For all Sellers and Sellers with Children

Matching your home with the right buyer

Do you have children? Is your home suited for a family with children? Are you in a good school district? Do you have a finished basement, 3 or more bedrooms and a kid-friendly backyard? In this case showcasing the playroom with well displayed toys and children’s books is a plus. However, if your home has qualities meant for singles or couples-only, then a child’s room decor will be less appealing and may not make a pleasant impression on potential buyers. What you want is to attract buyers to feel ‘at home’ in your space.

De-Clutter

Take time to de-clutter your entire home. If you do have children’s rooms, be selective and keep only a few toys so your child has something to play with while the house is on the market. Put the rest in storage. Store or hide the diaper bin and most of the ‘baby stuff’. Organize books, and leave the refrigerator clear of art work, calendar, pictures and notes.

Showings

When showing your home to the public it is recommended to leave your home. Remember? When you were looking for a house you wanted privacy, you wanted to feel comfortable! Having the seller around the house during the showings is uncomfortable! That’s even more important if you have kids; take them for a walk or have them with your relatives, friends, babysitter, wherever they feel safe. (As for pets, please ask me; that adds more preparation).

Showing Times

One of the best way to sell your home quickly and for the best price is to make it available for showings; that means when the buyers have free time, which is usually after work and on weekends. Restricting the showings (before 7 pm or weekends only after 12 pm and no later than 6pm) to avoid being inconvenienced will eliminate many Buyers.

There’s no question that being on the market is an inconvenience and adding children to the scenario complicates the sale of a house further. All the more reason to make sure you’re priced right and working with an agent who’ll be able to guide you through the process to sell your home in a short time for the best price. (a week is ideal and possible if the price is right and all above in place☺). As a former daycare teacher (13 years) and experienced listing agent (since 1996), I’d be happy to talk to you about your home and offer you a selling plan that takes into account the realities of your life.