The idea of selling a Portland home is daunting enough without having to worry about your children running amok and constantly creating clutter. It might sound like an impossible feat, but selling your house while your kids are on summer break is possible.
Having to quickly clean the kitchen during a cookie marathon or break down the new toy car racecourse that goes over and under the coffee table can be stressful, especially when your real estate agent would like to show your Portland home in the next 15 minutes. However, with a little planning, structure and strategy, you can get your house ready to sell this summer — and your kids can help.
- Introduce your real estate agent to your children. This is especially important if you’ll be at work while the kids are in the house by themselves or with a sitter. Also, form some sort of agreement that when the house is being shown, the kids will all sit down to watch a movie or play in the backyard to stay out of the way.
- Form good habits. It will help to get your children in the routine of quick and easy cleaning. Reward them for making their beds every morning and putting their toys away before bedtime. Give them an extra allowance if they do something over the top, like vacuuming, sweeping or dusting.
- Store anything that’s not necessary. This is where staging comes into play. Put toys that your children aren’t currently enamored with into storage. You can explain to them that it’s temporary, and they’ll get them back after you move to your new home.
- Create a battle plan. Take advantage of your children’s imaginations and turn preparing to show the house into a game. Make a checklist, and when you get the call, see who can complete all their tasks the quickest.
Give your children a purpose this summer and make them part of the selling process. With a little organization, they can help relieve some of your stress and sell your Portland home.
If you’d like additional ideas on how to get your home sold fast check out the Portland Real Estate Blog.