REAL ESTATE TIPS Sellers with kids: Open the baby gates

Remember last week when I told you about Sherman. Well, as soon as I sent it to my editor, I walked down the hallway to find pee everywhere.
The puppy that I just took out less than 45 minutes before had gone again. In my house. Having a puppy is like having a baby. You puppy-proof your house just like you baby-proof your house.
When you have little kids, showings might be a bit different for you. For example, your house is all ready for a showing and then your kiddo has a blowout diaper or dumps a container of toys. Been there, done that. And I know that probably the most frustrating time to show a house is when you have young kids.
Here are a couple of tips to help you sellers out there with little kids.
* Open all of your baby gates. I had four babies and my nemesis is still the baby gate. I have an absolutely terrible time opening them. Probably because I never used them with my kids. My mother-in-law told me that she never used them and I was shocked. I thought that it was a requirement of motherhood. She told me that the kids would figure it out if they fell down once. Every single one of my kids tumbled down her carpeted steps one time, there were no injuries and they never did it again. And I was happy because her giving me the freedom to not use a baby gate meant I didn’t have to deal with them unless I am showing a house. So, to make the flow easier from one space to the next, open the baby gates. It seems minor, and it is, but it is one less potential distraction.
* Special toys need put away. When kids are at a house, no matter how much the agent and the parent watch them, sometimes kids can grab things quick. If you have a special toy that you might not want random people to touch (such as something that goes in a baby’s mouth or with small parts that can be lost) put them out of reach or someplace where they cannot be seen.
These aren’t huge things and they are easy enough to do. They also make a difference. No matter what stage of life you are in, I hope that you have a blessed week!
Esta Ryder, Realtor
President’s Club
Ryder Realty, LLC
estaryder@gmail.com
330-317-6912