When you look at the picture above, you likely see a clean home that’s perfectly staged. It’s a home that most buyers would want to consider living in. However, if you are a busy parent, achieving this kind of clean and tidy look may seem impossible with a tight budget and an even tighter schedule. If keeping your available home organized is a problem for you, try not to stress out just yet. There are a few budget-wise tips and tricks you can use to keep your home looking picture-perfect, even when you have kids in the picture.
Pick Up Budget-Friendly Tech to Help with Cleaning
Constantly having to clean up after kids can be a real chore when you are a stressed-out parent. But when you are also selling your home, things need to be spotless at a moment’s notice. If you have some room in your budget, you can make keeping your home presentable a much easier job with some of the latest cleaning tech. Air purifiers and dehumidifiers can clean the air and make your home feel more inviting, while a robot vacuum can be a real game-changer for your floors — especially since that’s one of the first things people notice when noticing your home. You can even squeeze tech into your family’s budget by shopping at stores like Best Buy and using a Best Buy coupons or promo codes to save as much as possible. If you get cash back from your purchases using these online coupons, you can use that money to pick up even more tech or even hire a part-time housekeeper to help you maintain a tidy home (services usually charge $20 - $40 per hour).
Be Aware of Pricey Biohazards Hiding Out in Your Home
Picking up a budget-friendly air purifier will help your air feel fresher. If you shop with online retail giants, you can use savings tricks to score one even cheaper. Those same online promo codes that work at Best Buy can also be used at Amazon. However, that little gadget can also help reduce the amount of indoor air pollution lurking in your home. Purifiers can remove some common irritants, like dust, dander, and pollen. They can even improve the air in homes with mild mold, but know that mold can present other health risks too. Mold can even prevent the sale of your home, so if you think this biohazard may be an issue, take the proper steps to get it cleaned up. Mold removal usually ranges anywhere from $1,100 to $3,400, depending on the extent of the problem. You should shop around to find the best deal, but avoid the temptation to save money with a DIY job since this can be dangerous and illegal.
Downsize and Stack Up Savings by Selling Online
Mold is a major no-no when you are living in your home or trying to sell it, but when your home is on the market, clutter is another problem that can dampen interest from buyers. That’s why most stagers and agents will encourage you to remove any clutter or junk from your home before taking photos and scheduling showings. You can put those items in storage, or if you need some extra cash, consider using online sites to sell those unwanted things. Collectibles and memorabilia can usually fetch decent prices on eBay, while Poshmark may be your best bet for clothing. Selling will give you more cash to put toward staging, cleaning, or picking up some of those cleaning gadgets. If you have some items left over, don’t think you’ve missed out reaping savings just yet. You can also donate your unwanted household goods to local charities and use the tax credits to help bulk up your next refund.
You don’t need a lot of cash or time to keep your home ready for open houses and showings. As a busy parent, all you need are a few handy cleaning and savings tricks up your sleeve. That way, you can stop stressing about how clean your home is and start looking forward to selling your current home and moving on with your family’s life.
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