Properly schedule time for showings. By this I mean give yourself a couple of hours’ notice before the showing to clean and tidy things up. You want your home to look it’s absolute best so scheduling a last minute showing with a messy home may not do you any justice. Be sure you schedule and prepare accordingly. This will also give you time to get everybody out of the house.
Store your stuff. It’s important to de-clutter your home prior to a showing, but we all know how much things can become cluttered when you have a child in the house- even more with two, three, even four others. It’s a good idea to go through the stuff they don’t need on a day-to-day basis and either get rid of it, or store them in storage bins somewhere out of sight. Then when you’re preparing for a showing, all you have to do is put everything in its place. Easy enough, right?
Get out of the house. Your realtor can show the potential buyers around the house so you and the family can go enjoy an hour or two out. Have a list handy of things to do such as go to eat, go to the park, visit a family member, whatever you like to do. If you must be there for the showing, have something for the kids to do. It’s really difficult to have a showing when you have children screaming or constantly calling for your attention. This will be easier with older kids as they’ll better understand what’s going on and the importance of it.
Have them help- minimally. When showing time comes, have a list of chores for everyone to do. One person picks up the toys while one vacuums the floor, etc. Your home should already be semi-prepped for a showing so you can tidy up in a short amount of time.
Stage the playroom and use it to your advantage. If you have a good-sized family home, chances are the people looking at your home are either a family or looking to start a family. The playroom can be a highlight feature if it’s staged properly. Remember, it still needs to be neat and clean so Cheetos fingers and crayon on the wall is still a no-no.
How do you prepare for a showing with your children?