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You’re excited to move into a wonderful new home, but as a busy parent, you may be dreading putting your home on the market. You’re worried you won’t find time in your busy schedule to do a deep clean, put away all the toys, and declutter the house before showings. Selling your home can be easy, even with young children, so learn where to focus your energy, and make the best use of your time when prepping for successful showings.
Know Where to Focus Your Energy
It can be hard to clean the whole house when you get that last-minute call from the realtor that they’ve set up a viewing in an hour. Don’t get stressed, and start with the rooms that are the messiest and that home buyers will scrutinize the most. Two of the most important rooms are the kitchen and the bathroom, so spend a bit of extra time in these rooms to make sure they’re spotless before the viewing. Clean the countertops and make sure there’s no clutter or untidiness in these rooms.
Once you’ve cleaned the kitchen and bathroom, do a quick walkthrough of the rest of the house, spending just a couple of minutes per room. Focus on picking up toys, making the beds, and ensuring the home looks tidy.
Take the Time to Organize
Busy parents often complain that they don’t have enough storage or that the closets are a mess. If you don’t have a proper storage system, take the time to organize. Having large storage spaces is a big selling feature, and you can be sure that buyers will be opening some of your cupboards and closets, so tidy up your closets, pantry, and garage storage areas.
Go through your items and decide what you really need. If you’re planning to get rid of some of these items before you move, do it now and organize the rest so that it will be a breeze to pack when it’s time to move. Not only will this help you declutter your home and make it spotless, potential buyers will be delighted by all the storage space.
Fake It Till You Make It
As a busy parent, you don’t have time to keep the house clean all day every day, but you can spend a few minutes throughout the day tidying, and develop good habits to clean as you go. Get the kids involved and make a game out of tidying up, loading the dishwasher, or sweeping the floor. Spend a few minutes here and there to keep the house clean. Tidy up the living room before you head to the kitchen, and load the dishwasher right after breakfast rather than letting dishes pile up during the day.
Analyze the Market
When you’re selling your home, make sure you’re a step ahead of the competition, and carefully analyze the market. Check any recent sales, see what the top-selling features are in your neighborhood, and find out how much homes have sold for (homes in Round Rock have sold for $323,000 on average). Become familiar with other listings in your area, see what the competition is up to, and get a better sense of what home buyers are looking for in your area.
Prepping your home for a successful showing doesn’t need to be stressful. You can easily prepare your home and enjoy a fast sale by focusing your energy on the areas that matter the most, organizing your closets and decluttering the house, and developing good cleaning habits. Don’t forget to check out the competition to find ways to make your home stand out and sell it quickly.
