How can you continue to live in your house once you put it on the market? Your home has always been your sanctuary, your personal space, but now it’s listed for sale and will soon get a ton of foot traffic. This can get very stressful and make it difficult to continue living your normal life in your house, especially if you have young children. If you know that ahead of time and you have a plan, it will ease some of the stress of living in your home while it is for sale. So here are six tips to help you continue living your life in your for-sale home and keep things a bit less hectic:
1. Declutter. Start packing, selling, donating, or throwing away as much as you can. We want to open up your space as much as possible. My recommendation is if you haven’t touched an item in a year, and it’s not an heirloom or memory, it’s time to part with it. Try to at least donate items that are still in decent condition.
2. Maintain privacy and safety. Buyers will be looking through closets and other areas people wouldn’t typically see. Ensure there’s nothing valuable or personal anywhere that they could find. If you’re unsure about an item, be on the safe side and lock it away somewhere secure (this includes medications). Additionally, ensure that all your devices are password protected.
3. Get pets out of the house. If possible, plan on having the pets boarded somewhere else. That way, it’s easier on everybody else and less stressful for your pets. Also, if they have a lot of toys or pet beds, it’s a good idea to put those away for the time being.
“If you have a plan, it will ease some of the stress of living in your home while it is for sale.”
4. Involve your kids. Nothing is better than having your kids be part of the selling process. The easiest way to get them involved is through games or a reward system so they’ll help you clean the house and prepare it for showings. You won’t believe how motivated kids can get when there’s something fun tied to a chore!
5. Don’t be home during showings. I highly suggest that you shouldn’t be in your home while buyers are going through it. That way, it is not stressful for you or them. Run some errands or check in on friends or family.
6. Have a meal plan. When somebody wants to see your house seems to somehow always be right when you’re getting ready to sit down for dinner. If you have a meal plan ahead of time, it’ll take some of that stress away. Look for coupons or where kids eat free so that you can have a meal plan ready in case you have to eat out. Otherwise, think about making some crockpot meals ahead of time so you’re not in the middle of cooking during a showing.
If you’d like to dig deeper into the tips above or have any questions about real estate in general, please send us an email or give us a call. We’re here to ease as much stress as possible while you’re living in your home and trying to sell it at the same time.