Helpful Tips When Selling Your Home

IMG_4754

Let’s face it.  Just thinking about the process of selling your home can be overwhelming.  While there IS an element of excitement when you look at the bigger picture, putting your home on the market requires A LOT out of you these days.  And that’s often NOT so exciting.  We recently listed our home and had three full-price offers within the first three days and were set to close within that same month.  Sounds great, huh!?!?  Hahaha.  I’m here to tell you to be prepared for ANYTHING…even when it seems like it’s total smooth sailing.  You just never know.  We finally closed a whole three months later.  Life and situations can’t be controlled.  But there are SOME things you CAN control throughout your home selling journey.  Here’s a few tips I can pass along….  {And on the flip-side, if you’re buying a home, we’ve got tips for that too!}

GETTING YOUR HOUSE READY

  • Spruce up the curb appeal.
  • Make sure your home is clean and be aware of unpleasant odors.
  • De-clutter by donating, trashing, selling, or putting into storage items you don’t use or need.
  • Don’t forget to pay attention to those areas in your house where you “kick back.”  Think bathtubs, decks, patios, etc.  People want to feel like they could see themselves relaxing in your home.
  • When thinking of upgrades, do what is necessary but don’t OVER upgrade.  You want to make money, right?
  • Make repairs on things you KNOW are in need before the home inspector finds them so that you can do them at your convenience and compare costs.
  • Compile paint chip cards, manuals, receipts for major repairs, etc. for the new potential owners to see.

CHOOSING A REAL ESTATE AGENT

If you are using a real estate agent, make sure you have done your research and GET A GOOD ONE.  All realtors are NOT created equal and a good one is WORTH their commission.  Interview a few, if need be.  There are so many things that can go wrong, and you want someone you KNOW you can trust on your side.

DECIDING ON SHOWING TIMES

When settling on showing times with your realtor, think about your family’s routine.  Do you have a young child who still naps?  Would you like to keep bath and bedtimes at your normal time or are you willing to change them?  Yes, sometimes decisions like this are based on how badly you want or need to sell your home.  But keep in mind, simply having your home on the market in itself is ENOUGH chaos for a family.  Having some constants that YOU control help maintain as much normalcy as possible for the most important people in your life.

SHOWING YOUR HOUSE

Make a list {or use our Family Directory!} of the places that will work for you and your kids when the time comes to leave for showings.  Places like parks, libraries, restaurants with play areas all work great.  Or maybe you’d like to coincide errand-running or grocery shopping during those times.  Just have a plan.

RELAX A LITTLE

Give yourself a break, mom!  While it really IS important to keep your home as neat, clean, and uncluttered as possible while on the market…you and your family DO still live there.  Last minute showings can happen sometimes, even if you’ve requested advance notice.  The lived-in look can be perfectly acceptable in a pinch.  People should understand, and if they don’t…well, that’s their problem!

TALK TO YOUR KIDS ABOUT THE PROCESS

You know your kids.  No matter how young or old, some of them are completely FINE with change, while others FRET about even the smallest of change.  A LOT of change goes on during the home-selling process.  Keeping your kids in the loop and explaining the basics to them can help.  It IS their house too, after all.

ESCAPE YOUR HOUSE

If you can, budget ahead of time for eating more meals out.  Or plan family vacations while your house is on the market.  It sure does help things in the cleaning and straightening department if you aren’t there to mess it up!

HAVE PATIENCE

Things happen.  Things out of everyone’s control.  Things NO ONE could’ve predicted.  Be prepared ahead of time in the patience department…you just might need it.

I’m sure some of YOU have some other helpful tips!  Feel free to share below in the comments…your advice may be exactly what another momma needs to hear!

Previous articleBump Diaries :: Month 7
Next articleSeeing the World Through Toddler Colored Glasses
Misty W
Born and raised in the Houston area, Misty married her husband Chuck in 2005, and is blessed to be called "mommy" three different ways...step, adoptive, and biological. Her kids are Maddi {Sept 1995}, Mason {June 1999}, Levi {Nov 2011}, and Kate {Nov 2012}. She and her husband struggled through six years of infertility. After enduring unsuccessful fertility treatments GALORE, their path led them to adoption and soon after, a surprise pregnancy! Misty is a teacher-turned-SAHM and is passionate about Jesus, her family, adoption, others suffering with infertility, running, reading, and chocolate. You can read all about her incredibly blessed journey and every day life over at so much more...yet to come.

LEAVE A REPLY

Please enter your comment!
Please enter your name here