How to make real estate transactions easier for children and help the whole family along the way
By Gwen Moran
When Michelle Blue, CRS, sees cluttered kids bedrooms in her sellers homes, she pulls out a contract. But its not a typical sales contract. As a lead REALTOR® on Windermere Real Estate/HLCs The Blue Team in Woodinville, Washington, Blue has a standard agreement she has drawn up that helps get young children involved in the process when their parents decide its time to move.
If the parents are okay with it, I have the kids sign a cute little one-page document that says they will help keep their rooms clean and help pick up when theyre asked to do that, she says. If they stick to their end of the bargain and, in the end, even if they dont they get a $25 gift card to Toys R Us, Old Navy or some other retailer when the home is sold.
The 2014 National Association of REALTORS® Home Buyer and Seller Generational Trends report identified a trend of Gen Xers and Gen Yers moving into larger, higher-priced homes. Sometimes they move because of work, while other times its to be more comfortable as their families grow. But selling a home when young children live there can be a tremendous challenge. From keeping the home in show-ready shape to navigating nap times, experienced REALTORS® have learned several tricks to make the process easier.
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Home showing with young children can present a unique set of challenges. Here’s how to keep the process as easy as possible when the kids are along for the ride.
Build rapport. Remember that the home-selling process is disruptive and can even be a bit scary for children, says Ginger Orem, CRS, a REALTOR® with Crown Real Estate AK. Inc. in Fairbanks, Alaska. Make an effort to win over the children and get them to feel comfortable with you while maintaining your professionalism, she says. Be sure to greet them and answer their questions, while not being overly affectionate.
Its important to connect with the children while not offending the parents, says Orem. Children may come up and hug you, but you always have to keep in mind that everyone is different and has different preferences. You want to be sure to respect that.
Remove personally identifying items. One of the first steps in any home-selling process is to pack away photographs and other personally identifying items, but this is particularly important for families with young children, Orem says. In addition to creating a clean slate where prospective buyers can see their own families, it protects childrens identities, she says. Childrens artwork or sports trophies should also be packed away. Orem says this can be upsetting for children, so its important to explain that the items are only being packed away for safekeeping. If thats the case, allow the children to participate in the process by choosing one piece of artwork that can be framed and remain on display, she says.
Use staging and quick storage. Staging can help families come up with strategies for keeping the house uncluttered, including finding attractive yet functional ways to store toys, Blue says. She and her business partner, Ashley Farrington, stage every home they list, with remarkable results for most sellers, she says. Having bins available also helps. Blue sometimes lends her clients brightly colored toy bins and beautiful wicker baskets for easy toy storage when a prospective buyer is coming for a showing.
Kimberly Cameron, CRS, a listing and relocation coordinator with RE/MAX Properties West, Ballwin, Missouri, counsels her clients to talk about donating some toys in addition to putting them in storage. Virtually every family selling a home has too many toys, and giving children the power to choose toys that theyll give to children who are less fortunate is a good lesson in charitable giving that also helps with the selling process, she says.
It lets the kids participate. They get to choose what toys they want to give instead of someone choosing for them, she says.
Keep distractions on hand. Orem has a bean bag chair that she brings to her office, along with a few toys to help keep kids occupied while shes meeting with their parents. She even lets them use her iPad, which has kid-friendly apps loaded, and keeps games in her car so she has them on hand when kids need a brief distraction. Always be mindful of choking hazards when youre choosing toys for young children, Orem cautions.
Cameron uses the power of food as a distraction, such as bringing pizza if shes coming by the house in the evening. However, she suggests checking with the sellers first and also finding out if anyone in the home has food allergies that need to be accommodated.
Have an escape for sellers. Its important for sellers with young children to leave the house during showings, Orem says. Young children may be frightened by strangers coming into the home, or prospective buyers may be a distraction. Work with sellers to be sure they have an accessible place to go during showings, such as a friends or relatives house, the library or other location.
Abide by schedules. Family schedules may include nap times for young children, as well as times when theyre getting on or off the school or camp bus, and these times need to be accommodated by the showing schedule. But our market is a buyers market and you want to be sure you do whatever you can to avoid missing a showing, Orem says. She uses the Multiple Listing Service to manage expectations about showing times, asking for a certain amount of notice or stating preferred showing times, such as 9 a.m. to noon and 2 to 5 p.m. or by appointment. That gives the families the time they need and also allows the prospective buyers to determine times that work for them.
Keeping a home in show-ready condition while young children live there can be a stressful process. But most REALTORS® agree that with proper planning, organization and family cooperation, the process can be smoother and the home will sell faster.
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