Possibly Selling House

Hi J.,
I know it can be difficult to keep the house in tip top shape. I am a realtor and a single mom, I understand. Sometimes you will get those calls that someone wants to see the house in 15 minutes. What I suggest is do the best that you can, if the house isn't at it's best when the receptionist calls try to keep the appointment just tell the receptionist to tell the potential buyers' agent that with short notice you didn't have time to tidy up. You can only do SO much, but it is best to make the beds everymorning, put thing away as soon as you are finished using them, etc. to make it easier when the phone rings. I hope this helps. You can log on to my website for more helpful hints www.LivingMD.com

I am actually in the process of selling my house as well. I have a 3 year old and a 19 month old. I was basically told by my agent that people looking do not mind "toy clutter", but they do not want to see dirt.

Good Luck

J......I too have been selling my house for quite some time now. End of this May will be 3 years ! We have lowered out price by $110,000 !! Our house is HUGE to say the least and we need a relocate family who is looking for lots of space and a neighborhood with a clubhouse, fitness room & pool. We have sold homes before and the suggestions to pack up toys and things is exactly what you need to do. Also when you do move and you unpack the toys....the kids think its christmas time again...they will see toys that they haven't seen in a while.
We are looking for a smaller home - need to downsize - anyone who is selling in the Sussex County area and has a 3br 2 ba home with a little bit of land - let me know - love to hear from you !

Anyone interested in viewing our home - its listed on www.delmls.com in Millsboro area for $465,000. 5 BR 3 1/2 Ba- Huge Gourmet Kitchen and Huge Master Suite - HUGE HUGE Gameroom and 3 car side garage on 1/2 acre premium lot.

15minutes seems like VERY short notice. You should be able to work with your listing agent to include advanced 24 hours notice... Good showings are important, but you totally do them on your terms... You can also state specific preferred times like 1pm- 3pm any day, otherwise 24 hours notice.. anyway... your the mom ask for what you need for the well being of the kids and you.

Good Luck!

Greetings J.: A friend sent me a note for the holidays from this site and somehow I now get this daily newsletter. I guess all things happen for a reason. I happen to be a realtor licensed in Florida and Virginia, actively working in Virginia. I don't know where you are in the U.S. but I must tell you that in my experience, yes, yes, yes, do keep your house as clean as possible. Two good reasons -- 1. realtors will either preview your home or take clients at any time. 15 minutes is just enough time to get stressed and to pick up some last minute things. You never want to discourage realtors from coming--if you really want to sell. So, you will have to be ready always. 2. When a client walks into a home to preview, it most always means that it's because his/her realtor has done some homework and found that that home has many of the features the client is looking for. If your home is unsightly or maybe has unpleasant odors, it will turn a client off. That old saying "you never get a chance to make that first impression" is so true. It may be hard to do, but consider this...the more appealing your house the better chances you will have. In this market with so many foreclosures and short sales, you need to make every effort to stand out and above the competition. I hope this helps. Cheers, AG

Hi J.!! Don't fret!! I am a Realtor in Mechanicsville VA and a mother of a 2 year old that is definitely like that when it comes to cleaning. Luckily you can impose some time restricitions on when showings occur. For example you can say that you need 24 hour notice or 2 hours or whatever you feel most comfortable with. It is unusual if you are listed with a Realtor and not For Sale by Owner that you would have such last minute notice for a showing. The main things you want to do is make sure the house appears clutter free and one thing that most do not know is you want all blinds open to let natural light in AS WELL as all overheard lights on...you want the house to appear bright and open. If you have more questions feel free to contact me directly at ____@____.com

Good luck!!!

J. L.

Selling a house in this market is challenging whether you have kids or not!! First and foremost -- keep the house relatively clean and clutter free. Second, price your house realistically and then be prepared to bargain with a potential buyer. Next, have a great agent who can help you with all of this!! A good agent will be able to come in to your house and tell you the most important things to do -- and what gives you the most bang for the buck!! Realize that YOU WILL be inconvenienced during this time, whether you have kids or not. But you do have a goal -- keep it in site!! It is not unrealistic to ask for 30 min to an hour to prepare for a showing. If it's really inconvenient (a sick child), refuse the showing -- but try and keep this to a minimum. A lost showing may be a lost sale!! If you would like any further advice please contact me. I have 14 years experience in real estate and 23 years experience in "motherhood"!!! The right agent makes all the difference in the world. It's our job to make selling/buying/moving as stressfree as possible!! Please email me at ____@____.com for more info or for other questions - whether you choose to use me as a realtor or not - I can help!! Best of Luck!!

Hi J.,

My house has been on the market for the last 9 months.. (not to scare you).. I would suggest packing up all non essential items. Also, if most of your sons toys are packed away, there is less to clean up when an agent calls for a showing. I took all of my sons toys and boxed them up, put them in the attic, as well as anything that was in all of the closets. You want your house to appear very clean and not cluttered. When buyers see a house that is clean and uncluttered, it tells that that great care has been taken of the house. BTW, everyone loved my house, and the only reason my house has been on the market for so long is because it is a 2 bedroom. Everone wants alteast 3 bedrooms. Good luck w/ the sell of your house.

Hello,
I am in the same boat right now. My house is up for sale. We will not be showing it until Jan 3rd though. I have a 1 year old daughter and it is impossible for me to keep my house completely spotless 24/7, so after talking with your realtor we thought it best that we have 24 hour notice before a showing, that way it will give me time to make sure that everything is at least neat and in order. I would suggest you consider doing this as well, takes a little of the stress off of you while you are trying to sell your home. Good luck to you!

I am a nanny for a 13 month old and 15 month old (neighbors) and the house where I spent my days with the babies is on the market. Its tough, but it is important to keep it as neat as possible. When the agent calls and says they are bringing someone over within the hour I race around and throw all the toys into a rubbermaid bin that we use as a toy box.

When I have just the 13 month old I will leave the house and run an errand or two so we are not in anyone's way, but I can't do that when I have both babies so I just take them into the kitchen, put them in the high chairs and give them a little snack.

In fact, the biggest issue I have found is that people want to come in the afternoons during nap time!

I suggest focus on the things that buyers will be really looking at: bathrooms, countertops and floor surfaces (like vacuumed carpet, wiped up tile...) Also, a fridge with nothing on it always makes a kitchen look nice. Keep things "straightend up" but not necessarily freshly cleaned.

Check out Home and Garden TV and their website. They constantly have shows, such as Designed to Sell http://www.hgtv.com/hgtv/shows_hdts/0,1804,HGTV_15857,00...., that offer really practical advice. One tip that I heard helps significantly, is to remove family pictures and real personal items. Evidently it helps potential buyers see the house from an unbiased perspective. Another thing that might be of some help, is to pack away some toys that aren't of particular interest, or make too much of a mess. Also, IKEA sells versatile storage/furniture for kids at a great price, which is great for concealing toys/mess quickly . Putting your house on the market can be a real nerve-racking time, so just take it one day or showing at a time and don't put too much pressure on yourself. Good luck!

When we were selling, the realator gave us tips on what needed to be done beforehand. Next time we will hire a maid service to come give the house a thorough cleaning before we show the house. We were going to start with an open house, as most houses in the area were selling the first day on an open house, but the first day our realator set up 4 calls and she was there to make sure everything was set up correctly, luckily we got an offer off of one of them. Good luck! I know how difficult it can be to keep clean with kids, its like falling snow!

Yes, it should be spotless..bottom line. It's a pain but if you want your house to stand out and be the most appealing it can be, it is CRUCIAL! It's all about creating the illusion that your house is the one that is easy to keep clean, neat, charming and carefree. Wouldn't YOU want to buy a house like that? Sounds like it! Hope this helps, HINT, remove as much clutter as possible and put it away..out of sight, (photos, books, knick knacks) Not only does this make the housemore appealing to buyers (they won't be distracted by your presence and more easily imagine themselves living in your home) but it will make it much easier for you to keep the house clean in between showings!

Hi J.! I had my house on the market last year and I felt I needed to keep everything spotless. I also made visits to several other homes in the market. Can I just say that we had NO offers and most of the others sold??? I sort of think I went overboard and made the house look too generic (I took all pictures downs, removed all the nic-nacs, and stored most of the kids toys away). When we had a showing I would quickly throw all things in baskets and hide the kids toys inside our entertainment center. My only advice is this...keep the bathrooms very clean, the dishes done and laundry hidden! Don't sweat the rest too much. And very Good Luck in the sale of your home!!! (p.s. also put all your bills/credit stuff locked away and put passcodes on your computers)

Hi J.,

My husband and I have moved four times, we have three kids and 2 dogs. During one of our moves my oldest son (he was 5 then) thought it was great fun to get the call and then run around the house throwing our stuff under beds. Selling a home is one of the most stressfull experiences you will go through, especially in this market where it is not favorable to sellers. The most impoartant thing you can do is price your home correctly from the start, do not wait until it doesn't sell and then start to lower the price. This is the biggest mistake that home sellers are making right now.
To answer your cleaning question; yes you do need to keep your home organized and clean. Proteintial buyers will over look the toys on the floor or few dishes in the sink as long as the home is free of clutter and the deep cleaning is completed. It helps if you keep a big wicker basket handy, when you get the calls just throw the toys in there and close the lid. Also, keep the outside cleaned up, the buyers will already have an impression of your home before they step inside. If you have good curb appeal this will help with the inside. I had a client once who went on vacation and left his chain saw on the front porch, we didn't have a showing for two weeks.
If you want more advice or any help my e-mail is ____@____.com.

I think you need to keep it as clean as possible - the bottom line is that the people coming to look at your house don't care if you have kids or how hard it is to keep clean - you will be competing with other homes they are looking at and you need to make a good first impression.

When we sold our last house my boys were 4 and 6. I knew that realistically they weren't going to keep cleaning up after themselves so I boxed up more than 75% of their toys and put them in storage. They survived fine with only a few toys and they were never able to take out more than we could clean up in a few minutes. We used wicker baskets to stash the toys and spent ALOT of time outside. If you can time it so you don't put your house on the market until the weather is warmer that can be a big help. We spent many afternoons at the park - it kept my house neat and also gave us somewhere to go when people wanted to see the house. I also got to know the employees at our KFC with a play place very well - if someone wanted to see the house on a rainy day we headed over there.

Talk to a good realtor. But as somebody who has very recently been in the market for a house in this area, I can tell you that, as a buyer, when I walked into a messy house the seller had just thrown out 75 percent of his chance for a sale. It's a law of nature: other people's messes look twice as bad as your own messes. That being said, I also know how tough it is to keep a house presentable when small kids are around, much less spotless. You might consider seeing if you qualify for a "bridge" loan, which would enable you to buy a new house, move out and THEN show your present house after getting it ready for the market. A good realtor could tell you about that, too.

A clean house is very important. The best thing I can tell you is that you should try to minimize any mess to certain areas that you can close off for showings. When we sold our home, I kept clutter out and the house as clean as possible. Big areas to keep clean are: Kitchen and bathrooms. If those rooms are sunny, clean and fresh, it will definitely do better for you. People understand when they walk through your home that someone is currently living there, but mess can very easily turn someone away. Put away as many things off of your counters, refridgerator, stove, sink, floor, etc. Keep in mind that a clean, clutter-free home will make potential buyers less likely to notice any minor repairs that might need to be done. In a walk-through, you are showcasing your home; make it a showplace whenever possible. Its not easy with kids (I did it with a toddler and a 12-year-old), but it is doable. If you can't get it done in a 15-min warning, let them know you need 20 min or whatever the minimum is to hide the mess! Realtors understand.

Wow, I havent been on the site in weeks, I jump on and see this- Hi J., my name is A. and I am the proud mommy of a 5 yr old, 2 yr old and 1 yr old. I am also a full time mortgage processor. We listed our house, and in 2 weeks we had a contract (this was the begining of Dec.) It is extremely important to have the house as "deep cleaned" as possible. Meaning,floors as clean as you can get them, cabinets and counter tops scrubbed- Bathrooms and kitchens are the KEY!! You want the house to "smell" clean, not just look clean. The way I did this, was after the kids were in bed, do all the scrubbing you can. The toys are not an issue, as long as they do not appear to be war zone- Keep them centralized to an area that appears as a play room or play area. And I agree with the agent that left the message before, you do not want to limit any agent with a time frame or notice requirements. Right now is a buyers market so- Sometimes the reason for the short notice is that is all the time the buyer has. I was looking at houses on my lunch break... So try and be as accesible as possible.
Oh, and when you can, a candle and Febreeze can do wonders for a stale smelling house that has been closed up do to cold tempatures!
Good Luck!!

J.,

My house was on the market for 6 months last year and my daughters were 5 & 3 at the time and my husband was already out of state at his new job. After one stressfull showing where I was given 30 minutes notice just after my daughters decided to take EVERY pillow in the house to the family room to make a fort, I asked my agent to put a 2 hour advanced notices on all showings. I still got some requests for showings sooner than the 2 hour window, but I would onlky accept them if I felt I could make the house presentable. This 2-hour window allowed me to live without the constant pressure of keeping a spotless house!
Another thing that helped was the plug-in scents. A house that smells inviting right off the bat gives the potential buyer a good feeling.
Good-Luck!

It is pretty important, I would keep the toys etc in one room if you could maybe two and gate off the others and keep them stellar and clutter free. Too much stuff will take their eyes off the wonderful assets of your home and all they will see is toys.