One of the possible considerations of a significant number of your potential home buyers would be finding a home that is perfect for their growing family. Couples who are expecting their first baby, or parents with more than one child, are some of your possible clients who will be touring your home and considering whether it is appropriate for their short-term and long-term goals for their family. Because of this, making child-friendly home staging choices is a great idea.
You can sit down with your professional home stager and have a definite plan or strategy regarding your target audience or clients. A factor that needs to be determined is whether or not your property is more likely to appeal to families, or for young professionals or couples who do not currently have any children or are not planning on starting a family soon. For instance, if your home is located in a fast-growing suburb with a lot of job opportunities, schools, and parks, your property would probably have more inquiries from growing families looking to put down roots.
On the other hand, if you are selling a townhouse or condominium unit in the downtown area or central business district, young professionals or singles would likely be more of your clientele. Regardless of the target audience for your home staging efforts, most home staging professionals would still recommend a more neutral and appealing theme that would appeal to the widest variety of potential home buyers.
Child-friendly home staging will make your house more attractive and marketable to parents who need to find a property that is flexible enough for their growing children, and can be safely utilized for other various activities and functions. How do you make the home more child-friendly?
- Keep it casual and comfortable. During showings or open house, your clients are imagining the home with their children walking, crawling, or running around the space. What you should highlight is how much space the house has, with enough room for kids who like to play and explore.
- Avoid easily-breakable décor or fixtures. Large glass containers or vases in high-traffic areas such as hallways or entrances are prone to toppling over and breaking. Some clients do bring along their children during showings because they want to see if the kids like the home, so make the appropriate adjustments.
- Use child-proof window treatments and furniture fabrics. Simple blinds or shades are safer choices rather than long-flowing and elegant drapes that drop all the way to the floor (these are tripping hazards, and kids find it hard to resist hiding behind them or worse, pulling them). For furniture, use slip covers that have a darker shade; slip covers are easier to wash and replace, so they are great for families with young children.
- Make the floors safer for young kids. Area rugs can be used to create a softer, warmer space as well as make hallways more child-friendly. Area rugs you use should have no-skid pads or be secured with double-sided tape so they do not become tripping or sliding hazards as well. Avoid putting too much stuff along hallways and entrances that children can stumble over.
