Keeping it Clean and Decluttered: Staging Tips for Busy Parents

Preparing a home for sale is a tall order for anyone. For homeowners with children, keeping a house ready for showing throughout what can be a drawn-out process is nothing short of amazing. If you’re a busy parent with responsibilities at work and home, it may seem like there’s never a moment’s rest. After all, the demands of raising a child and meeting the expectations of homebuyers are about as opposite as they could possibly be. It’s hard, but it can be done. Here are a few tips to help get you started.

Kid-friendly storage

Your kids demand your time every day, so it’s wise to make things easy on yourself by keeping as many less-involved toys or stuffed animals out of the way in kid-friendly storage on hooks or in shelves. It’s a good way to stay ready for those last-minute showings.

Play outside

Most of the time, a busy parent can’t wait to get home and stay there after a busy day. Instead, take the kids on errands and use excuses to get them out of the house. Get to know the local library and, when the weather’s nice, let the little ones wear themselves out in the fresh air. Spend time at the local parks and let the kids work off all that pent-up energy in the great outdoors rather than indoors. Don’t be shy about encouraging the kids to enjoy some video gaming - this is one time when it’ll work in your favor. If family members live nearby, try sweet-talking them into spending some personal time with their young relatives.

Toy strategy

A floor covered in Legos or Jenga pieces is a nightmare scenario for busy parents trying hard to stage and show a home. These are popular toys and they’re excellent tools for spurring a child’s imagination and helping them develop motor skills, but when they’re left scattered all over they’re the very definition of clutter, the nemesis of every serious home seller. Be careful to carefully pick and choose the toys you’ll pack and the ones you’ll let the kids play with while you’re staging. A good rule of thumb is to keep toys with lots of moving parts and pieces, as well as any loose clothing items, packed away in a storage area.

Vacation time

The less time your kids spend at home, the less chance they have to make a mess and force you to clean, declutter and re-stage for prospective buyers all over again. This is a good time to hit the road as a family, do some bonding and let your real estate agent show your home with no little ones to worry about. It’s generally considered a bad idea for sellers to be on hand during a showing anyway. If you’ve accumulated some vacation time, this might be a very good time to use it. You never know - while you’re away having fun together your home just might sell and your staging worries will be over.

Trying to sell a home is stressful enough. Keeping it clean, decluttered and looking good can be a real nightmare for a busy parent. It may require you to follow an unorthodox lifestyle for a while, but it’ll all be worthwhile when your home sells and you can move on.

Courtesy of Pixabay.com.