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I'm certainly no expert, but I am looking for a house to buy, so I've been through a few houses.
1) Lockbox - I have no idea if they can come in at any time. I did recently read a real estate agents blog where he said that a property that his buyer wanted to see didn't have a lockbox. He would have to drive 20 minutes or so to get the key from the listing agent. The buyers were in a rush to see multiple houses. They didn't have time to spend just on getting the key, so they didn't look at the property at all. Personally, I'd allow the lockbox and put the showing conditions (kids, dog, scheduling) in the MLS notes.
2) Dog - I think you need to do whatever you can to get the dog out of the house when potential buyers are there. Lots of people like dogs, but some people really don't like pets. Also, as someone else mentioned, you don't want to have any problems with people getting bit.
3) Nap schedule - I'd put the hours that your kid is napping in the MLS listing.
4) Kids toys - Honestly, having kids' toys lying around on the floor bugs me. I always wonder why the sellers didn't just throw the toys in a toybox, especially since we always give more than 24 hours notice before seeing a house. However, if I really liked the house, I'd get over it.
5) Staging - I just get as much clutter as possible hidden away. I don't think a clean highchair is a big deal. The mail should be put away. Definitely be careful about leaving personal stuff out during showings - you don't want someone to get ahold of a bank statement or something.
If a drawer or closet is cluttered, I personally don't care. Just don't leave clutter on tables, the kitchen countertop, or the floor. Again, if I really, really liked the house, I'd get over it. But you should make it as easy as possible for the potential buyer to see themselves living there. It's hard to do when they're looking at your clutter.
That's just my opinion, as a buyer. I assume that your listing agent will walk through your house and give you tips on how to prepare for showings. Good luck with your sale and move!
Our house is on the market with a 3 year old and 2 cats. The major benefit though is we both WOH and the munchkin is in daycare so the house is empty most days. The worst case scenario happened to us when I got negative 15 seconds warning for a showing. The potential buyer rang the doorbell and asked if I was the agent. Umm, no "I'm the owner." Just then the agents car comes pulling into the driveway and my phone rings. They had been calling the wrong number The kicker is my son was sound asleep for his nap. I did the best I could. Told them they could open the door to his room (he wouldn't wake up) and I sat on the back porch until they were gone. The couple were grandparents so they understood.
For toy control I would pack up most things. If you're like most people (and ME!) you have far more toys than the LO really plays with. We pared down to just this organizer that we moved from the living room to his bedroom. He was THRILLED. "Thank you for the toys in my room!" Whitmor Kids’ 12-Bin Organizer - Primary : Target
I'd ditch the high chair and use a booster seat instead. It'll clear up floor space and make everything seem bigger. It'll also be one less thing to clean as you'll be cleaning the table anyway.
And I can't agree more with keep up with the housekeeping and de-cluttering on a daily basis. It sucks and I hate it, but every day we know we're putting our best foot forward.
Yep, I agree those "bin stackers" are perfect for last second clean-up of kids toys. While I can understand they are not to some folks tastes for everyday use, the ease of just scooping toys into 'em make for the ideal aid when trying to balance between the fight between living in your house and keeping clutter manageable. Potential sellers will generally understand that too and unless they some terrible child hater will have no problem seeing that the room is big enough for a kid or a guest room or a sewing room or whatever when everything is neatly stacked but still accessible. Of course if toys are just sorta leaning in the general vicinity of the bins that really does not "seal the deal" as far as lack of clutter...
Cleaning really trumps most everything else, and I know it can be a real challenge with active kids and busy work schedules but walking into any home that has "too much stuff" whether it the kids or adults that ultimately using the stuff (from shoes to sports equipment to computers to mail to bric a brac) can make even a mansion seem claustrophobic to a great deal of potential buyers.
One family I knew had a very large home and many children. Dad was a very practical man and reconfigured the kids rooms so that each was basically about the size of a very compact college dorm room. Immently reasonable, but the effect was that the home seemed more like an institutional space than the mansion it was. Try to picture eight rooms all set up about like this: Frankly kinda disturbing.
1) I think we want a lockbox, but does that mean that a realtor can show up with clients and come in at any time?
You want a lockbox. All of my listings are by appointment only and it is not uncommon in my area to do appointments. I always write in the private remarks that it is easy to show, but we need to work around a pet and nap schedule so need at least two hour notice. I sell my listings. You don't have to be a doormat to get your house sold. Flexible yes, doormat, no. At least in my area, most agents make appointments the day before. I'd say that happens 95% of the time.
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Originally Posted by alibaba1579
2) I have a small dog, who's friendly, but can bark ALOT. If we have a scheduled showing I'll take her with me, but what if someone shows up when we're gone. She has free range of the house.
Just put in private remarks that you need to remove the dog for showings, hence your need for notice. We have loads of dog owners in Oregon so it is really common to see it on the MLS. You'd have to ask your agent what is common where you are though.
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Originally Posted by alibaba1579
4) What about said 2 year olds toys? I try to keep what I can picked up, but it's not always that easy when he's awake.
This is the biggest pain, but get a big rubber maid bin that you can throw all the toys in at the last minute and cover them up. If you clean the house before you go to bed at night, you'll find this won't be as bad.
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Originally Posted by alibaba1579
5) How "staged" does my house really need to be 24/7? I am comitted to keeping things clean and decluttered, but I would not call it staged. As I'm sitting in my kitchen looking around, my son's highchair is out, my Dh's "inbox" where he keeps mail is looking a little full, and there's Mr. potato head ear on the floor. This is what my house can looks like when we're actually living here. Nothing terrible, but not what I'd call perfect. How does one deal with living in a house while still trying to show it at a moments notice?
How staged your house needs to be depends on your target buyer. A 4 bedroom two story home will most likely be bought by a family so having some toys and such out isn't as big of a deal because they are used to that. If you are selling a starter home which can appeal to young families, couples, or retirees then it is more essential to get as much kid stuff out of the way so that those other folks can see themselves in the house as well. Your home does need to be clean and decluttered. That is essential regardless.
We have had our house on the market for 45 days. We had two lookers the first week and none after that. Some of the comments were that they smelled pet odors in the house. We have a cat and a dog. The dog spends most of the time outside but comes in at night. I try to keep the litter clean and I use Febreeze in the house regularly. We don't notice the pet smell. What can I do to get the smell out out of the house? Any suggestions?
We have had our house on the market for 45 days. We had two lookers the first week and none after that. Some of the comments were that they smelled pet odors in the house. We have a cat and a dog. The dog spends most of the time outside but comes in at night. I try to keep the litter clean and I use Febreeze in the house regularly. We don't notice the pet smell. What can I do to get the smell out out of the house? Any suggestions?
Pet smells are one of the biggest killers for buyers. I've heard many times buyers will just turn and walk out the door with the smell of pets.
You need to have them COMPLETELY out of the house. Have a friend/family member take care of them until you sell. After that you have to thoroughly scrub the hell out of everything. Furniture, carpets, drapes, even scrubbing down the walls, wash all your clothes,.. A little febreeze isn't going to work, you need to rent a rug doctor or other heavy duty cleaning product if you have carpet.
IMO, I can't stand to see personal items like hairspray, toothpaste, hairbrushes, etc. out on the bathroom counters.....It just makes it impossible for me to imagine myself living there with someone else's intimate grooming stuff out in my view.
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The kicker is my son was sound asleep for his nap. I did the best I could. Told them they could open the door to his room (he wouldn't wake up) and I sat on the back porch until they were gone. The couple were grandparents so they understood.
What to do about pet odors
