Oh Help! How Can I Get My House Ready to Sell When I Have KIDS!!

I feel for you! I did this last year. The first thing I did was de-clutter. If I didn't want to move it, I either donated it or trashed it. Then I started packing the nonessentials including most stuffed animals and other toys that were not played with frequently. I was amazed that my kids never asked for so many of the toys that were packed. I even packed my linen closet of the extra towels, sheets, blankets, etc. We rented a storage unit to even clear out the garage (bikes, more toys etc.) We could finally get 2 cars in the garage... It made me feel so much lighter and the house was so much easier to manage. After telling my friend what I was doing she ended up going through her house as if she was moving too. For weeks she made almost daily trips to Good Will. - This year at Christmas I cleaned out the toy boxes again to make room for the new stuff. I have 2 toy boxes and storage shelves for Legos, Play Doe, Crafts, board games etc. This experience has changed the way I live for the better.
Good Luck to you!

We moved from our tiny two bedroom ranch with 2 kids 3 yo and 4 yo and one on the way and a shaggy dog. Being a small house, with a dog, and being pregnant it felt nearly impossible to keep things show ready. I got storage and sent ALL non-esentials there including out of season clothes and extra furniture. I didn't have time or energy to sort though everyting and put it into separate bins then actually do something with all of it. I saved that for when I unpacked into the new house. I only kept my kids favorite toys in the house and only enough that would fit neatly into the toy box. I started a new routine in the PM and AM. Each night after the kids went to bed I would pick up all the toys, clean all the dishes, and vacuum all the dog hair. In the morning kids were not permitted to take toys out and breakfast was served on paper plates. After all the showers, toothbrushing, and toileting I would wipe down the sink and toilet with antibacterial wipes, squirt some toilet bowl cleaner and flush, spray the shower with the touchless shower cleaner spray, and fold the towels. I would wipe down all counter tops in the kitchen with the wipes too. I made sure all the beds were made and the dog got locked in her crate in the basement before we headed out for work and kids went to daycare. It sounds like a lot but it took me about 15 extra minutes in the morning once I got into a grove of doing it. The key for me was being well prepared the night before.
Ask your agent or a friend to give you an HONEST opinion about your the way your house shows and focus on those "problem" areas. Most agents will get feedback from people who toured the house. I used that info to my advantage and often called the showing agent myself.
Good luck! After my last move I vowed to never move again!!! :-)

I went through the same thing - it was hard and to this day I don't know how (or why) people with small kids keep their homes spotless.Here are the things that worked best for me:
*Lots of laundry baskets - whenever you have a showing,run around and toss everything in them, then stick the baskets in your car.
*Try to use only one bathroom while you are trying to sell.It is much easier to keep one bathroom clean.
*A clean kitchen is important. This is the time for paper plates.
*Big toys that you don't want to get rid of - ask a friend or relative to keep them for you for a little while.
*Nice laundry hampers with lids so you don't always have to be doing laundry.
*Keep a clean set of towels for every bathroom. Only put them out when you are showing -put them away as soon as you get home. That way you can throw all the dirty towels into hampers and always have good towels ready to go.
*On days when you are showing, get out as much as possible. If you are home with the kids, have them play with their toys on a cookie sheet or pan- I know this sound weird!- but, when someone is coming, you don't have to argue about dismantling whatever they are working on. You can either take it with you or stick it in a cupboard until you get back.

Had my house on the market for 9 months w/ 2 kids(2 and 5) and the hubby was already away at the new job(for 4 months). I don't know if this will work for you but....
(ps I cannot keep my house clean it is the hardest thing I do, I'd rather re-roof the house than pick up/clean)

1)Have the kids go out of the house for a Sat/Sun if you can swing grandparents great, make hubby help you, or have hubby take them

2)buy several big plastic bins with lids(you use them after the sort to pack stuff you know you won't use between now and the move)

3)Pull EVERYTHING out of the closet/bed etc. from the kids rooms and be ruthless, remind yourself there are children w/out toys and clothes that will cherish these things. If you have a friend that can encourage "setting things free" have her over
-5 bins/laundry baskets and one trash can
1)pitch(use a trash can)
2)keep
2.5)keep but pack away for after the move
3)give to goodwill
4)sell
5)have to think about it

-Make your husband in charge of getting rid of the sell pile
-make sure the goodwill pile is hidden in the garage from the kids
-Go through the have to think about it pile a day later and only keep 1 out of 4/5 things. I found that this pile was stuff I knew should go I was just having a hard time letting go
-I have a wardrobe box in the basement that goodwill stuff goes into so whenever I find something I toss it in there
-remind yourself you are going to PAY to move these things, are they worth that cost?
-You can get through kids rooms and their toys in a Sat/Sun. Make Fri/Sat night about your room.
-I would hand my husband a drawer to go through in front of the TV before he left for the new job

Once you have tossed as much as possible pack away EVERYTHING you won't need until after the move

Then I cleaned out; a toy chest of the kids, a cedar chest I had, put a plastic bin in the laundry room on top of the washer, and one junk drawer in the kitchen (wasn't easy but...) Everytime I found out there was a showing I would shove everything I couldn't clean in time into these key spots while my kids watched a movie they hadn't seen before.(I gave them very little TV which helped b/c when I did put it on they were mesmerized -Cirque d'Soleil DVDs from the library were a hit)

-I would also get a bottle of vinegar & water and give the kids paper towels and let them go to town on the bathroom while I cleaned the other stuff. They loved to help and while I'd touch it up later the 1st layer of toothpaste was gone.
-We also went to a one cup/day per person strategy around the house to lessen the dishes
-I had a hard time letting go until I read about Voluntary simplicity, basically whatever you own owns you. The more you have the more time you spend taking care of it. It helped me "set free" a bunch of valuable perfectly good stuff I just didn't need.

I hope this helps, I've been there and it's hard. Don't judge me but right now my kitchen counters are nasty and the floor hasn't been swept from breakfast or even dinner last night

i have recently sold my house and have a toddler. Although i only have one we had a very small house that he took over. As someone speaking from all sides, buyer, seller and now going to school to become a realtor, you do not want dishes in the sink and laundry visible. The house needs to seem clean. So it is a pain and hard to keep up on but just try to clean up after yourself as you go. Ask the realtor to gove you 24 hr notice for a showing. Put the kids to sleep and try to get everything done with the help of your husband at night. Then when the kids wake up do as little as possible at home so you don't mess up the house and get out for the day. Also I try to clean a room a day so the whole house never gets to far away from me. I hope this helps and I hope you can get a quick sale. Just remember the better impression the quicker the sale and the less time you have to stress about showings.

My boys were 2 and 4 when we moved, so I know it's tough. Since their toys are going to have to be packed up anyway when you move, I packed up most of their toys right away. Start with the ones with the most pieces/makes the biggest mess. As for showing your house, if you want it to sell fast and for the most money, it can't be cluttered. No dirty dishes or laundry laying around. Start packing pictures, nick knacks, anything on counter tops, shelves, etc that you don't absolutely need every day. It's got to be done some time and it will be less to clean up over and over. Keep in mind your realtor should call and tell you when you're going to have a showing, so you'll know when you'll have to have it really clean. Best of luck!

When I was selling,someone gave me a great suggestion for toys/clutter--buy a big plastic storage container for each room. For the kids' rooms, I got ones that fit under their beds. For other areas, I looked for ones that could tuck under tables or chairs, in closets, etc. Then, before showings, I could just race around and toss everything off of floors and surfaces into the bins, do a quick vacuum and be in relatively good shape. Also, if you can possibly afford it, get a cleaning service on a weekly or at least every-other-week basis. Consider it a necessary expense for selling the house. It was a HUGE relief to me not to have to worry about the grout in the shower or the dust on the moldings or all the other types of details I never get to on my own. Good luck!
K.

Well first I hope that you will not stress out so much! Then I think the best thing to do is prioritize. Sometimes you might be spending time cleaning something that is less important and miss a bigger issue.

How does your house smell? That is something that hits everybody right away... so vacuuming with carpet deodorizer or dusting can be very important. Also, make sure your kitchen and bathroom look clean. *Not necessarily organized - but clean. And again - smells good.

Otherwise, try and straighten things up, but don't worry about every little detail. They realize you have kids! If you're kitchen looks and feels clean, but there are still clean dishes piled up in the sink because you didn't put them away yet - thats ok. If you are having troubles keeping the toys away, then buy some boxes and categorize the toys... puzzles/books, action figures, crafts, etc. The kids can have one box of items out at a time and the rest remain put away. Then when you know somebody is coming... dump everything in one box quick and out the door you go. Nobody will be offended to see a stack of boxes in your living room.

I'm not saying lower your standards, but try and put all your desired cleaning tasks into 2 categories... "have to do" and "would be nice." Good luck!

Hi K.,

I'm in the same situation. Our house went on the market in the begining of Dec. Its not easy keeping a house tidy and clean with kids. My advice is to de-clutter the house, make sure everything has a spot especially toys. Then relax until you get a showing. We had our realtor say that we need two hours notice. When we get "the call", I have a routine with putting toys away, hiding laundry, wiping bathrooms/kitchen, vac the floors (no mopping) and whatever else needs to be done. While all this is being done, the kids are in one room and that's my last one to be cleaned. I then load them and the dog in the car while i run back in to finish up with the odds/ends. Its allot of work! Our last showing didn't show up!!! Good Luck and i hope it sells fast for you.

K.,
First let me say that we have moved 3 times in the last 5 years and I know how hard it is to keep things together when trying to sell with small kids. If yo have excess things that you don't use donate them. If you have to much clutter get rid of it. Then if needed get a small storage space and use to make your home less cluttered and neat. Have your kids help out when they are done playing and have a place for everything. Once a room is clean move on but don't forget at the end of the day to go back to the clean areas and make sure they are still neat. I will say that for as many houses as I have been in while looking for a new one nothing turned me off like a messy house. I would turn right around and leave and not give it a second thought. A schedule for cleaning is a good way to keep up. Good luck with selling your home.
L. R

First start in O. room.
Sort your stuff into piles: Keep, Trash and Sell/Donate.
Do this for each room.
Rent a POD storage unit and put half of the stuff from each room deemed "keepable" into a pod. Keep only the bare minimum of furniture and almost NO decorative items in your home. It will show better when you DO put it on the market.
Pack away any personal items currently on display like photos/mementos/etc. Potential buyers do not want to see that stuff.
Get bins to keep the stuff (toys) for each child. 2 bins per child.
Be ruthless. Keep on hand only the bare minimum of toys/books/DVDs etc.
Place into the pod all out of season clothing and try to make your closets look half full.
When you get a call that your house is going to be shown, go into full guerilla mode, clean all surfaces, bathrooms and run the vacuum and sweep floors. It will be easy since you will have most of your stuff in storage. Your house will sell quicker if it is in move-in condition, and at the least, that means CLEAN.
You will see that the less stuff your kids have available, the quicker it will be to keep clean and clean up quickly when you get a call for showing the house.
When my husband & I had our home on the market, we didn't get a glass of water without washing, drying and putting away that glass! Of course, we didn't have a child then, either! But you can do it. Do your Fly Lady stuff every day--swish & swipe, etc. plus the daily tasks she assigns, and you will know that O. area of your house will never be a disaster--it will have been dealt with at least within a week.
If you cannot afford a portable storage pod or a storage unit pack all the stuff in boxes and stack NEATLY in garage, basement or attic.
You will find that it is not dirt and "disgusting" filth that you need to clean -- it is CLUTTER! Declutter every day. Throw away 20 items per day. Good luck!

Hi K., It is possiable to get a house ready to sell. First take it one room at a time...get boxes, trash bags and cleaning materials together then toss, pack and clean! Be brutal! Toss more than you keep and only keep out the items you know you need/will use between now and the time you move. New toys can be packed away for the new house, clothes out of season, pack. Clothes too small donate. Take down and pack away personal nic-nacks, photo albums etc. you want to de-clutter so that people see the house, not your stuff. Put the boxes neatly in a clean corner of your basement or garage if you can't move them out yet. Remember most young children will not miss what they don't see...I recommend you do their toys when they are out of the house or sound asleep. If you do one room every couple of days you will be ready in plenty of time. Check out the cable show Sell this House...it will give you more ideas too. Good luck and best wishes!

K.: First...don't panic!

1. Pack up most of the toys/stuffed animals, etc and keep out only a boxful. You can always pack those up next week and bring out one of the packed boxes. The point is to only have one boxful available at a time-it's easier to keep track of :-)

2. Dishes--if you can't wash them up in time for showing the house, the refrigerator or oven makes a great hiding spot :-)

3. If hubby wants spotless, let him go for it :-) Be thankful he is willing to clean-you work outside the home, so it isn't like he's cleaning while you sit around doing nothing! Accept his help!

4. The house does not have to be sterile--you have kids and anyone looking at it can be made aware of that. Make sure people can comfortably walk through each room, cobwebs are not visible, etc...A few things out of place actually will add a homey feeling to the place :-)
J. A. Anthony

Haha! Aww. Your message made me laugh out loud because I can completely sympathize! I have 2 preschoolers too (and a dog) and I have NO idea how I would keep things together in your situation. I'm sorry! I don't have advice, but just wanted to let you know that you're totally normal! Just do what you can and don't stress. A potential buyer will see past a little clutter if they love your home.
~C.
http://thepurplepear.etsy.com
http://daisyandpear.blogspot.com
www.daisybows.com

start going through 1 room at a time and see what you want to get rid of and do that then get a storage unit and start bringing the excess items you want to keep there.

take deep breaths and don't overworry and when there are showings take the kids out.

I'm a realtor and your realtor should be able to give you specific tips for each room, since s/he has seen them. Basically, make sure the floors are clean and the counters are cleared and clean, no dishes in the sink either. You need to give the message to people that you care about your home. If you just have way too much stuff that you don't need for daily life, get a storage unit and put it away, including furniture which may be crowding a room. There is sooo much competition in the market right now, you need to be the best in your price range. If your closets are packed and counters cluttered, it will look like you have no storage. I keep vere few toys for my kids in our main living space, maybe 5 or 6 and that's it - they adapt, use a rubbermaid if you have to - they are only allowed to have what fits in there so you can throw it in at a moment's notice. If they want something else, they can get it, but it goes back away before something else comes out. It takes a little getting used to for them, but makes cleaning up so much easier. Put away nick nacs and all unnecessary photos and such. Make your home look as uncluttered and neutral as possible.

I sold with 2 toddlers, a dog, and a cat, so I've been there! Good luck!!!

Hi K.,
I deal with cleaning my house & trying to keep the kids out of the way all the time. My 4 year old and 15 month old boys seem to think it's ok to throw toys everywhere...esp. right after I just got done cleaning.

My advice would be to start packing! Go ahead and pack up what you don't need to survive the next 4 weeks on. Only keep out what you use on a daily basis. Store in your garage or rent a storage unit temp. to help you keep your sanity.
Also, have each kid pick out a small box or basket of toys to use over the next several weeks and pack the rest of the toys away.
You'll want to pack up decor, holiday items, extra clothes, stuff in your closets, etc. Hopefully this will help so that as you do your daily chores like sweeping, vacuuming, putting things in it's place, etc you'll have less items to get spread out everywhere.
Also...as you pack things up it's a great time to start throwing out the trash or things you don't need. Large items you can always put on the curb with a "free" sign.

From what I've heard, homes sell a lot faster if there aren't too many things in the house, including clutter. So it might help you sell your house faster too. Be sure to enlist the help of friends and family. Maybe send the kids to the neighbors or friends for a few hours while you pack up their toys...then they won't cry about it & they might not even know it's gone.
Good luck!

Boxes and big plastic totes. Put all the toys and non essential items in them to help clear out some of the clutter. If you have a basement or garage you can stack them neatly in there...your selling, so you are moving people expect to see some evidence of it. Get a couple of cheap folders for all the papers that have a tendancy to build up that way you can just put it all into a folder and put the folder away. Anything that you can pack up now do so and you'll be surprised how much space it will clean. Keep all the toys in the kids rooms on show days. They are kids no one is expecting perfection. Just make sure that the kitchen and bathrooms are really neat clutter free and clean. If the master can be clean and clutter free that will help a lot too. Good luck.

Everyone's advice so far is good. I would also add that you get your kids involved in the cleaning. Teach them about the house fairy (on flylady site) if necessary. My 18 month old can pick up his toys, load & unload the dish washer, & feed the dogs. He needs some help doing these things, but he really enjoys "being a helper". Since your kids are in preschool, they should actually be helpful once you win them over.

I TOTALLY understand !! We have "too much stuff" courtesy partly of having moved from a 13 room house to a 3 BR ranch. Our girls also have "stuff" from their own gifts and from hand-me-down "stuff" from their bigger sisters who are grown and gone.

Start by picking up what you don't need around, and cleaning. Plan a "toybox" in the room the kids play in -- even if it's a cardboard box. You could paint it to match the room or just leave it cardboard. But that way, the kids can pick up and play Mary Poppins or something while they do it. You can tell them it's time for lunch, and everyone has to help picking the toys up before they get to eat. Same with an afternoon snacktime. Kind of like they'd have to do at a daycare if they were there.

Do your laundry daily, so it's not 5 loads to fold and put away at once. It's easier to manage that way. Dishwashers aren't all they are cracked up to be. You can wash the dishes and leave clean ones in the strainer in the sink without losing curb appeal. You can't leve the dirty ones stacked around if you want your kitchen to look nice and smell nice. You CAN burn cinnamon, or apple pie, or vanilla scented candles to make the people viewing your house find that it smells wonderful. Ahhhhhhhhh . . . help them to like your house. . .

It is more challenging with little ones, but you can do this, because most of the clutter in the house is probably not toys.

When I was working FT and had to host T-giving for 15, I couldn't possibly get the clutter cleaned and the food made. I stuffed all the clutter in the drier, cleaned the surfaces, and we all laughed later that evening, when we pulled the clutter back out of the drier.

You will need to clean your closets, because when people look at homes, they look at EVERYTHING. If it is stuff you want to keep, pack it while you do this. Leave your closets fairly empty, so they look BIGGER. An overstuffed closet tells the buyer that the closets are too small. One that has room for more stuff in it, tells them they are a good size.

If you are not good at tossing "stuff", then this is a great time for you. As you clean, you can decide whether this is worth moving or whether you want to get rid if it. You can take stuff to Salvation Army, or Good Will, and feel good about that, or you can pack it away and when you get to the "new" house, you will have a happy reunion with your treasures.

But less "stuff" makes a house look bigger and more attractive. And the less stuff you have around, the less you have to dust off, clean around, etc. Make your life easier, and pack it up.

I have been working 12 hour-days for the last 6 weeks, and my eldest has been home recovering from a workers' comp injury. She's cleaned my kitchen, re-organized it, made sure my counters are empty, and she hounds her younger sisters to make them pick up their stuff. I'm not good at that kind of thing, but she's made the place look much better. (Of course, she does leave HERS around, but she's leaving and going back to sea this week) . . . When I get home at 9:30 every night, I smile when I walk in the door. It's really nice to see the counters, and know the place isn't a wreck waiting for me to tackle it.

The more stuff you get out of the way, the less stress you will have in your daily life. It's a whole lot easier to pick up 10 toys than 20, and it's easier to do a quick vaccuum and dust job before a prospective buyer shows up, if there isn't a whole lot of stuff laying around in the way. Make it a family project, and don't get upset if your husband sees the grime in the corners, along the baseboard, whatever. It's his house, too, and his grime. And his comments about the dirt don't mean it's YOUR dirt. It's just dirt. OUR dirt, actually. And you are in this project together. He is out earning money, and you are running a 2 kid day-care all day. Don't feel the house is all your responsibility.

If you need "packing time" while he's home, let him watch the kids, and play with them, so you get some time without those responsibilities to do the cleaning out, sorting, packing. . . . Think team and talents. It doesn't matter who made the dirt, it's "our dirt", "our stuff", and our hoped for good sale price. So WE have to do this. And it's a big chore, but if you have fewer toys around, the kids will hardly notice, they will just play with what they see. If they ask about a specific toy, and want to know where it is, just tell them you don't know, or aren't sure. Don't feel they have to have it all. When they have a reunion with their old toys in the new house, it'll be GREAT FUN -- rather like Xmas again. And then you'll be able to sequester the toys they've had with them, so when you haul them out later, it feels like Xmas AGAIN ! wow.

The MUSTS? The laundry needs to stay in the drier or be folded and put away. The dishes should be washed. The floors should be vaccuumed often enough that a quick fly through will work before the realtor brings people in. When people have children, visitors expect to see toys around. I wouldn't worry so much about that, as long as it doesn't look like WW3 just hit the living or play room !!

What you want to project is a home that is welcoming. You want them to walk in the door and feel relaxed and that they wish they lived in that house. It is DEFINATELY not easy, but the more clutter you pack away, the easier it will be for you to live with the frequent showings -- and I think you'll find that you enjoy your home more when it's clean, too.

I know I hate the clutter, but it overwhelms me and I don't know what to do with it so I fail to get rid of it. But it is MUCH nicer to come home to and live in a house that doesn't overwhelm you with piles of stuff that doesn't belong where it is. If you work your buns off (and your husband's buns,too . . . make a list and share the chores), I think you'll find the showings much easier to live with.

But I'm with you. I'm thinking we might move in 5 years, and I'm trying to get rid of "Stuff" -- and I was doing a really good job until T-giving hit, and then Xmas and then I started pulling 12 hours days. . . . Now I'm back to 35 hours a week, and I have to get myself going again, so I like my house enough to want to live in it !! (I'm trying to sell it to myself, so after tax season is over, and I'm home again, I will be happy there !! )

Good luck. The biggest thing is not to think it's your fault your husband is finding guck. It's HIS guck, too. Let him clean it. Mine does floors, he vaccuums, he washes showers and bathrooms -- he's much slower than I am, but he's also much more thorough. I subscribe to the "good enough" job, because if I do a "good enough" job that isn't onerous more often, then the days I get to deep cleaning, it's easier to tackle. I also get rid of the most clutter when I get angry. I get so mad I don't care if I throw it all away. It works great !!! ha ha

Oh K., I feel your pain. I just did the same exact thing in June with 2 toddlers, a dog and a cat. Not easy. One thing my husband and I did was to rent a storage facility. You can find some good deals on them. We went through the house and found what we could live without until the move and put everything in there. It made a huge difference. Another tip I learned was that nobody looks under beds during a showing, so use that space to "hide" things. Good luck! L.

First and foremost, get rid of the excess old toys the kids no longer use as well as any furniture that is just sitting around, that you no longer want or need.

I would highly recommend freecycle.org, you can choose your local county or even town to put your ads in. It's free, and most folks do porch pick up ASAP so its a first come first served deal. You have the option of posting photos of your larger pieces or furniture. There are always college students looking for things.

Best of luck!

Well I would suggest either placing the toys in nice neat storage bins. Leave out the toys they generally play with only. Also, is there a family member who would not mind letting you store the toys at their house temporarily until your home is sold? This way if you are not ready to throw them out or donate them, afterwards your children can get them back. However, it sounds as if they may have too many. Try asking these generous family members to give money in lue of toys ie, CD, or savings bonds for their education later on in life. With the rising cost in education, I can't think of a better gift, especially if they have enough toys already. I had the same worries and we had two dogs trying to sell a home. We just let our realtor relay to prospective buyers that we had 2 small dogs (caged off) also I had them give me 1 day notice before seeing the home due to my having an alarm system also. This will also help you with knowing when to really pick up to make things look presentable.

Rent a storage shed or you could even get a PODS kind (www.pods.com). Get boxes and put like items together and label EVERYTHING. Put your seasonal clothes that you don't need in storage, toys that the kids don't use often, dishes you don't use often... that type of thing. Take down personal pictures too... there is a show on HGTV called 'Designed to Sell' and they do home staging and the one thing they always remove atre persona; pictures. You could go to HGTV's website and get ideas: http://www.hgtv.com/designed-to-sell/show/index.html. Also, if you stay on top of the clutter, it won't get out of hand. With this market being the way it is, I hope your house sells.

K.,

The first thing I'd recommend is to let each of the kids pick out a suitcase worth or toy box or whatever box you have (my kids have a little suitcase of toys that they are allowed to keep on the main level of the house. the rest have to stay in the toy room) of toys. Then, pack the rest up that they still play with and throw the rest away. Then, put them in storage/garage/attic. Do the same with any excess furniture, appliances, etc... Then, you'll have less to pick up and less to stress about.
Then, be sure to schedule your open houses either at the end of the day or beginning so that you have the opportunity to clean prior to anyone coming over to look. And don't worry about your hubby. Mine is the SAME way. He will take his pants off and leave them all over the house, same with his cups, everything, but then he'll be like, look at this mess, it's disgusting. Makes me feel so bad, and like i want to throttle him ;) But, just let it roll off your back and tell him that he's welcome to help clean, but please keep the negativity to himself because you have enough on your plate to worry about.
Good luck and hope you sell your home quickly!

Dear K.,
I feel for you. Did you know that they offer "bridge loans" so that sellers can buy a new house, move and then sell the "old house" (staged for marketing). It's not for everyone, but I thought you might want to consider it under the circumstances. I work for Howard Hanna, Squirrel Hill office and I know this program is available to our clients. Truthfully, I don't know how a woman with preschoolers can have a house show ready all the time. "Cleaning house while the kids are growing is like shoveling the walk while it's still snowing." :)
Good luck,
N