5 Organizing Tricks to Clear Kid Clutter for an Open House

While it’s enough of a challenge to get a home prepared for sale, add kids to the mix and the whole process may seem impossible for some. The never ending mess of toys, sticky fingers and even smelly diapers can deter a home buyer from making an offer.

Here at Chicagoland Home Staging we have a few organizing tricks to make your family home stress-free when it comes time to show off the property to potential house hunters.

Clutter-Free Rooms

Many times kid items will takeover all areas inside a home. In the corners, on the countertops and floors kid toys, clothing and other personal items clutter the space. On some level, a home buyer looking at a family property would expect to see a kid’s belongings located in the house, however overpowering the space shows a buyer their wouldn’t be enough room for their own kids.

Start by removing items your family no longer needs either consider selling  or donating items to get rid of the clutter. Pack other items you want to keep, but don’t necessarily need while marketing the property for sale.

Designate a Kid Space

Our staging team wants to provide purpose to every area of a room. That’s why it’s important to designate a home for each kid item — to not only be easily accessible for the child, but a breeze to clean up under short notice. Consider, where their school items will be housed in the home? Will their toys be in their bedroom or a toy room/area? Create a clear plan and communicate this to older children who can help keep the home tidy when showing the property.

Do your kids have a lot of toys? Toys they don’t even play with because they’ve outgrown them? To reduce the potential of toy pile-ups on the floor, just keep out their favorite “must-have” toys when selling a home. This will prevent buyers from tripping over their Barbie doll or Star Wars collection. We want each room to feel as spacious as possible, so remove bigger toys, like kitchens, dollhouses or ride ons that require utilizing precious square footage on the floor.

Get Clever With Storage

Find unique storage solutions like hat boxes, baskets or storage ottomans to conceal toys in a creative way. You want storage big enough that allows you to quickly pick up before buyers tour the home. For smaller spaces consider getting creative with your vertical wall space to get kid items up off the floor.

Reward Daily Chores

It’s hard to get kids to help when it’s time to clean up, so why not make a game out of it? Set up a reward system to engage your kids to help with the daily chores. Most kids can help make their beds, put away their toys and clothes. Kids can also clear the table, dust and help clean the dishes to maintain a show-ready space while on the market.

Stay On Top of Laundry 

When you have a large family, you know laundry can quickly pile up. Don’t wait to do laundry on the weekend, instead wash clothes as soon as you have a full load. By doing multiple loads a week, you’ll not only reduce the laundry pile up on important open house days, but you’ll help prevent any unwanted odor.

Remember to keep your kids involved in the process. Tell them what’s happening and get them excited about your move. Need help staging your property? We’d love to help! Contact us today to learn more about the services Chicagoland Home Staging offers.

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