Staging homes and keeping it ready to show with young children

This seems to be a question we get a lot at Exit Realty Midwest.  Recently this question was asked to Hellen Buttigieg, Life Management Expert and Professional Organizer.  

She says Keeping a home neat, tidy and magazine ready for those last minute showings can be challenging enough, and living in it with young children makes it even more taxing.  But with a few staging tricks, you can make your home attractive to buyers an lessen the time it's on the market.  

She advises to begin by removing excess clutter, toys and furniture.  Bulky toys like play kitchens and plastic picnic tables take up valuable floor space and can overwhelm the home, making it appear crowded and much smaller than it actually is-so remove these items.

She continues to recommend asking you children to pick a few of their favorite toys and store these in an attractive, easily accessible box during showings. All other toys should be stored out of sight in opaque plastic bins.

Remove kids' artwork from the refrigerator for a streamlined look and convert playrooms into multi-purpose rooms.  For instance, stage the playroom as an office, den or sitting room by placing a small sofa, bed or desk in the space.  This makes your home more appealing to buyer without children.

A fresh coat of paint will not only remove the fingerprints and marks from the walls, but choosing a neutral color for all your rooms will help sell your home more quickly and easily.

We invite you to contact one of our REALTORS at Exit Realty Midwest to answer questions about this topic or any other questions you may have concerning buying or selling your home in Spirit Lake, Milford, Lemars or Cherokee Iowa area.  Thank you Hellen for your expertise and providing this information through MoneySense.