Tips for Selling Your Home in Southwest Virginia or Northeast Tennessee When You Have Kids

You’ve decided that it is time to sell your home in Southwest Virginia or Northeast Tennessee! If you’re wondering what’s the secret to not losing your mind when selling your home when you have kids, we have listed some tips below to help make the selling process go smoothly. Once you’ve made the decision to sell the next step is to interview REALTORs to find the one to best represent you during the selling process. Click below to contact an agent with knowledge and experience in the Southwest VA and Northeast TN real estate market.

Working with a REALTOR is key to a smooth selling transaction as they will have the knowledge of current real estate rules/regulations and be most familiar of the local market to price your home right from the beginning. Having a agent on your side that will guide you through preparing your home for the market to the closing table will make selling your home when you have kids a breeze.

We understand that one of the hardest parts of preparing your home for sale when you have kids is their tendency to undo all your cleaning efforts. You have one room cleaned, staged and ready for the next room when the kids come behind you with a new mess. This can be frustration, especially when you are preparing for a showing, so we came up with these tried and true tips for a smoother and predictable process.

1. Get organized: This is the very first step when preparing your home for sale. Having a plan and all items organized will make your home show better and make it easier when it is time to move. If your kids are old enough, this is a great opportunity to make them feel included in the process (and help you out!). Take time to go through kids’ closets, dressers, and toys to de-clutter by creating a donation box, to storage box, and keep box.  Dividing into these 3 categories will help you organize easily. Donate any outgrown or less worn clothing and toys no longer used (this could be items kids could help decide) and begin the moving process by adding out of season clothing to the to storage box. Keep only the most used toys and needed clothing neatly organized in closets and dressers. Don’t forget to label the to storage boxes so you’ll easily known where the boxes should go in your new home. 
2. Create a daily clean up checklist: Having a daily checklist will help keep your kids and you on track for what needs to be done. Having the kids to make their bed or put away toys will help save you time when cleaning up each day. Also, adding to the daily routine to open all blinds in the morning will benefit during any potential showings that day (especially if you cannot run home before the scheduled time) because homes show better when they’re brighter!
3. Make “Showing Bags”: When there is a showing schedule for a time when you are going to be home, these bags will make getting everyone ready to leave before the potential buyers arrive a breeze. These showing bags can hold some of the kids’ favorite treats, drinks, books, or toys to help keep them occupied while your home is being shown. Put these bags in a place that’s easy to grab on your way out the door or leave them in your car. 
4. Plan out “Showing Routes”: Have a list of places that are easy trips for when your home is being shown.  You may want to add local parks, restaurants, or even friends/family member houses to the list. Preparing this list beforehand will allow you to have a good list of options to easily escape to a place you all can enjoy while your home is being shown.
5. Have a final walk through list: Make yourself a list of things that should’ve be done before leaving for a showing. Check off the list as you do your final walk through before leaving. It may also be handy to have an empty laundry basket to put any items quickly that may have been forgotten when cleaning up. You can even put the basket in the back of the car if needed. 
6. Set up showing delays: Letting your agent know if you want a certain amount of time before each showing will make sure you don’t feel overwhelmed when there’s a showing on your home. Also, this will help you plan better to make sure your home will be shown when looking its best.
7. Relax: Try to keep your workload minimal (the daily clean up lists will help with this). Designate an inside play space in one room to make clean up easier and have some meals prepped for quick dinners. Don’t stress if everything is not perfect, there’s going to be times when you can’t get to everything on your list.  It’s very likely the potential buyers have kids and understand that families are still living in the homes they’re touring. 

While selling a home when you you have kids can sometimes cause for added stress, when planned out properly the process can be smooth sailing. The tips above and your agent’s guidance will help you through the entire selling process.