Tips For Selling Your Omaha, NE Home With Children And Pets
We understand just how stressful selling your home can be - the cleaning, the organizing, the planning, the showings - it’s enough to drive even the most zen person a little haywire. Now add children and pets into the mix and it may seem like more than you can handle.
The good news is that with a little planning and some tips from today’s blog post, selling your Omaha, NE home with little ones can feel a little easier and less stressful. Let’s dive in:
Tips for inside the home:
-Clutter is something that accumulates the longer you are in a house, and this is especially true if you have children and pets. Take some time to sort through items (especially toys) and donate what is no longer needed, store items that you want to keep but don’t immediately need and throw away/recycle items that are on their last leg.
-If your home has a dedicated playroom, you may want to consider transforming the space into a multi-purpose room in order to appeal to all buyers. Remove the toys (and crayon on the walls) and allow buyers to envision their own needs/wants for the space.
-We know how much you love your children and pets, and hanging pictures around the house is a great way to share fun memories. But when it comes to selling, you may want to remove a majority of those frames in order to depersonalize your home a bit. That includes the kids finger painting hanging on the fridge. You want buyers to feel like they are in their new home, not just visiting yours.
-Pet stains and smells are a huge turnoff to buyers when they walk into a house. It is important to ensure any and all pet odors and carpet stains are taken care of prior to when showings are scheduled to begin. On that same note, if your children ever used the walls of your home as paper to color on, now would be a great time to remove that artwork as well.
-If your child’s room is themed and theatrical, you may want to consider painting it a neutral color and changing out the princess lamp. This will make it easier for buyers who don’t have children to see the room as a functional space for them. *Side note: this time of transition can be hard on kids. Allowing them to pack a special bag of favorite items that can be taken out after showings can make them feel more at ease.
-Make sure that outdoor pet waste is always cleaned up prior to showings. You don’t want potential buyers stepping in anything unpleasant when touring the backyard.
Tips for showings:
-If possible, ask your real estate agent to give you a few hours notice before showings to make sure you can tidy up the house and get the kids and pets ready to go. Establishing this with your agent will lower your stress as you will have time to get everything (and everyone) in order.
-Try to plan fun activities for you and the children to do during showings. This can be anything from going on a hike, spending the day at the zoo, taking a picnic to the park, etc. You want to show your children that this time away from home isn’t an inconvenience, but an opportunity to spend quality time together.
-If your planned activity isn’t pet friendly, it is important to have a safe place for your furry four-legged family members to go. A friend or family members home is a great option, or a local pet daycare. If you have an open house scheduled in advance, you can also use that time for your pet to go to the groomer.
If you are looking to sell your Omaha, NE house, be sure to contact our team for more information. Our dedicated, knowledgable agents are here to provide you with the expert services you need.
As if the process of moving isn’t difficult enough, adding children into the mix can be a daunting and stressful recipe. But with the right preparation and planning you can make it a fun and exciting journey for your whole family to enjoy. That is where we come in!
