NBR: We're moving and I have a few ?s

nurseBrooke

First of all, HOW do you keep a house ready to show with a toddler? DS is into everything all the time! I'll have to sweep and mop after every meal and snack (4 times a day) and keeping his toys cleaned up! I'm freaking out. Plus DH, can be a slob and he is super busy right now so that makes it worse! I'll take any advice/tips!

Also, should I put up curtains in our bedroom? It will make the room look better/bigger, but I don't want to spend money on window treatments just to leave them. Do I have to leave them? I think you're supposed to leave all the hardware mounted stuff (ie curtain rods). WDYT?

chels0120

I would have hand things like baskets and toychest to throw DS's toys in quickly! Do you have a swiffer mop or a shark steam mop? Those can make cleaning floors QUICK!! As far as window coverings you DO NOT have to leave them! You can put it in the exclusions.

MandBBewley

We moved when DS was 17 months, the house was on the market when he was 14 months old (luckily...I will keep my fingers crossed this happens to you...our house went under contract in 2 weeks).  We got to large brown fabric laundry binds to slide under our console table for the toys, this worked very well.  We had house cleaners come every Friday--life saver, probably more valuable than spending money on blinds. Also, I straightened every morning before leaving for work but not crazy clean unless I knew for sure we had a showing.  Usually, you leave all window treatments but you can always put something in the contract about the bedroom curtains.  Good luck!!

twoasone1

our house has been on the market for two months now.  It is a pita, but hopefully it will sell soon and be worth it!  We actually have a showing tonight so keep your fingers crossed we get an offer finally!  I agree with previous posters about the bins for the toys.  My DS also has a playroom so all the toys that do not fit in his two baskets in the living room go there so our house doesn't look like kid overload.  Right before we listed I also went through our house and purged like crazy and then had a yard sale.  Whatever didn't sell went to goodwill.  I would recommend this tremendously.  Now we fit into our house better and it makes quick cleanups so much easier, plus you don't want potential buyers to think there's a storage problem.  My last bit of advice is just to spruce things up a bit.  I bought new cover thingys for under the burners on our stove, touched up the paint in various rooms etc.  Good luck!!

soxfan74

You should be given some time in advance so you could do a quick pick up. We just bought a house last spring and the sellers had a toddler. We looked at the house at the open house, it was really clean, and two other times, it was picked up. We didn't really care because we knew they had a little girl. The BIGGEST thing was when we went to the final walk though the day we signed the papers. We met with the sellers' realtor and they were not at the closing, they had already moved across country. Long story short, we were shocked to see how they left the house. It was empty, but so dirty. We hired a cleaning company to come in. Carpets and all. We didn't expect it to be spotless, but it was obvious they did not care. It was almost sad that they lived here and could leave their home in such a manner. We were more taken back by how they left it than the toddler toys ect... at the showings.

 I would leave the window treatments. Besides, do you have a new place already? The treatments might not fit in your new place. Good luck!

aajfoster

Our house has been on the market for about 2 weeks.  For about a month before we put it up for sale, we spend every waking moment cleaning, tossing, organizing, weeding, mowing etc.  Now all we have to do each night is pick up.  And on weekends and the night before a showing (we far we have always been giving 24 hours notice) we clean, like sweep, dust, bathroom, etc.  The key is to pick up every night before bed.  Clean as you make the mess, instead of trying to do it the night before a showing.  I bought a toy box on CL for all of LO's toys, and each night, we just throw them in there. 

If you have nothing on your windows now, I would get something.  Just put up a rod, and put some $15 curtains up.  Don't get special blinds, get curtains from walmart or target.  Then leave the hardware mounted (aka the rods), but you can take the curtains if you want them.