Top 5 Tips For Selling Your Home With Kids

Putting your house on the market can be a scary thought. It is a daunting task for the best of us. Throw some kids in to the mix and it is a whole other stress level. Here are my top 5 tips for staying sane and keeping your house "show ready".

1. Handy Empty Laundry Baskets

When you get that call for a showing, run around with your empty laundry basket and pick up anything that is out of place. Toss it in the basket and when you leave the house take it with you. This will allow you the time to clean the things that need to be cleaned instead of spending your time putting things away in the right spot. Worry about that when you get home.

2. Get Older Kids On Board

Give kids small responsibilities to help keep the house in order. A few new baskets from the dollar store can go a long way when keeping toys organized. Put them in charge of their dirty laundry, or making sure all the toilets are flushed and the seats are down (boy mom things). Kids love playing with the lights, send them around the house to flip on all the lights to make sure its nice a bright for a showing.

3. Pack the "messy toys"

I dont mean paint and crayons etc. I mean lego, puzzles, toys that come with 1000 pieces that arent easy to clean up. Leave out the big toys that are easily put away that dont require you to bend over 100 times. Make sure the bigger toys can fit on a shelf or in a bin so that they are hidden well during showings.

4. Make the kids beds once

We have made the bed once and thrown a sheet and second comforter on top. This way in the morning when there is a showing the bed is already made and the extra blankets can be thrown in a bin in the closet. No need for pulling and tucking each morning this is a quick and easy solution for those of us who hate making the bed each day.

5. Spend as much time outside as possible.

Getting out of the house allows for messes to be made outside and your home can stay in tact. We take dinners to the park and have picnic dinners to avoid making a mess in the kitchen or smelling it up with whatever we have decided to cook. The kids can burn off energy at the park and everyone is happy.

Dont stress! It will be all be over soon and remember first and foremost you still have to live. This is still your childrens home and no one is perfect. Dont be too hard on yourself if a toy is left out or if the toilet seat is left up in the grand scheme of things no one is going to not buy your house because there was a toy out of place, if anything it makes your home more "real".

Good luck and happy selling!