4 Tips for Living in Your For-Sale Home

Baltimore Real Estate Podcast with Seth and Alyce Dailey

Here are four tips to remember if you plan on living in your for-sale home. Your home’s always been a sanctuary, but once that “For Sale” sign goes up in your front yard, you need to be ready to bare it all. Eager Realtors will be waiting to come through your front door, and potential buyers will look through every nook and cranny during open houses. All of this will happen while you’re trying to continue living your life as normally as possible. If you’re preparing your home for the market, it shouldn’t feel like your home anymore at all. Here are four tips to prepare you for the hectic life that comes with living in your for-sale home: 1. Start packing now. The secret to making a clutter-free home is to remove the things you can live without while your home’s on the market—store it, sell it, chuck it, or donate it. While you’re packing, work on decluttering, donating, or throwing away the things you don’t need. It will give you a headstart on moving, and buyers will appreciate the extra space. Charities like the Purple Heart Foundation will pick up your donations free of charge. I use them at least once a month myself. 2. Get squeaky clean. If you’re lacking the motivation to clean up every cobweb or scrub the floor, know this: A clean home will add thousands of dollars to your sale price. Aim for five-star perfection when cleaning your sinks, mirrors, windows, and toilets. Or just hire someone to do it for you. “Moving is never easy, but hopefully these tips will make it easier for you.” 3. Maintain your privacy and safety. People will look through your drawers, closets, and medicine cabinets at open houses and showings, so don’t keep anything in the house you don’t want anyone else to see and protect your valuables. When in doubt, just lock it up. 4. Involve your kids in the process. Make the preparation process into a game and challenge them to see who can clean up their toys the fastest. As a mom, I know how hard this can be, but you’d be surprised how cooperative they are and how much fun they have once it’s showtime. Moving is never easy, but hopefully these tips will make it easier for you. If you have any questions about this or any other real estate topic, don’t hesitate to reach out to me. I’d love to help you.