Need to sell my family home? Yes, it’s 100% true, you can sell a family home fast when you home stage your home and especially the kiddie’s room(s). I am not sure about you, but I rarely find enough time to declutter my little girl’s bedroom. She is 8 and I find I find I actually don’t get to sorting out her room as often as I should.
Benefits of home staging when you sell your family home
We recently wrote an article about the benefits of home staging and we are going room by room in this series. We have already covered home staging tips if you decide to do it yourself and have already covered:
- Kitchens,
- Bathrooms,
- Master bedrooms,
- The TV room,
- Your garden,
- We even covered a home office.
But, today we cover kiddie’s bedrooms). In a buyer’s market where there are more homes up for sale than there are actual serious buyers, home staging can give you the edge over your competition.
There can be absolutely no doubt that home staging in a buyers market is a good idea. Many agencies may actually cover the costs of home staging but mostly in the luxury market. But I would recommend you take this wonderful task on yourself. There is not much that can beat what I call “investment shopping” when you home stage your own family home. By investment I mean, you get to select the most essential soft furnishings that you like and which give a more modern look. And, what’s great about that is that you get to move these prized items with you when you move.
Selling your family home? Why sort out your kiddie’s bedroom?
Remember that the purpose behind home staging is to help you sell your family home fast and for the best possible price. That’s the number 1 reason behind home staging your home. It may also be to just give your family home a little lift and get it looking absolutely beautiful. You will be surprised to see how little you will need to do and even spend to get your family home looking 110% if you are planning to sell or just update the look.
When you decide to spend some time and energy in your children’s room you will be amazed at the benefits. I get round to this chore, because of all the rooms my little girl’s room really is a chore for some reason. Perhaps because I know just how much stuff is in this room. It’s hard enough going through the clothes because kids grow so fast and it’s a constant job to keep on top of.
The reason why home staging as a concept is such a good idea for a kiddies room is that if you are indeed planning on selling your family home then the kiddies room is as important as the other rooms in the house. Remember each room must serve a purpose. And it’s your job to make sure this purpose is very clearly seen by potential buyers when you list your property. Also, you need your home to appeal to the widest possible audience of potential buyers so offering up a blank canvas to potential buyers is always a good idea. The end result you are going for is to help a potential buyer to ‘imagine how they will use this space when they buy your home for top dollar.
Step 1 declutter and keep it organised
It really can be difficult to home stage while you are living in your home, especially a kiddie’s room. It’s impossible to keep this room of all rooms spotless, so let’s start with decluttering because this is where you must succeed. You are wanting to clear out as much as you can so that the room and the cupboard look more spacious. If you are able to declutter successfully this also means you may be able to start packing some of the stuff you want to keep ahead of the move which will give you a jump start on your packing.
This could be a project you do with your little one because it could be confusing for your child to see you packing up and packing away all their cherished belongings. By getting them involved they can help decide which items to keep and which to either pack away or give away. There are so many needy families that will really benefit from toys, books, and clothes that your child has outgrown and there is no better feeling than being able to bless someone with your pre-loved items. Getting a system going that helps to organise the stuff you keep in the room is important so give it a go.
Painting the walls; how to handle kiddies themes
When we sold our property in the Randpark Ridge area we learned a few things:
- My little girl’s room looked like a little girl’s room, all pinks, and purples.
- I had her name on the door,
- The bookshelf was crammed,
- There were toys everywhere.
In hindsight, it was a disaster. After one or two unsuccessful viewings and some honest feedback from the estate agent, I was working with, I soon learned that the kiddies room together with a few other little bits was a problem. I learned that keeping the decor simple and not decorating for one gender was a big learning for me. Also, I ended up revamping this room to appeal to more potential buyers. I packed quite a bit of stuff away, including winter clothes, books, and quite a few toys. I stacked the boxes in the garage ready to move and honestly, the room looked bigger and more appealing to a much wider range of buyers.
Your child’s name on the door?
I am not sure that I buy this one. But I suppose for safety reasons, it’s smart to get rid of any mention of your child’s name in their bedroom. Strangers will be touring your home, so to ensure privacy, put away anything that displays your child’s name. The thinking behind this though is to make the kiddie’s room less personal so buyers can see their family home.
What can you pack away for starters?
The purpose behind this is to try and de-personalise your children’s room, only until you sell your family home and move. That includes packing away old photos, artwork from school any awards and certificates that your child has received. You want to keep only the essentials in plain sight. It’s important to help buyers by not getting them distracted with your life. It’s about helping a serious potential buyer to imagine themselves in your home when they buy it. Remember it’s about their focus in your home, not your family.
Essential furniture only
Keep the furniture that you have in your kiddie’s room to only the essentials. We included only:
- A bed, a
- Dresser,
- Bedside table and a
- Standing bookshelf.
Within reason, pack as much away as you can. The purpose is to help make the room appear bigger. And when it is jam-packed with furniture, toys, and stuff, it looks squashed and smaller than it really is.
Retail therapy – start on a small budget
In our existing series of home staging articles, we recommend that you allocate a small budget to each room for home staging. That needs to cover painting if that’s necessary, a nice new rug if needed, a new lamp or even some new curtains. And the kiddie’s bedroom is no exception. I used my small budget for my little girl’s room to buy:
- A new white bedside table.
- A new bedside lamp, both in a practical white.
I also got quite a bit packed away before we moved. In fact, I would say half of what I packed was winter clothes because we sold and moved in summer. Also, I did manage to donate many of the clothes, toys, and books that my little one had outgrown. This saved me packing time and space.
Estate Agents – want to know more about KW?
Keller Williams (USA) is a top real estate brand to work for. If you are an estate agent and want to know a little more drop me an e-mail. If you would like to leverage world-class technology to the benefit of all our stakeholders across the value chain and end up with a win-win every time, then let’s touch base. Also, read what makes Keller Williams the best!
Get in touch
So, if you need a valuation done on a property anywhere in Randburg or elsewhere in Jhb, we can help. Give us a call on telephone number (064) 549-3123. Alternatively, drop us an e-mail at kwselect@kwsa.co.za. We have a vast network of almost 1,500 top Keller Williams agents at our fingertips who are all just dying for the opportunity to partner with you to sell and conclude your property transaction in record time.
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