to dirty up the area we just cleaned, so keeping things presentable while not stressing out can be hard.

When I read this comment in a local Mom magazine I knew I wanted to share the showing rules that this Mom set for herself while selling her home:

1. 24-hour notice required for a showing.
2. No showings between 5-7 pm
3. No showings on "Wednesdays." Pick a day to leave open so that you know you can bake cookies, start craft projects, etc. without having to worry about having to show the house.

She did say that some Realtors had a problem with this, but serious buyers came back to look at an appropriate time. She did live in a popular area with lots of showings and the house sold quickly. I know these rules aren't reasonable for everyone, and in a market like the one we are in you don't want to chance losing a potential buyer, but I think that these are good thoughts to keep in mind and to give you ideas for some rules of your own.

A few more kiddo-related suggestions for showing a house by Moms in the know:

1. Keep a large Rubbermaid tub or laundry basket around to toss the last minute clutter and toys in. Take this in the car with you when you leave.
2. Rent a storage pod and de-clutter your house. Not only will your house look cleaner, bigger, and more visually appealing, there will be less stuff for the kids to get into!
3. Don't be afraid to say no to an inconvenient or last minute showing if you are going to kill yourself getting ready for it.
5. After the kids go to bed get the house back in showing condition to stay on top of things.
4. All those pictures of your kids and by your kids are priceless to you, but they might just be a distraction to a buyer. It is better to keep things looking clean and less personal.

Good luck and feel free to share any of your home-selling tips!