Most real estate agents will tell you to depersonalize your home to sell it. This means that you’re obligated to tone down the color scheme and make sure the toys are neatly put away daily.
However, there are upgrades and changes that make your house more family friendly, and those can be a selling point in your favor! Work with your agent to highlight these features so that a potential family buyer can see why your house is uniquely suited to raise a family.
Add built-in storage
Well-organized storage spaces will attract the average buyer but can be particularly attractive to families. Create an organized mudroom or entryway to accommodate backpacks, shoes, and school gear. Add hidden storage under window seats, or take advantage of the area underneath the stairs to add hidden storage to a space that would otherwise go unused.
Add a slide-out step stool to the cabinet kick plate in the children’s bathrooms, so little ones can easily reach the sink. This will really appeal to the family buyer with multiple kids.
Upgrade the closets
Closets often have the minimum of one long rod hung too high for small hands to reach. Hang an adjustable organizing system on tracks made with kids in mind. Include hooks, drawers, and rods hung low enough for small clothing. Well-organized storage areas and closets can help sell a house in any condition because it shows attention to detail. Closets are really important to the average family buyer as closet space is generally hard to come by.
Point out safety features
Market any safety or childproofing features incorporated in the house. For example, point out that the cordless window blinds meet the safety standards for small children to reduce choking hazards, and that all of the kitchen cabinets have soft-close doors to avoid pinching small fingers. Call attention to the electrical outlets in children’s rooms with Tamper-Resistant Receptacles. New parents will be attracted to the features that minimize the burden of future childproofing.
Show potential in the backyard
Many homeowners install rubber mulch, pea gravel, or sand underneath and around a jungle gym or play area to keep kids safe. Draw attention to the investment by grading the ground until it’s level and installing safety features for a playscape. Family buyers will appreciate that the prep work is complete for adding kid-friendly playground equipment like a
Designate a space for art
Paint a small square section of the wall in the kitchen or playroom and surround it with molding for an inexpensive, yet elegant art display for your favorite young artists. Install some alligator clips to display a few masterpieces and that potential family buyer will easily visualize their own kids’ artwork on the wall. Little things like this will make the family buyer feel right at home and be able to see
Spotlight your best features
Your real estate agent is the expert in marketing and selling homes, they can sell a house in any condition, but it’s up to you to point out what attractive qualities your house offers. If the target buyer demographic is families with small children, point out the benefits of moving into a home already proven well-suited for raising kids. You can even make a list of the family-friendly upgrades you’ve made to your house to hand out to the family buyer that comes to see your house.
Many new houses are not designed with kids in mind, so show off the changes you’ve made to your home that make it desirable and move-in ready for the potential family buyer.
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