Buyers come in 3 packages:

A: First time buyers planning to have kids
B: Already have kids, & planning to have more
C: Empty nesters or, not planning on having kids

All of the above have one thing in common: None of
them want to pay money for what is in the before photos…

Raising children is a full time job. Who has time to redecorate? Just like you… buyers want to buy the perfect house for them. A house they think will come with a perfect life. If your house looks like the lifestyle they would like to achieve – you have got yourself a sale!

While mountains of toys across the floor become our living and family rooms, and coloring books and crayons, become our kitchens… when it’s time to sell your house it is important to know that presentation is Key.
Statistics show that it takes only 30 seconds for a buyer to know if they want to live in your house or not. From our experience, buyers are willing to pay more money for a house that is well decorated, organized and clean of clutter.

Since you will always get the most showings in the first 7-10 days of listing, ideally planning a vacation for that time or staying with relatives would be a great solution. This way, the house will look perfect for every showing.

If you cannot get away, our best advice is to pretend that you are. Remember, you will have many showings in the first week, at all hours of the day, and some in the evenings.

Since you want buyers to feel at home in your house, you and your kids should not be there. Leave enough clothes just for 2 weeks, pack away all the toys and books, leave only the most favorite ones and hide them in a trunk or in a side table.
Plan to eat out and make lots of play-dates. The last thing you want to be doing is cleaning frantically when there is a request for a showing in half an hour. The easier you make it for Realtors to show your house the more likely you are to sell quickly and get a great price. Besides, you are moving anyway, why not get a head start?
Only keep what you need. Buyers will open closets and cupboards. If your closets look like they have space, buyers will feel like there is room for them.
Show each room as the function it is meant to be. If it’s a bedroom, make it a bedroom. Remember, you don’t get money for offices, you get money for bedrooms. If the bedroom is very small, show it with a smaller bed or a crib. Make sure to remove all large dressers and chests. Show larger bedrooms with an adult size bed.
Lastly, cleanliness is key. A clean house gives the impression of a cared for house. Since this is a big purchase, buyers are more likely to purchase a house that is well taken care of.