When it is time to sell your house you may be able to take the dog and cat to a friend or relatives’ house for the duration, but not your kids. Staging a house to sell with kids can be a real challenge. What are you to do to keep your house in showing condition until you have an offer?
Life continues as kids eat snacks, run fingers along the walls, leave toothpaste in the bathroom sink, and want to find all their toys.
As a parent, you are constantly cleaning, picking up, and doing laundry. But now, your house is on the market, buyers are coming in an hour! What do you do? Read about some ideas to stage a house to sell with kids.
? Do I need to Stage the Whole House as “Child Neutral” as Possible?
Most kids have toys in several rooms, perhaps a bedroom, a playroom, and the family room. Decide on a central place for toys, which is often a bedroom. Leave your other rooms as a “child-free” zone when your house is shown so buyers can envision themselves living in the house.
Have a bin with your child’s favorite toys ready to gather toys for house showings, then place the bin in a closet. After the showings, the bin can be brought out to any room ready for playing. Start With the Kids Bedrooms and Declutter. If you have turned a den, dining room, or extra bedroom into a kid’s playroom, consider turning the room into one that buyers understand. A dining room should look like a dining room.
If you are selling your house, you may also be interested in reading about How to Stage a Home for Curb Appeal.
? Can I have Toys Out?
You know what your kids play with and what they don’t. Have the kids outgrown some of the items? This can be a good opportunity to donate outgrown toys. Get a few bins and sort by “save”, donate, discuss with the kids, and throw out. Kids usually want all their toys. However, we know they only play with a few favorite ones.
After you have sorted through the toys and discarded broken toys or those with missing pieces then you are ready to talk to the kids.
Explain you will be moving to another house and you need their help to pack up their toys.
Get them involved in understanding the benefits of donating unneeded items. Show the kids the bins to use for sorting the toys. Make your kids part of the process.
? Should I Eliminate Themed Rooms?
All sellers need to remember the house they live in is NOT the house they put on the market. Not all prospective home buyers will have children. And if they do, they may be a different gender or age. Start by repainting pink rooms. Get rid of themed light switch plates (no princess here).
Takedown the pink valance on the window (you likely have blinds in the window anyway). As with all rooms, you want the buyer to visualize their family living in this house. While you will still be able to tell this is a child’s room, don’t make the room so distracting for the buyer.
Who are the home buyers for my home? Check out this video by the National Association Of Realtors (NAR) on the 2018 Profile of Home Buyers and Sellers
? How many Buyers Have Children Under 18 Yrs of Age?
According to the NAR 2018 Profile of Home Buyers, only 34% of home buyers have children. This means that 66% of the buyers looking at your home will not have children under 18 years of age. This is why it is important to neutralize the children’s room.
What will buyers notice? Buyers will notice anything beyond a bed, nightstand, and dresser. Remove other furniture so buyers are not distracted.
If you are thinking about selling your house, you may be interested in information about How to Sell Your House in Phoenix.
? Should I Clean out the Kid’s closets?
Just like adult closets, kids’ closets need to be cleaned out also. Remove outgrown clothes. Box up clothes not immediately needed. Pack up items on closet shelves. Again, decide what to keep, what to discard, and what to donate. Remember, you are moving, so start packing and decluttering now! 
Organize the clothes that are hanging up. Hang all the hangers in the same direction. Be sure any other clothes on the shelves are neatly folded and do not look overly crowded. Neatly arrange shoes in the closet.
?️ Should I Remove Wall Hangings and Pictures?
Since the house you live in is not the house you put on the market, remove most of the wall coverings. Many kid’s rooms have superheroes and family pictures on the wall. Just like you would remove most family pictures in your living room, also remove them in the bedroom and pack them away.
Perhaps you plan to have a new theme in your kid’s room at your new house. Here is another opportunity to donate your child’s current themed items.
You may also enjoy reading, The Best Places for Children – 2018 Edition
? Do I Need to Remove Kids Wallpaper and Borders?
Remove any wallpaper or borders in your kid’s room. These can be distracting to buyers. If the buyer doesn’t have a child of the same age and gender, one look at the room and the buyer sees WORK. No one likes to take down wallpaper.
Most of us don’t even want to try! Some borders come down easily, but others not so easy. 
If the buyer doesn’t love the room, they are adding the cost of making the room into one they like. Buyers are adding up the additional cost they will encounter.
You might also enjoy reading The Best Places For Children 2018 CLICK HERE
Phoenix Homes on the Market in the last 7 days
$250,000 – $350,000
Contact the Shirley Coomer Group at Keller Williams Realty Sonoran Living
Call or Text: 602-770-0643 for more Real Estate information
Staging A House to Sell With Kids
