How to Make Selling a Home Easier on the Kids

Selling a home is difficult for everyone in the family, but it can be especially tough for kids. Kids, especially young ones, often don’t understand the process of selling a home and are liable to regard the entire thing as a confusing upset. And who can blame them?

Selling a home involves leaving a place you’ve loved and moving into something brand new. While this is jarring enough for adults, it can be downright disruptive for kids.

Luckily, there are many ways parents and caretakers can smooth the process for children and ensure that selling a home isn’t upsetting or frightening for the youngest members of the family.

Selling a Home with Kids: 5 Tips

If you’re looking at selling your home and want to make the process less stressful for your children, follow these five tips:

1. Plan to declutter your home slowly

An integral part of selling your home is decluttering the space. Unfortunately, this can be difficult to do with children who are often attached to unneeded toys and other items. Because of this, it’s important to plan to declutter the home over ten days or two weeks.

In addition to the fact that this time-frame gives kids time to adjust, it also allows you plenty of space to declutter when they’re not around – a simple step that can save stress and hardship.

2. Ensure showings come with plenty of notice

Showings can be difficult to manage when you have young children. Because of this, it’s critical to ensure that any showings your realtor schedules come with plenty of notice. 24 hours is ideal, although 2-4 will also work.

Keep things organized enough that you can quickly clean the house and vacate for the showing without disrupting your kids’ schedules too much in the process.

3. Be open with your kids

Talking to kids about selling a home can be difficult, but you have to do it. By helping the children understand what’s happening and what their lives will look like after the home is sold, you keep anxieties at bay and help them feel involved in (rather than excluded from) the process.

4. Get a storage shed, and use it liberally

Finding a storage unit is a life-saver for families with kids. In addition to allowing you to declutter the home for showings, a storage shed can also serve as a safe place where kids can keep their most treasured items until the move is all over.

While having to pack up things like their artwork and toys may be stressful for kids, knowing they’re stored safely in boxes can be a great comfort.

5. Involve the kids in the new home buying process

Kids should have a say in the new home you purchase. Bring them with you to showings and ask them what’s important to them in the new home. You’ll make them feel included and keep them busy all at once!

While selling a house with kids in tow can be difficult, these five tips can help keep your young children happy, involved, and stress-free throughout the process.