How to Live in a Home for Sale

You've de-cluttered. You've rented a storage unit and put away personal items. You've painted and patched and cleaned. The "For Sale" sign is up, and now your home is officially on the market. Now the question is how to live in a home for sale without losing your mind.

Instructions

Difficulty: Moderate

Things You’ll Need:

• Banker's boxes
• Baskets
• Checklist for showing your home

1. Organize the bits of paper that dominate your life. Use a banker's box for storing mail and other important papers that need quick access. Keep the box at hand, then tuck away for showings.
   
   
2. Buy baskets for the bathroom that fit under the sink or in the linen closet. Use these to store toiletries such as toothpaste and face creams.
3. Designate a corner for items used to stage your home such as candles and flower arrangements. They don't have to be in your way when you live in a home for sale, but you can easily put them in place when you need them.
4. Make a showing checklist. Give everyone a task to complete each morning. Emptying wastebaskets, wiping down counters and other simple tasks can be done by the children in the house.
5. Schedule showings around the family schedule. Dinner at 6:00 p.m. can be your special time. Simply tell your agent no showings for that period unless it looks like an offer is about to come in the door, and it's the only time that works for a serious buyer.
   
   
6. Engage in activities you've never had time for previously—go to movies or recreational areas. Turn a forced exit from the house during a showing into a romantic lunch, a fun outing with the children or a peaceful visit to a park.
   
   
7. Clean as you go along.

Tips & Warnings

• There is nothing normal about living in a home for sale, so doing normal activities helps.
• Live your life. The added stress of having your home for sale, especially in a slow market where it can take time, tends to overpower everything. Keep routines as much as possible.
• Prepare for frustration and impatience from members of the household, including yourself.
• Look at ideas for staging your home, and decide which ones you can live with.
• A little bribery can go a long way with teens. Promise movie tickets, extra allowance or a much-desired item of clothing in exchange for getting the house ready a few days a week. This spreads the tasks around, and teaches teens a few things at the same time.

Who Can Help:

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