We all love our pets, and we actually love our kids, too. But they can both present some problems when you’re trying to sell your house. You can get your house showing ready, though, if you take the right steps. To help you out, we offer these 6 tips for selling your house in Westfield, Cranford, Clark, Scotch Plains, Fanwood and Mountainside Areas when you have kids or pets.
1. Make a Checklist
Even without kids or pets involved, selling a home can feel like a huge undertaking with so many small tasks to complete. As with any big job, the way to proceed in an orderly fashion with a plan. Here’s how industry pros recommend tackling this first step toward selling your house in Westfield, Cranford, Clark, Scotch Plains, Fanwood and Mountainside Areas. . .
“When you first decide to sell your home, thinking about everything you need to accomplish can be overwhelming. If you’re looking at your messy house and wondering where to start, creating checklists will help you to get organized. The first checklist you make should list everything you need to do to prep your house for sale.”
After that, we think it is a good idea to create a second checklist of all the things you need to do to get your house ready quickly and keep it that way for showings. These are things you should be able to accomplish in 30 minutes or less – such as sweeping, vacuuming, picking up toys, emptying litter boxes, and so on – so that you can get them done and then get out of the house.
2. Repair Pet (and Kid) Damage
Kids and pets can be . . .well, destructive. (And it’s a toss-up as to which is worse.) So in preparation for selling your house in Westfield, Cranford, Clark, Scotch Plains, Fanwood and Mountainside Areas when you have kids or pets, you’ll need to repair and minimize the damage – such things as holes in the drywall, scratched floors, chewed stair railings, and carpet stains.
When you live in the same home with the kids and pets for a long time, you may not notice all the problems that need to be taken care of. But you can be sure buyers will have a critical eye and will be specifically looking for such things. So, try and take a step back and look closely. You need to try to be as objective as possible.
You could even ask us to tour your home and point out issues to be addressed. To find out more about how we can assist you, just call 917-608-7277.
3. Deep Clean Everywhere
And, of course, as with any home sale, you should deep clean, everything and everywhere. Both pets and kids make plenty of messes.
Deep cleaning should take care of everything from top to bottom, so begin with the ceiling, move on to walls, and then tackle the floors. When it comes to walls, cleaning may not be enough, so repainting may be in order. Fresh paint covers issues and freshens everything. Carpets may have to replaced if shampooing doesn’t seem to do the trick. When you have pets, odor elimination will be one of your main goals during the deep cleaning process. Pet odors are a major turn off for potential buyers and need to be addressed.
4. Remove Pets For Showings Whenever Possible
Not only should you remove damage and dirt and stains for selling your house in Westfield, Cranford, Clark, Scotch Plains, Fanwood and Mountainside Areas when you have pets, but you also need to remove your pets (as much as possible) during showings. You may think your pets are the cutest things ever, but buyers may not. And some buyers may be allergic to cats or dogs.
The best-case scenario is to be out of your home while your agent shows it. And in these cases, you can take your pets with you. If, however, it isn’t practical to get your pets out of the house, at least keep them in one area of your home.
5. Remove Kid Evidence
It will, of course, be much harder to remove your kids from the house, and you can’t put them in a crate as you can your pets. So if you can’t get rid of your kids during showings, get rid of their evidence.
You can start with managing the kid’s clutter especially if they are packrats like mine. It is worth considering painting over walls in the kids’ room that are painted in loud colors and strange color combinations that appeal to kids. Numerous studies have shown that neutral colored walls (beige, for instance) are much more appealing to buyers. Walls painted in neutral colors and tones achieve the psychological effect of allowing buyers to view your home as a blank palette – allowing them to envision the house filled with their belongings and to imagine themselves living there.
6. Ask Your Agent for More Guidance
These tips are a good starting point of all the things you can and should do when selling your Westfield, Cranford, Clark, Scotch Plains, Fanwood and Mountainside Areas house when you have kids and/or pets. It’s not all bad many buyers in this market are young families and seeing a home with kids and pets can be more appealing than just another house. To find out about the best strategies for selling your home in Westfield, Cranford, Clark, Scotch Plains, Fanwood and Mountainside Areas in this situation, contact us today at 917-608-7277.