TOYS-R-US meets Kitchen Confidential

I remember when my first daughter went to kindergarten. I was so very proud of each tiny accomplishment. Every little water color was like its own personal Rembrandt. I would display them like every other parent in the world on my refrigerator or somewhere in the kitchen.

But after awhile it can get a little overwhelming, especially if you are selling your house. Let’s remember not everyone has kids, not everyone even thinks that they are adorable, in fact some people have kid allergy and really find them annoying.

When you are selling your home if you over do the kid thing it can overshadow the selling features of your home inside and out. So here are a few ideas to tone it down a bit and make your house more appealing to everyone, even those who don’t have kids.

KITCHENS: Please, Please, Please don’t leave every school paper known to man attached to the kitchen cabinets because you have run out of space on the refrigerator. Instead go to Michaels or and buy a lovely frame to display one nice piece at a time. File the rest away until you move or until you are ready to weed them out. Do NOT leave baby bottles and Cheerios on surfaces like kitchen counters and high chairs. It seems unkempt and can really be an unattractive eyesore to say the least. People like to see clean kitchens so they can picture themselves eating and cooking there. I know it’s hard especially when you have a new or younger baby to be as tidy as you would normally be, but please don’t look like an episode of Kitchen Confidential. Keeping your kitchen refrigerator, cabinets and counters clean will highlight your kitchens assets, not hide them.

Living Room/Family Room: Toys, toys, toys and more toys! Yes, I know they seem to breed overnight, it’s almost uncanny how it happens but moms you know what I mean here. Try to pack some away and leave out only the most played and necessary pieces. You can unpack them all one by one in your new place and it will make them new again. Doing this will make your living spaces seem larger without all that clutter. Remember adults need spaces too, so make it look that way.

Bathrooms: Ok yes, rubber duckies are cute, but please don’t have a complete duckie bathroom. Try to make small changes to shower curtains, bath mats and soap dispensers to make the bathroom seem more age appropriate for all. If you use your bathroom to dispose of diapers please keep that area clean or consider a Diaper Genie. Plug-ins aren’t a bad idea either.

Yard Area: Swing sets are common and actually show how nice and workable a yard you have. But if you have a sandbox overfilled with toys and every rubber ball know to man in the back yard, it’s a bit much. Again, clear this stuff out and put it in bins in the garage; this will not only make the yard look bigger but it will show great garage storage space as well. Instead of a million toys in the yard add a few chairs and a chimnea to show how nice your yard is to hang out in.

All this being said, I love kids, I have two of my own but when you are selling your house you need to keep it low key, No one says, “oh I can actually picture myself having friends over here” in the middle of a toy store.”

You want them to buy, not fly!