Tips to make showing a house and moving less stressful

[Anonymous]

This is my first time for both and it’s very stressful. Anyone have any good tips to help? Thank you for any contributions you can make to my sanity.

[Anonymous]

Declutter ruthlessly first. Less to pack. For showing a house take away all family pictures - any pics on the walls should be landscapes and sunsets and such. Deep clean everything (hire someone to do it for you) and open windows for clean air. Don't use artificial plug-ins or candles. When there are house showings bake chocolate chip cookies - that's a very wholesome scent.

[Anonymous]

Wardrobe moving boxes with hanger bar.

[Anonymous]

If you don’t love it and don’t use it then get rid of it.

[Anonymous]

Offer the house as furnished and buy new furniture at your next destination.

[Anonymous]

currently doing this as well OP. To help on the moving front hire full service movers who will pack, move, unpack. The work you do decluttering and discarding to show your house will streamline the packing and moving.

Have listing photos been taken yet? Communication with your realtor is key. there will be a mad dash to
get things photo ready, but then you need to understand what the showing look needs to be. When we had showings I could get the house to baseline in 20 mins bc we did not let things go back after photos were taken.

Also make sure your realtor and you are on the same page w showing scheduling—for instance if you have pets what is the plan for where they go. It might be useful to plan to be elsewhere for a few days when the house hits the market if they are anticipating showings.

some other tips
1) get a few boxes from u-haul and a few plastic storage totes, gather trash bags, hide your valuables and put out of sight and in non obvious places

2) working one room at a time get rid of all obvious trash, then move to clearing off all surfaces, putting sentimental stuff into boxes/totes, identifying donations/larger junk
to be removed

3) once you’ve done this first and second pass have your realtor come in and walk the house—really listen to what they say about what needs to stay and what needs to go. this will be easier if you have already cleared your personal photos and excess clutter off of surfaces bc you will start to see the spaces differently.

4) execute the realtors suggestions—hire a junk removal outfit to come take things from inside and outside of your house, clean the carpets if you have them, get your painter todo all the touch ups etc.

5) your realtor is going to want to take the listing ohotos, make sure your cleaning person if you have one comes right before.

6) vacuum at least every 2 days to keep
floors clean make sure your kids are keeping their rooms tidy and do walk through all rooms .

while showings are happening and then hopefully a contract period, continue to go through your belongings—sort through drawers go thorough closets etc. there will be even more you can let go of now that you’ll be paying some one to move it.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:currently doing this as well OP. To help on the moving front hire full service movers who will pack, move, unpack. The work you do decluttering and discarding to show your house will streamline the packing and moving.

Have listing photos been taken yet? Communication with your realtor is key. there will be a mad dash to
get things photo ready, but then you need to understand what the showing look needs to be. When we had showings I could get the house to baseline in 20 mins bc we did not let things go back after photos were taken.

Also make sure your realtor and you are on the same page w showing scheduling—for instance if you have pets what is the plan for where they go. It might be useful to plan to be elsewhere for a few days when the house hits the market if they are anticipating showings.

some other tips
1) get a few boxes from u-haul and a few plastic storage totes, gather trash bags, hide your valuables and put out of sight and in non obvious places

2) working one room at a time get rid of all obvious trash, then move to clearing off all surfaces, putting sentimental stuff into boxes/totes, identifying donations/larger junk
to be removed

3) once you’ve done this first and second pass have your realtor come in and walk the house—really listen to what they say about what needs to stay and what needs to go. this will be easier if you have already cleared your personal photos and excess clutter off of surfaces bc you will start to see the spaces differently.

4) execute the realtors suggestions—hire a junk removal outfit to come take things from inside and outside of your house, clean the carpets if you have them, get your painter todo all the touch ups etc.

5) your realtor is going to want to take the listing ohotos, make sure your cleaning person if you have one comes right before.

6) vacuum at least every 2 days to keep
floors clean make sure your kids are keeping their rooms tidy and do walk through all rooms .

while showings are happening and then hopefully a contract period, continue to go through your belongings—sort through drawers go thorough closets etc. there will be even more you can let go of now that you’ll be paying some one to move it.

Thank you so much for taking the time to write all of this. It is SO helpful. Just curious how much full service movers cost? That sounds amazing but I would think it’s quite expensive.

[Anonymous]

We rented a storage unit - moved a good amount of furniture that took up floor space (ottoman, rocking chair, side tables, etc) to make rooms look bigger, took a lot of extra glasses/dishes/small appliances out of drawers and off kitchen counter to maximize that space, kids' toys, extra clothes from closets, etc - filled the unit up a lot faster than we thought we would! But it was a great way to make the house neater, less personalized to us, and open up space.

[Anonymous]

Thank you. Did you rent a U-Haul to get your stuff there?

[Anonymous]

Move out and let your realtor stage it.

Seriously. If you can afford to rent an apartment for a month, then do this. We were lucky enough to be able to buy first and then sell, and it was so much less stressful. Our realtor did everything to prep the house and stage it (we paid for everything but the staging, but she did all the coordination).

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Declutter ruthlessly first. Less to pack. For showing a house take away all family pictures - any pics on the walls should be landscapes and sunsets and such. Deep clean everything (hire someone to do it for you) and open windows for clean air. Don't use artificial plug-ins or candles. When there are house showings bake chocolate chip cookies - that's a very wholesome scent.

When people do this, it's a sign that their home doesn't normally smell good. I would not bake or use any sort of artificial scent. People will be suspicious.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Declutter ruthlessly first. Less to pack. For showing a house take away all family pictures - any pics on the walls should be landscapes and sunsets and such. Deep clean everything (hire someone to do it for you) and open windows for clean air. Don't use artificial plug-ins or candles. When there are house showings bake chocolate chip cookies - that's a very wholesome scent.

When people do this, it's a sign that their home doesn't normally smell good. I would not bake or use any sort of artificial scent. People will be suspicious.

It's 2024, Erma. Only Trad Wives do this Aldie.

[Anonymous]

It's just one of those things that is super stressful and awful. If throwing money at it is an option (paying for packers and/or help with the cleaning etc.), I think that's about the best you can do.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:This is my first time for both and it’s very stressful. Anyone have any good tips to help? Thank you for any contributions you can make to my sanity.

Don't.

That's really the only way. Just don't do it.

[Anonymous]

I am the PP currently moving, I got quotes from 3 different moving companies who offer full service moves. If you know anyone who has recently moved in your area or have friends of friends, ask them for their recommended movers—also pay attention to companies who are NOT recommended. For the quotes you want the person to come to your house and walk through all the spaces that will be moved—in door and outdoor, open all closets, storage spaces, etc. They will also ask questions.

You want the quotes to see not only the different prices but also the different amount of time estimates. One outfit suggested 3 days of packing while another said 8 hours (I confirmed w the friend who had used the 8 hour people if that had been accurate for their house of a similar size.) Their quotes will
also include packing material estimates.

We are not in the DMV but a large Southern city and got quotes from 10 to 15k. I know a lot of DCUM will say that’a crazy or I did my move for 5k all in. You asked how to make it less stressful—this is how—with 2 kids, 2 full time jobs, and a tight timeline we decided to make this investment for our own sanity. Good luck!