mama2cntrykids Posted February 14, 2013 Share Posted February 14, 2013 while our house is on the market? We sold a house three years ago, and it was bad enough then with three kids. Now, we have four (plus a teenager, who is going to the army in 4.5 months), one of which is a toddler who gets into everything. The house isn't even listed yet and I look around at how quickly things become messy and I want to literally cry. How am I going to maintain?? The older kids are some help, but don't clean/pick up to the standards that I need for when the house is showing. Ack! Tips, hints, hugs? I am freaking out! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dandelion Posted February 14, 2013 Share Posted February 14, 2013 Do the best you can, and comfort yourself with the thought that most home buyers look at the "bones" of the house (structure, layout, etc.), not how clean it is. Yes, it's nice to have the house look perfect for showings, and cleanliness is important - but a little mess here or there isn't going to stop someone from buying your house. If it's possible, maybe limit the toddler's play area to one room while you're trying to sell? That might help contain things a bit better. I would be stressing about it too, but in the grand scheme of things, "good enough" really is good enough. :grouphug: Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jeannie in NJ Posted February 15, 2013 Share Posted February 15, 2013 do you have a large tote or two that you can just throw stuff into (right before showings) and just stick somewhere like the garage and then bring back out after the showing? Also our new realtor told me to mostly concentrate on keeping the downstairs clean and clutter free. She said most people have made up their mind about the house before they even get upstairs and after all, bedrooms are mostly used for sleeping so to most people the bedrooms are the least important rooms in their decisions on if they like a house or not. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
unsinkable Posted February 15, 2013 Share Posted February 15, 2013 Bumping for you... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Durriyyah Posted February 15, 2013 Share Posted February 15, 2013 Do the best you can, and comfort yourself with the thought that most home buyers look at the "bones" of the house (structure, layout, etc.), not how clean it is. Yes, it's nice to have the house look perfect for showings, and cleanliness is important - but a little mess here or there isn't going to stop someone from buying your house. If it's possible, maybe limit the toddler's play area to one room while you're trying to sell? That might help contain things a bit better. I would be stressing about it too, but in the grand scheme of things, "good enough" really is good enough. :grouphug: I was thinking the same thing. As long as it isn't dirty where a potential buyer would wonder if they are going to find issues like rotting wood, I would ease up a bit on your expectations. It's great to have it show worthy, but don't break yourself over it either. Make sure the dirt and grime is taken care of, and if some LEGOs get left out, I doubt someone will refuse the deal because of it. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
PrairieSong Posted February 15, 2013 Share Posted February 15, 2013 I did this with five kids, ages 10 down to a 1-year-old. Box up and store everything nonessential. Ask that realtors give you a realistic amount of notice before coming with potential buyers. I did it in an hour once but it was a scramble. It's nice when they let you know the day before. Pick up absolutely everything at night, with your family's help, and vacuum and clean kitchen and bathrooms routinely so you can do a quick last minute swipe. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
babs Posted February 15, 2013 Share Posted February 15, 2013 My thought is to do some major decluttering, and consider putting some stuff in storage. If you reduce the amount of stuff to deal with it would seem there would be less to maintain. Our last move we put our things that were not essential into a "pod" which was then stored. When. Moved the pod was delivered to our new home across town...so we didn't have to move it twice...which can be the case if it is just moved into storage. It was so easy...look into pods... Also the above idea about the bin is great. Throw stuff in as you leave...you also need ready snacks to bring for littles in case you have to be gone for stretches...you could get a call while you are out for one showing that another buyer is coming so you need to stay away longer. Give your older kids an area they are responsible to swip swap clean up when you get a call...have a plan of action in place for when you get a call and drill it...do a run through...let them think it is for real! Perhaps go for ice cream if they all get it cleaned up while you are out. My teens would work for ice cream! It will be fine...buyers will see past some clutter! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ErinD Posted February 16, 2013 Share Posted February 16, 2013 No suggestions but full sympathy! We're in the middle of prepping our house for sale and I have NO IDEA how we're going to keep it show-ready with 5 people and 2 shedding retrievers in residence at all times. I'm mostly trying not to hyperventilate at the thought of all the things that have to be done in the 2.5 weeks before it goes on the market. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
KungFuPanda Posted February 16, 2013 Share Posted February 16, 2013 Threads like this scare me out of moving. We really should consider a single-level home, but living through the stress of getting show-ready is just too overwhelming. We've never moved just because we felt like it. I keep hoping the weird staging phase goes away. At some point won't buyers start to feel like it's all a trick to make the house seem better than it really is? I hope the OP sells very quickly! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest inoubliable Posted February 16, 2013 Share Posted February 16, 2013 As someone who was recently looking at houses to buy, I second the suggestion to do a major declutter and store whatever you don't need. There were a few homes that we went to look at that were so full of stuff that we didn't bother getting past the living room. There was no way to really see the house. And if you have pets, try to have them not in the house when it's being shown. One house we went to, the realtor said there was a note in the listing that said not to look in the back bedroom. That was where they had their dog locked up. :ohmy: What kind of dog? I have no idea. We didn't go inside. Another house had a few cats. It smelled like dirty litter so badly that I thought my nose hairs were going to fall out. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MrsBanjoClown Posted February 17, 2013 Share Posted February 17, 2013 We just listed our house, and the realtor told us not to worry about everything being perfect. We don't have any pets, but of course with the kids being here all day, things do get messy. She said that our home was warm and "homey" . I did ask that she give us 2 hours notice before a showing (preferably the day before, but I would rather show the house in a lived-in state than miss a showing). Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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