Are you wondering if your kid- and pet-friendly home will ever look like the perfectly staged houses you see in countless online real estate listings? While it’s not easy to maintain a show-ready home with kids and pets in the house, it is possible! These tips will help you get organized and create a home that wows buyers.
Get Organized with Checklists
When you first decide to sell your home, thinking about everything you need to accomplish can be overwhelming. If you’re looking at your messy house and wondering where to start, use checklists to get organized. The first checklist you make should list everything you need to do to prep your house for sale, including the following steps.
Deep cleaning
Making repairs
Repainting
Landscaping
Scheduling real estate photography
Pre-packing
Next up, make a list of everything you need to do to get your house ready for open houses and showings. This should be things you can accomplish in 30 minutes or less so you can get out of the house quickly when your agent is on the way with a buyer.
Wiping down counters.
Sweeping floors.
Picking up clutter.
Emptying the trash and litter box.
Securing valuables.
Turning on lights and opening curtains.
Getting kids and pets ready to go.
Pre-Pack as Much as You Can
Decluttering and pre-packing is a great way to keep your home organized while it’s on the market, so don’t skip this step! In addition to out-of-season items, spare linens and dishes, and other non-essentials, you’ll want to pack up anything your kids can live without. That includes stuffed animals, video game consoles, toys, books, movies, and art supplies. Keep your child’s favorites, but if it’s messy or they won’t miss it, it’s got to go!
Once you have your kids’ things pared down to the essentials, find ways to keep it organized without making play-time off-limits. A cubby system with bins, lidded baskets, under-bed storage, and storage chests are great solutions for keeping toys accessible yet out of sight. Plus, with a simple organization system, it won’t take long to tidy up before showings.
Keep Up with Pet Messes
Once they’re school-aged, most kids can help keep the home clean by picking up after themselves and doing age-appropriate chores. But pets are another story.
While lots of buyers are looking for pet-friendly homes, pet odors, hair, and waste are still a turn-off when buying a home. Get in the habit of vacuuming daily with a vacuum designed for pet hair and cleaning pet waste so odors don’t have a chance to linger. If you’ve been eyeing a self-cleaning litter box, this may be the time to take the plunge. Or, if you’re a dog owner, stash a pooper scooper by the back door and pick up daily after your dog does his business. If you want to keep your lawn in great condition, get one that features a metal rake and tray.
Have a Go Plan
Once the house is clean and clutter-free, your final challenge is getting everyone out the door before buyers come knocking. Both kids and pets should leave the home during showings and open houses, but finding somewhere the whole family is welcome can be a challenge. To avoid driving around until showings are over, have a list of pet- and kid-friendly places like parks, hiking trails, and pet-friendly restaurants. Taking cats out on the town is more challenging, so cat owners may want to ask family or friends to cat sit while their house is on the market.
There’s no question that life will be a little bit crazier while your home is for sale. However, by following these steps, you can keep the chaos to a minimum and sell your home sooner.
Author Bio: Kris Louis writes for Parenting with Kris.
