How Parents Can Save Money While Keeping a Home Ready for Showings
When putting a house on the market, it’s important to do everything in your power to stage the property in a way that makes it clean and inviting. Making the house look like a model home creates an atmosphere that people want to buy into, so it’s important that it stays properly staged and tidy throughout the showing process. That’s easy when showing an empty house, but when you’re a busy parent juggling the home-selling process while raising your family on a budget, it’s a whole other story. These helpful tips are perfect for parents in that situation.
Paint the Walls
A fresh coat of paint is the easiest way to freshen up the look of a home. Go over walls currently painted bright colors with neutral options or one of the seven paint colors that realtors say can boost the value of your house. Not only is painting effective, it can be budget-friendly, too -- especially if you do the work yourself. You can save money on paint by looking for online discounts and cashback opportunities at home improvement stores like Lowe’s.
If the children are old enough, parents can include them in helping with the painting process. Kids can help sand and buff the walls, lay down tarps, and even assist with the first coat. Always give detailed instructions, monitor progress, and double-check your kids’ work so you don’t end up with a big mess on your hands.
Depersonalize and Declutter
One of the most cost-effective home staging techniques is depersonalizing and decluttering the home. Boxing up and storing family photos, refrigerator art, diplomas, sports memorabilia, and more creates a more generic look akin to that of a model home. Decluttering makes a house more inviting and highlights the features that will sell your house faster.
Depersonalizing and decluttering the home are pretty much free -- you can’t beat that. However, if parents want to save money on boxes and packing supplies, use the following tips:
- Have friends or family lend plastic containers instead of buying cardboard boxes. You can even look into renting plastic containers.
- Scour Craigslist, Nextdoor, and Freecycle for used boxes.
- Use garbage bags to pack clothing and bedding instead of boxing it up.
- Use pillows, linens, and clothing to wrap items instead of buying packing peanuts.
- Pick up free newspapers around town and use old grocery bags for wrapping, as well.
- Ask employees at a nearby grocery or liquor store if they ever give away boxes.
Create a Daily Family Cleaning Routine
Since you’re selling the family home, it stands to reason that it is the whole family’s responsibility to keep the property tidy and ready for prospective buyers. Make room in your family’s daily schedule where everyone can chip in and help clean the house in some way. Have kids rotate which room they will clean, but keep the to-do list simple and uniform. Furthermore, make sure everybody in the family does their own daily duties like making their bed, putting away toys, and folding clothes neatly before storing them.
Daily cleaning is a lot easier when each room has its own cleaning supplies ready and waiting to go. To save money on cleaning supplies, look into multi-use products that you can dilute and distribute into their own spray bottles labeled for the room they go in. You can also save money by reusing old rags instead of going through rolls of paper towels. If you do buy your own cleaning supplies, always check for online coupons and price-match deals to make sure you get the best price.
Parents can save money while staging their home to sell by getting the kids involved and looking for great deals on things like paint and cleaning supplies. Depersonalizing and decluttering the home are also essential steps for staging, but best of all, they are basically free to do. Maintain that model home look throughout the showing process by making a daily cleaning routine that shows everybody in the family how they can pitch in and make the house sparkle for prospective buyers.