A Survival Guide to Living in a Home While It’s On the Market
Selling a home can be stressful on its own, but attempting to sell while still living in your home can present a whole new set of challenges. When selling, your home must be in tip-top shape to impress potential buyers. This is why living in your home while trying to sell at the same time can prove to be a difficult task.
Between the frequent ebb and flow of people through your home, to making sure every room looks neat and presentable, sellers can feel overwhelmed and uncomfortable by the disruption selling your home causes. However, for every problem, there is always a solution! Continue reading to learn our eight expert tips that will help make living in a for-sale home easier.
List and Live Like a Pro: 8 Expert Tips for Living in a For Sale Home
There is no denying that when you live in a house you’re selling, it can feel like you’re stuck in a home that is no longer yours. Let’s take a closer look at some of the things you can do to make that awkward transition period more bearable.
1. Start Packing Before It’s On the Market
Starting the packing process before you list your home for sale will help you stay organized before the selling process begins. In the weeks before your home is listed for sale, you’ll want to start packing the belongings that you don’t use every day. Anything that you know can stay packed away until the move is complete can be boxed up and put into storage until your transition to your new home is complete.
Some things that you can pack up before your home is listed include:
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Off-season clothes
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Infrequently used kitchen appliances
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Seasonal decorations
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Knick-knacks
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Extra linens or towels
2. Declutter and Donate
The selling and moving process provides a great opportunity for you to get rid of items you no longer use. When moving into a new home, less is more, so this is the perfect opportunity for you to go through everything you own and throw away, sell, or donate the items you no longer need or want. Decluttering your space will also make it feel cleaner and more open to impress your potential buyers. So, clean out your closets, junk drawers, playroom, fridge, freezer, and pantry to ensure that the items you’re taking with you to your new home are the essentials.
Can’t decide whether to keep, donate, or ditch? First, ask yourself when was the last time you used or wore the item. If it’s been over a year, it’s time to donate or throw it away. If the item is still in good condition and usable, always opt for donating!
3. Keep Your Property Looking Clean and Presentable
You’ll want to do a deep clean, inside and outside the home, before having your real estate agent take listing pictures of your house. Once you complete the deep clean, all you’ll have to do is general upkeep to make sure your home is presentable at all times.
During your deep clean, it’s important to make sure the outside of your home matches the cleanliness of the inside. So, make it a priority to mow the grass, pull weeds, lay mulch, and plant flowers to increase your home’s curb appeal.
Some things that you and your family can regularly practice to help keep your home in pristine condition are:
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Making beds every morning
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Cleaning dishes directly after use
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Vacuuming and dusting once a day
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Making sure clothes and toys are put away
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Mopping the floors a few times a week
4. Remove Valuables or Find a Safe Place For Them
Living in a for-sale home means that there are going to be people you don’t know touring your house. Unless you plan on completely removing your valuables from your home, it’s wise to find a safe place for them to be stored while potential buyers are touring. Things like jewelry, money, important documents, and medication should be placed out of reach to visitors, like in a safe or locked filing cabinet. Additionally, you should keep the key to the locked-away items with you — ensuring that your irreplaceable items are safe while your home is still on the market.
5. Provide Shoe Covers for Your Viewing Guests
Having people walk through your home with dirty shoes can hinder your cleaning progress. A great way to combat this issue is to provide your potential buyers with shoe coverings as they walk through your home. Once potential buyers are done viewing your home, they can simply dispose of the show covers on their way out of your house — keeping your floors clean and pristine!
6. Have a Plan for Your Pets
You don’t want to have your pets in your home when buyers show up. After all, pets can be the culprit of carrying dirt, dust, and hair throughout your home and also can leave behind a noticeable odor. The best course of action is to either find a trusted sitter for your furry friend(s) or take them with you when you leave your home during showings. In addition to having them out of the home, you’ll want to make sure that all their toys, food, and water bowls are cleaned and stowed away.
7. Depersonalize Your Space
Buyers want to be able to picture themselves in your home, so you must make your house as depersonalized as possible. By reducing your visual footprint, you can inspire families to imagine their lives living in your home — rather than feeling like they’re snooping around someone else’s house.
Some examples of easy ways to depersonalize your home include:
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Removing personal and family photos
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Taking down trophies, awards, and certificates
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Packing up your collections (such as books or music)
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Stowing away toys and exercise equipment
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Removing personal care items from your bathroom(s)
8. Keep an Open Line of Communication With Your Agent
Keeping an open line of communication with your agent is of utmost importance when living in a home you’re selling. This way, you have ample notice prior to a showing, giving you and your family enough time to vacate the home (and pick up a bit if you need to). Having open communication with your real estate agent is essential to a quick sale and smooth transition. So, make sure that you have your agents’ contact information so you can effectively communicate with them about the various steps of the selling process.
The Best Tip: Sell Your Home with The Redbud Group
Selling your home can be a tedious process. However, when you choose to work with The Redbud Group, you are ensuring a seamless transition for you and your family. As experienced real estate agents, we know how stressful living in a for-sale home can be. That’s why we want to make the process as simple as possible and help you sell your house quickly so you and your family can start your next adventure in a new home.
Contact a Redbud Group REALTORS® to learn more about how we can help you sell your home quickly and efficiently!
