Selling a home is a stressful and often hectic experience for anyone. When you’re busy parents, however, it adds a whole new layer of complexity into the process. You’re already balancing your daily responsibilities, between driving to and from work or school to soccer practices and extracurricular activities. You’re squeezing in some time for a shower and your favorite television show before heading to bed and starting all over again the next day.
As parents with a lot going on, you’ve already got enough on your plate. Parents are tired, stressed, and busier than ever. When it comes to selling your home, you understand that you’ll need to create an inviting, spotless, and clutter-free living environment for house showings. But how on earth are you supposed to make time for all of that with your busy schedule?
Get Organized, Organized, Organized!
First, consider getting more organized. This might seem like a daunting task at first, but it’s actually easier than ever to get organized. From professional organization services to countless books on the topic, there are plenty of ways to organize your home and keep it that way.
According to Care.com, getting organized starts with taking an inventory of what needs to be done. Walk through each room of your home with a pen and paper and write down what you plan to do. You might also jot down any unused items that you could potentially donate.
Consider a Storage Unit
What about the items you can’t bear to part with? Luckily, for everything else, there are storage units. Storage units are widely available in most cities nationwide, and the prices are much cheaper than you may think. In fact, the overall average price of a self-storage unit booked in Seattle, Washington, over the past 180 days is just $125.38 – a small price to pay to reduce the clutter at home so your house sells quicker.
Get Clean
One way to get your home clean and spotless is by making it a family event. Assign age-appropriate cleaning chores to your children, while adults in the house tackle the biggest cleaning duties. You could possibly even pay your children an allowance for maintaining their chore each week. If you still don’t have enough time, consider hiring a professional cleaning service to give your house some TLC. The average price to clean a 3 bedroom, 2 bathroom house ranges from $75-$192 per house.
Store Those Toys
As parents, we adore our children. Of course, we don’t always adore stepping on their toys on the way to the bathroom in the middle of the night. Additionally, potential homebuyers don’t enjoy seeing those same toys cluttering the house during a walkthrough. No, you don’t have to throw your children’s beloved toys away; however, you do need to clean them up prior to a showing.
You might consider a toy hamper, a large box, or a storage container that you could easily stow toys in during a showing. Depending upon the number of toys your children have, you could also put infrequently used toys, clothes, and other small items into a self-storage unit. You’d probably only need to rent the unit until your home sells, making it more affordable.
These are just a few ways that you can declutter your home, rather than having to constantly pick your children’s toys up before potential homebuyers arrive. That’s one way to save yourself some time and stress when you get the phone call about a last-minute showing.
Other Options
Try the tips above, and if you still feel like your home looks cluttered, dirty, or disorganized, it might be time to rethink the situation. If your issue really stems from the fact that you have accumulated too much stuff for your small space, consider donating, listing on Craigslist, having a yard sale, or selling some items on eBay. If all else fails, contact a local storage unit company and see if you can get a unit for a short term, just until you sell your home. This will give potential homebuyers a clean and clutter-free home to view. Though the process can be extra stressful as parents, the situation is only temporary. It will be worth it when you sell your home and move into your new space.
