A reader writes:
We are hoping to buy a new house out in the country and we have 4 children, the oldest of whom is 4. How in the world do you sell your home fast for cash and move with little kids? I get a little panicky (okay, a lot) just thinking about trying to keep the house clean and presentable for showing. Also, where do you take your kids if someone is coming to look at the house, especially if it is naptime? We don’t have any grandparents in town, unfortunately. I need all of the tips I can get!
I would love to have some brilliant answer for you here, but alas, I do not. I have not ever tried to show a house with little kids underfoot. When we moved into this house that Dan built, I made a grand and dramatic announcement that I plan to die in it. I meant it. I know I’m supposed to be unattached and open to whatever God might have in mind for us, but …. I simply can’t imagine trying to sell a house and move with this gang in tow.
But I know many of you amazing moms out there have done exactly that — some of you many times over — so today is your day to shine. Help a mom out. Share the wealth of your house- showing and moving knowledge.
I love this. Today it’s my turn to ask: How do you do it?
We have three kids ages four and under and we have moved four times since the first child was born. I would pack away as much stuff as possible, including toys, when the children were sleeping, in order to keep the house clean. This also results in gradual packing, which makes the actual move less overwhelming. Stick the children in front of the t.v. or give them a cookie when the house is being shown, if the weather is too bad to go outside. I know this isn’t great advice, but it is only a temporary situation!
Good luck!
I have done it several times. The easiest thing to do is to pack away all the toys that you can live without (more than you would ever imagine- I left out some blocks and that was about it) and most of the books and other non essentials. All the out of season clothing should be boxed up. You must clear off any surface which is cluttered. Its a lot easier to keep a house when all the stuff is packed away. Then when you unpack it you wonder why you ever “needed” it to begin with.
When we moved 2 short years ago- we had 3 children under four and my husband was overseeas! So, what I found worked the best for us was to make sure every night before I went to bed the house was spotless. Dishes done, laundry put away, and toys under control! Then after breakfast the kids were limited to one room to play in. I would put a gate up and then rotate rooms every day. It worked perfect because if I received a call – I put the kids in the car and off we went. I agree with the last mom about packing things up. We rented a storage unit and packed up A LOT of things to attempt to declutter our house and make the house look larger than it really was. A lot of times we would drive around the block until the house was done being shown. Also, don’t forget about awesome quick hiding places- BEDS that have the ruffle skirts are great places to throw toys at the last minute. Also, being on the “buying” side also- I would really encourage you to leave the house with the kids when you have a showing. Sometimes it is difficult to imagine the home as your own if you see little kids around. Just my 2 cents! Good luck and congrats on your new home!
We just moved across the country with 3 boys ages 4 and under, and my best advice is to start praying the St Joseph novena. Our house sold at a great price after two weeks in a very slow market, on the final day of our novena. Our house was lived in, I didn’t put anything away in storage. I figured if it needed to go into storage, it might as well get donated. (I had already gone through a massive de-cluttering phase the year before, so we were living quite clutter-free.) As for cleaning, we spent a weekend cleaning like mad (immediately before the house went on), then we just did our best to maintain. We spent a lot of time at friends and neighbors homes, as well as at the library (we too had no family in the state)… the more time out of the house meant less time re-cleaning the house. Most of our showings were at the dinner hour, which was hard because we had to eat out a lot, but on the other hand it helped in keeping the kitchen clean. It was a very stressful experience for me (especially not knowing how long we were going to have to keep at it), and I spent much time begging St Joseph’s assistance as well as praying the Memorare. Seek their intercession and you’ll get through, even though you may feel like you’re going insane in the process. Best wishes!
We sold and bought a new house a few years ago. At the time, we had a 5 yr old + 1 yr old triplets. Basically, we spent a few weekends getting the house ready to be shown. While we were in the process of people coming to look, we had to do several things to keep the clutter to a minimum. We boxed up lots of toys, but left several things out to be played with. Things I could quickly put into a rubber made container when people came to look. The designated play area was the family room, which kept the living room and dining room and basement pretty clean. We ate a lot of no cook meals to keep the kitchen clean…sandwiches and things that could be cooked in the microwave. When people did come to look at the house (I always made sure we were not in the house), I basically put the kids in the car and drove around….having a DVD player in the car was helpful. We also went to Target & craft stores to help the time pass. At that age, my kids fell to sleep easily in the car so I would just go park somewhere and read while they slept. I also took them to parks when the weather was nice. I had snacks, drinks, books and various toys to keep them occupied…the kids actually thought we were going on little adventures…it was fun for us. When it came time to actually move, we had Grandma and Grandpa watch the kids while we dealt with movers and unpacking. It’s hard, but it can be done with some planning! Good Luck
We moved with three children under the age of five and I’m going to echo what the other ladies said:
1. De clutter, pack up, remove and throw out as much as possible. That goes for family pictures and personal things. Also, put any valuables (jewelry, watches, coins) in safety deposit box or home safe. There have been a rash of “open house” burglaries in my area lately.
2. Focus on the kitchen and bathrooms. My experienced realtor told me that people understand normal household stuff being around when looking at a house, but they do not tolerate messy bathrooms and kitchens. I threw out all of my grungy towels and replaced them with fresh white ones. I packed up all the miscellaneous stuff on the kitchen counter – toaster oven, kitchen aid stand mixer, coffee machine, etc.
3. Pray a novena to St. Joseph
4. Be happy! It’s not permanent situation and it will pass.
We have been playing the house showing game for the last 3 months. We also moved into the house we are currently showing only 2 years ago, when our kids were 4 and 1. Now at 6 and 3, they are a little easier. I always just ask when they call for a showing during naptime if they can come 1 or 2 hours later. So far I have not had any people disagreeable to that idea.
I also have no grandparents available, although my neighbors are wonderful about helping out. I tend to take the kids to the library, or run lots of car errands (where no one has to get out). I occasionally am guilty of the ice-cream trip too. Everybody needs a break from the constant stress.
Keeping the house clean is hard. The only thing I can say, is stay on top of it. And ask the kids to help. Even my 3 year old enjoys wiping finger prints off windows with a paper towel and some windex.
Good luck!
We moved twice in a matter of 18 months with 4 little ones. My advice would be:
1. Wait until the house is ready to show before putting it on the market. Doing projects while keeping it clean and taking care of 4 kids is next to impossible.
2. Use paper plates. Showings often occur at dinnertime. Give yourself a break and use disposable for a while. Also, don’t plan on cooking big dinners. Go with easy, quick prep meals.
3. Pack up 3/4 of the toys and books. If the kids have a few favorite toys they will survive and cleaning will be easier. When you unpack they will think it is Christmas.
4. Have a cleaning checklist of what to do everyday, every week, and right before showings. That way you don’t have to try and remember everything.
5. Be okay with more tv than usual. I typically limit tv use very strictly, but when you are trying to keep a house spotless, sometimes having all four kids entertained in one room is helpful for mom’s sanity.
Finally, pray for a quick sale of your home and make sure it is priced right, which often times lower than we would like, but in our opinion a faster sale was worth it and sometimes pricing it right works out better. We sold 2 homes in a matter of 12 days total, both times receiving over our asking price because of multiple offers. I’m sure if we would have priced it higher we would have ended up taking less and waiting longer for an offer.
OK just so you know, this is not going to be fun.
My family and I have moved four times in the last four years. The first time was with four (one being two weeks old) and the last time with five (one being six months old). I also picked up a real estate license somewhere along the line.
Here are some tips…
In this market, DO NOT make an offer on a new home until you have sold yours. You do not want the buyer on your home to drop out and you to be holding two properties. This can bankrupt you fairly quickly.
Look on craigslist or the paper for some used moving boxes. They run about 25 to 50 cents each but are easier to stack and more stable than other boxes.
Pack as much as you can.
Make a menu of ten or less meals that you can rotate. That way you can pack all your specialty kitchen items and such until after the move. Make sure some of those meals are picnic friendly so that you can head to the park when there is a showing.
Get a big old pack of paper plates from Sam’s or Costco. That way you are able to keep dishes to a minimum. I found them handy esp for lunch so that I did not have to do lunch dishes before a two o’clock showing.
Set out a week of outfits for everyone. Pack the rest. This saves you from hiding laundry and from over stuffed closets.
I am an advocate for leaving the toys til last as the kiddos do not understand that they will reappear in the new house. And even if your home sells quickly, it is an awful long time for the kids lives to be in limbo. Just pick them up before the showing.
Rent a storage area and put your boxes there.
Your Realtor can put a note o your MLS listing to work with you around nap times and time before showings. i.e. 24 hour notice on showings and please limit showings between 2 and 4 due to children’s nap time. That way if someone needs to see it then they know that there will be sleepers in the beds. But in general, clear out during showings. We made an arrangement that we could play in a neighbors backyard. I have taken the kiddos for walks, drives, to run errands, and such.
FlyLady.net had a nice section on moving that was helpful.
Label all boxes VERY well. Two hundred boxes marked “Misc” or “Tom’s Stuff” is not fun. A better lable would be “Coffee pot, cutting boards and kitchen utensils” This is very helpful if yo are packing in advance and need to look for something. Or for when yo get there and need to locate items for dinner.
If at all possible, hire someone to do the final clean of the house. It will not be as much as you think and you need to focus your attenton on the new place.
Also, look into how much it is to have someone move you if you do the packing. A back injury is not worth saving three hundred dollars.
Keep the stress on the kiddos to a minimum. This is a BIG deal for them and they will not understand a lot of it.
Good luck! Smile and pray. It will all work out.
You can do this! I moved once while 9 mo. pregnant, and during our last move we had 4 children, ages 5 and under. I’m still smiling 🙂
My advice:
1. Price your house well (on the low side)–it’s so worth it!
2. Get rid of as much stuff as possible (pack, donate, throw!!!).
3. Keep up with dishes, tidy throughout the day (with less stuff this is not so hard). Clorox wipes for the bathroom swipes!
4. When the phone rings, say, “Sure!” and pack those little ones in the van for a trip to the park, a scenic drive, a drive-through snack… or nap time in the car.
5. Keep your sense of humor. Ask Our Lady for special intercession!
We sold a house and moved with kids ages 5, 4, 2 and 3 months. My husband works long hours, so it was up to me. Plus, in order to save money – we made a deal with the realtor. I did everything (set up showings, open houses, etc) myself. I painted two rooms with the baby in the baby Bjorn (you should have seen the paint drops in her hair). I spread pinestraw (the ants!!) with the baby in the baby Bjorn.
1) Get rid of stuff. Be merciless.
2) Keep foyer, bathroom, kitchens, windows as clean as possible. I buy those big canisters of wipes – Clorox or Kirkland brand – whatever- Keep them in every room. Magic Erasers work great too (just test them first – they can take off cheap paint).
3) Don’t be afraid to shove stuff under beds and in the washer/ dryer, but try to keep closets looking OK. Again, the more you get rid of…the easier this is.
4) Keep shades/blinds open and let the light in.
It is hard but it absolutely can be done. The kids got tired of being ushered into the car, sometimes at the last minute while the house was shown. I remember looking in rearview mirror as I was gunning it down the driveway in reverse and the two oldest were saying, “two thumbs down for mommy.” That’s life.
Another time, some people came in a bit early (we had a lockbox) as I was still frantically cleaning…and they thought I was the cleaning lady (I was).
Quite frankly I just thanked the Lord and I had a house to sell and a family to clean up after!
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I haven’t read all the responses, but I totally agree with the response that says pack up toys. Not all of them, of course, but many, many, many — especially ones with small pieces that get everywhere. Keep the good ones that will keep your kids’ attention for longer time periods. You also want to keep crayons, pens, pencils, and paper available, because those can keep kids occupied for a good long time without making too big a mess.
We have a 4-year-old and a 2-year-old and our house is in its 4th week on the market. It is a pain. It is Lent. However, it’s doable.
Another thing to do is take lots of outings at this time so that you’re not messing up the house.
I also clean up a lot after the kids are in bed so that in the morning I can quickly get them out the door.
We’ve gone to friends’ houses for naps on days that we knew the house was going to be viewed.
The other thing to do is give the older kids (and I know 4 isn’t old, but we do it!) things to do when you’re doing the clean-up sprint. Our daughter knows she needs to put away the placemats and napkins, make sure there aren’t toys and books on the floor in the living room (they don’t always go where I’d like them to, but at least she’s working on it), and put away other things as I find them.
Actually, I’ve been feeling like the toy police lately, but the girls are really getting to the point of putting things back away pretty automatically, so that’s not a bad thing, either.
Also, a novena to St. Joseph for a quick and fair sale of the house is a great thing.
It’s only temporary. I’ll pray for you as I’m working on mine, and you pray for me! 🙂
Oh – let me add this just to make you laugh. One time we got a call from a realtor and they were actually about a block away (that happens…it’s irritating, but what can you do). I told them they could come and we would just be in the backyard. I yelled upstairs to my husband that people were coming to see the house, and took the kids and went out back.
About 10 minutes later, the realtor stuck her rather red-looking face out the back door and yelled, “apologies to the gentleman,” and pretty much just ran away. I had no idea what was going on. My husband comes sauntering out back a few minutes later and explained.
The couple and the realtor had walked in on him totally naked (and shaving) in the bathroom. He claims he told them, “I don’t come with the house.” 😉
We’re still laughing about that and it was years ago.
If you are not on a timetable to get your house sold – I would recommend listing it as a “For Sale by Owner.” We did this when we had 3 children – one of which was a newborn. When your house is listed with a real estate agent – they may call unexpectedly wishing to show your home and giving you a 2 – 4 hour window of when they might show up. This was just too stressful for us. You also never knew if you left the house if someone would be stopping by to look at it – so everytime you’d have to leave it spic and span clean.
When we did For Sale by Owner there was never any suprises with the showing. We knew when people were coming and they couldn’t get into our house if we weren’t there. We would explain to people that we had little children and if it was nice out we would just take them outside while our house was being looked at. If not, one of us would take them for a ride in the car while the other remained behind to show the house.
Best of luck!
Dear Moving Mom,
The best things to have on hand during this trying time:
Bunches of boxes: Keep on hand to take advantage of little pieces of time to pack books, dishes, music and so forth.
Young Mommy’s Helpers (Neighbor/church girls) hire to help you entertain the littles while you pack, cook, clean or whatever else comes up.
Windex and paper towels: This stuff can polish sinks, windows and countertops rather quickly….
Sense of Humor…..Hang in there and God Bless!
What great tips! We moved about a year and a half ago; here’s my comments:
1. I beg of you, don’t bid on another house until yours is sold. There’s lots of them around right now. We bid before selling, and I would never, ever do it again. It took only eight weeks to sell our house (a short time in this area) but it seemed like eight years. Just the possibility of having two houses added so much stress! (Or you could make a “contingent to sale” bid — that’d be OK too.)
2. What I would do again is get a good realtor, and listen to every word she (or he) says. And price your house well. It just isn’t worth trying to get the last few thousand dollars. We have done this both times we moved, gotten reasonable offers shortly, and were so relieved to be able to get on with our lives!
3. Also, do you have cable? Have you ever watched Designed to Sell on HGTV? It demonstrates a lot of quick inexpensive fixes that make a house look much more appealing. Especially good are the ones with Lisa LaPorta; she’s great!
I moved 4 years ago with 4 kids under 7yrs of age. You just do it. Lots of great advice – this will be pretty much the same. Unclutter and this is the biggest one “Take one day at a time!” You will do it. It will pass. Somedays will be harder some not. That is just life and looking back I know it was hard but I just dont remember anymore. Good Luck and I love this blog – helping mothers out and others also. Plus good laughs with the naked guy shaving!
We just moved out of the country a month ago with four little kids under the age of five! So, this is very fresh in my mind.
I did lots of the things that others have already mentioned. I also made sure I had a ‘junk drawer’ to stash any clutter that accumulated on the counters between showings. OR, use your OVEN!! I had made a crockpot dinner one night before a showing. I just shoved the crockpot, a cookie sheet, and a few other miscellaneous items right in the oven (of course making sure it’s not hot!) and shut the door. A friend of mine used a laundry basket to race around the house last minute and throw stuff in and then take in the car with you as you leave!
Another sort of ‘funny’ thing we did was take down the baby’s crib to make the three boys’ room more spacious looking. Though the baby was mostly sleeping with us anyway, we made our bed his permanent spot. I just made the bed each morning with his blankets ‘tucked in.
I am so glad someone asked this question as we are going to be moving soon too. We have 5 under 7 and expecting #6. Just a short few years ago we moved and the most important thing is to declutter and do it fast. The longer it takes you to declutter, the longer it will stress you out. Don’t take too much time to think whether you wan to keep something or not. If you have to think for more than a minute at tops, then throw it-trash or donate.
For showings, I would take the children for walks around the block or a park. Noway did I allow showings during naptimes. This was a rule-I could not allow that my day would be ruined without naps or short naps in a car just to show a house which maybe they would not even be interested in or just last 10 minutes in. I prayed that God would lead the right people there and be okay with having to work with our schedule too. Hey, we have a life too!
Another thing-free up the countertops, dresser tops, loose papers etc… I would run around the house with the big black trash bags and literally pick up everything I saw that was loose or messy looking and in the bag it went. Those bags went under my bed or in my closet behind dresses.
Well, hope this helps out. I enjoyed reading everyone else’s ideas and input.
God bless!
We have moved several times.The last time was with 6 kids under age 12. We packed all we did not need on a daily basis and stored it in a storage unit. When our house sold and we were moving into our new home we went through the storage unit and gave away or tossed what we didn’t want anymore and kept the rest.
I made sure the real estate agent knew we needed 24 hr notice. Not a call at 5pm asking for a showing the next morning…if someone didn’t understand, oh well, they weren’t meant to have the house. When showings came up we’d go to a neighbors to play, go for a drive, go to a park…whatever. If it was a nighttime showing we’d go visit friends or check out any church that might be open and visit with Jesus. If dh was working 2nd shift we’d go visit him at work, too.
The less you have in the house, the easier it is to keep clean and handle showings. On a funny note, our real estate agent made sure the prospective viewers were aware we had lots of kids and laundry baskets were always full after she learned I was hauling the laundry with me when we left for the showings! Now there’s a realtor that’s a keeper!
We moved across the country with a newborn three week old! I was showing my house and packing on my own nine months pregnant with a two year old. Here’s some quick tips:
1) Tell the realtor that the house is shown by appointment only; he/she must call ahead of time and arrange a showing. Give yourself enough time to pick-up and get out. If it was nap time or the baby needed to nurse, this came first! Too bad if I was in my pj’s nursing my baby when the house was show. My baby came first.
2) If possible, go for a walk or drive while the house is being shown.
3) I packed everything I physically could and started stacking boxes in the garage. My daughter kept one box of toys and one week’s worth of clothing and nothing more. These were the very last things we packed. If you’re kids have sleeping bags, they could sleep in these during this chaotic time. Making this a fun adventure will help the little ones get through it!
4) Donate/throw away everything you can.
5)***PRAY*** and entrust this matter to Our Lady and St. Joseph. We lived in the Bible belt and were told our house would sell better if it wasn’t so “Catholic.” The realtor used different terms, but this is what she meant. My husband thought she might be right. I told him I refused to take down Our Lady or St. Joseph. In return for not being put in a box, I asked them to help us sell our house, regardless if it was clean or not when someone came over to look at it. This took a lot of the frustration away. I simply gave it over to Our Lady and always kept in mind: if the house was meant to sell, it would, whether it was clean or not, whether I was home or not, whether I was dressed or not. My family came first.
What a great topic. We just listed our home a week ago. My husband stays home with our 3 1/2 yr old, 2 yr old , and 2 month old and I didn’t think he could keep the house organized. We have had many “discussions” over the passed 3 years about keeping things in their place and he never was able to do it BUT….we spent 2 long weeks getting the house staged and completely decluttered. We have a list of things to check on before a showing (things mentioned above) and I have been completely amazed that my husband has kept the house just as it was the day we listed it. We put a lot of stuff in storage and painted all the rooms a neutral color (except the kids’ rooms). We haven’t had a showing yet but I am confident that when the time comes, it won’t be so hard to get the house picked up and 3 little babies out the door. Good luck!
This June I will be moving for the fourth time in four years. I have 6 kids from almost 10 down to five months (already!). I have not had to sell my house (I had to find renters, though), but all the advice above sounds great. I haven’t generally moved my own stuff (or even packed it), because the Army will do that for you.
I just want to say that moving even under perfect conditions is extremely stressful. And I mean divorce-inducing stressful! I highly recommend a notebook (one with a pocket is good) to keep essential information, telephone numbers, quotes for services, confirmation numbers for various things, etc. If you pack your own boxes, number them, and write the general contents in your notebook (Box #32 – cookbooks, Box #33 – baking items, rolling pin).
And on one easy to find page, start listing all the wonderful things you can think of about your husband (and maybe even your kids). When annoyed (and, believe me, you will be), refer to this list as a reminder of how much you love this man and how happy you are to have this life together.
I didn’t have time to read everyones comments, so sorry if I repeat what they’ve already said.
1. Pray Novena to St Joseph. Pray every day to your gaurdian angels and to the angels of the potential buyers. Ask them to help them to like it, to feel at home when they are there. I kept praying like this: God you know what I can handle, please help me!
2. De-clutter!!! I know it can be hard, but minimize those extra things that look cluttered, including toys. It’s amazing how little children really need to be entertained. Keep one cupboard for crafty things, paper, crayons, sissors, etc…then one box of toys.
3. Clean kitchen and bathroom every night before bed, so if that call comes early, you are ready.
4. Get kids in the car, buckled in and then run back in and run like mad picking up and straightening up.
5. Buy those brownies that you just pop into the oven, it’s like a premade batter…the smell will sell it, if no time, get a little pot-pouri pot and simmer something cinnamony.
We will all pray for you too!!!
I forgot to say, bake those brownies as soon as you get that call, if time. (ask for that hour notice) And take the kids shopping, to a pet store, to a park, just for a drive, take them to Adoration for a short visit, in and out. Hang out at a neighbors home!
Here is my advice…..
1. Try For Sale by Owner…you get alot more $$ out of your house and you are in total control of the showings.
2. I bought pretty napkins/placemats to make our table look nice and put them out for every showing. Having fresh flowers is nice too.
3. Don’t forget to leave all the lights on in the house!
4. Stuffing things away works the first time, but when a buyer comes back for a second showing, they are REALLY looking so take the extra time to cover all your bases.
5. Do not stay in the house during showings–and send all valuables to a trusted relative/friend.
6. Personally, I think Open Houses are a joke. All they are is an opportunity for ALL your neighbors to come look at your house. Waste of time and energy!
7. We packed alot and stacked boxes in the garage. Lots of friends advised against this but no one cared–potential buyers know you are moving and most garages aren’t that pretty anyways!
8. Some fresh paint/new carpet/new outdoor fixtures can make a huge difference! After 7 years, our house looked the best it had in a long time–I only wished I had done it sooner rather than when we were leaving!
9. The right buyer will come so be patient! I know it is hard but this is only temporary!
Ohh one more thing–we cleaned and shut the door to all the bathrooms except one MUCH EASIER!!
Blessings to you!
We just moved last month. And our old house closed the month before… so we were in transition for awhile. I agree with all of those who said it is hard. YES it is. But doable. Definitely.
Packing up almost all of the toys is essential. That can’t be stressed enough!
I didn’t see this one mentioned, but we had a “centralized showing service” that would call and ask if the showing time was convenient. I set our preferences to “2 hour notice with a 1 hour window” They HAD to give us 2 hours to clean, and they could only see the house for 1 hour. Really, it only takes 5-10 minutes inside a house to decide if you like it…. do I really need to be away with my 5 children for two hours??
Prayers for you!
🙂
We had our home on the market for 8 months. Praise God, we did sell it. But, with 6 kids there was a tremendous amount of suffering involved!!! I could see the souls fly up to Heaven from Purgatory as we frantically cleaned and straightened. We bent over backwards for the potential buyers. I think we only declined one or two lookers. We are now on our last week in a rental home which has its own set of issues…Maybe it’s me????
I used to think I was flexible, now…not so much. Now we await a long enough thaw so that we can get a driveway and sidewalks in so that we can move into our new home! We are still praying for St. Joseph’s intercession!
Anyway, ditto what everyone else said. We did eventually have to remove most of our religious art, (admittedly, I have alot). I really think I would’ve felt better had we just decided to do this from the beginning than to hear comments from buyers. Hopefully, some hearts were touched anyway.
We stored a lot of our toys and all of our Christmas decorations and baby stuff that we are not using. I was flattered when people commented how great the house looked and they couldn’t believe 6 kids loved there.
May God bless you on this journey. I hope it is short and sweet!
My Mother in Law moved (between rented) houses/farms with 10 children 12 times over a 5 year period – when I heard the stories we had only been going out about 8 months and I honestly thought she was insane (there is a big haulage benifit when you have 8 boys!) now married and moved interstate with 2 under 3 you just do what you have to! It won’t be forever.
I agree with other mothers who have said
*** Pray the St Joseph Novena!!!! it really works and dig a hole in the back yard and bury a medal/statue of him there***
1) leave out one mass outfit and a weeks worth of clothes
2) pack away all non essential toys
3) send valuables to rels/friends you trust
4) clear off bench tops etc
4) send as much to storage as you can – it will make the cupboards and general house space look bigger!
We did it the easy way – all due to St. Jospeh, we could not have planned this: we moved into a rental. Seriously. There was no way, no way we could have done the repairs to our small house and kept it clean with 5 kids and me pregnant (and sick). I know the stress of just keeping the house in show condition and doing the normal homemaking, homeschooling would have greatly strained family relations. That or we would never have sold the house.
St. Joseph arranged for us to get a very good deal on rent and we slowly moved everything over and kept alot of stuff in boxes. My husband could do the repairs and cleaning of our former abode without pressure. The house sold about 5 months later. In the meantime the owners of the large house we were renting decided to sell – to us. So we didn’t have to move again (but we were ready to if needed) and I, like Danielle, am going to die here.
Perhaps you could put the word out that you are available for house sitting. Or just talk up your problem here and there. Someone might come up with an unusual solution. In our area there are quite a few second homes that were not occupied year round.
Hope all goes well for you.
We’ve moved more times than I care to recount here, overseas, cross country with as many as six kids in tow and the best trick I had was to keep an empty laundry basket on hand and if an unexpected showing popped up–I grabbed that basket and gathered up any miscellaneous items, tossed it in my trunk, buckled in the kids and headed out for a drive during the showing. That basket was my safety net. A place to toss things quickly and deal with them later.
That being said, you never can tell how things will work out. We were terribly concerned with one of our houses that showings be arranged in advance and that we receive a phone call prior to each showing. Well, wouldn’t you know it, we were all out of the house one day and called home to check messages only to find out that a showing had been scheduled AND had already happened! We raced home to find that while the house wasn’t a disaster, there were some dishes in the sink, some laundry on the floor and a few unmade beds–but that showing sold our house–for the full asking price no less!
Let God provide for you, and don’t sweat the small stuff.
God Bless!
Awesome tips, many we’ve used! Ten children, many little ones underfoot, had to keep the house spic and span for two years (Yeah, “years”!) then moved twice in the span of two years. Decluttering is all important, in general. But, a quick de-cluttering, I kept empty laundry baskets handy. For a last- minute showing, run around and throw all the flotsam and jetsam into baskets. We threw our baskets of junk into the back of the van before we left on a rosary drive during showings. But you could stow them in the back of a closet or basement, etc, as well. Also, St. Frances Xavier Cabrini is a wonderful heavenly helper in any kind of financial transaction. We added prayers to her along with St. Joseph… And St. Jude, St. Rita, St. Anthony, Our Lady of Loreto…
We did the house showing thing for longer than anticipated a little over five years ago. Though we were sometimes given only minutes notice before a showing we would drop everything and make sure that the toys were up before we ran out the door. As others have stated we had strict rules about things being cleaned up before bed and again first thing in the morning. It wasn’t too bad once we got a handle on things being clean and only minor straitening was needed. As for where to go, we usually ended up at a fast food restaurant with a playroom, even if we only purchased a couple cartons of milk the kids had fun playing and the showing times went by quickly. Though we tried not to schedule showings around nap times ( which became scheduled during this time) there were occasions that this was not possible. I found that a couple pillows and blankets in the car worked wonderfully. I would declare quiet time in the car as I drove ( quiet music could be played if total quiet is too much ) Most showings took less than an hour so we were back home before we knew it. Of course along with others, I do recommend the St. Joseph novena .
When we moved, I would strap the 3 littles in their carseats in the car which was in the garage, then run through the house and finish picking up.
Then I would take them to a nearby McDonald’s to play for a little while.
This comes at a great time for me as I just had my fourth two weeks ago and we’re in the process of moving ourselves.
The best part about my situation is that we’re building our new home so as the attic has been finished, I’ve packed up a few boxes at a time to move over there. Most of the toys are packed so this makes picking up very easy.
My best advice is to ask for help and accept it whenever it’s offered. I’ve had several packing parties where a number of friends have come over to help me while I hired a sitter to watch the kids. It’s very humbling, but because I was pregnant, I had to have help.
Most importantly, I’ve had to let my perfectionism go. It’s okay if someone comes to look at the house right now. I just had a baby for goodness sakes AND I’m moving. They can look past the boxes and stacks of diapers…that”s just life right now.
I can’t add anymore to what everyone else has said. I should confess that the one time we had to sell our house while taking care of 3 under 3 I moved myself and the kids in with my mom while Husband stayed and took care of the sale. Four months never passed so slowly!!!!
So, I would just like to agree with all of the other ladies who said “it’s only temporary” whatever you have to put up with will pass eventually!
Oh…and I agree with the lady who said make brownies, but would like to add that place and bake chocolate chip cookies work great too! Everyone loves the smell of chocolate chips cookies! Or if you are going to be out for multiple showings, consider a bread machine!
This is an urgent prayer request for Melissa Hackeny, a young woman fighting for her life. Please visit my blog for more info. Sorry this comment is not about the topic, but Melissa really needs prayers. Thank you!
We’ve move two times with kids and both times I was pregnant and my husband was gone M-F out of state at the new job. Once with 3 (ages 4, 18 mos & 6 mos) and two years later with 4 kids, 3 of whom where under 3). Phew. Overall I didn’t find it eventually the house will sell etc. The hardest part was getting the house ready. Ditto on packing as much as possible as soon as possible. You’ll be amazed at how few toys and clothes the kids need. Right b4 a showing I too would buckle the kids in the car and leave them in the garage while I ran around and did last minute cleaning. Personally I would never refuse a showing no matter how inconvenient. The market is too precarious to refuse a showing. The goal is to sell asap and that can only happen if you let folks in to see the house.
I have done this a number of times with little children, pregnant and husband living across the country, etc. I highly recommend what everyone lese says about packing up your stuff and moving it into storage (as much as possible without looking weird) and pray like crazy to St. Joseph. Alot depends on the market, but I have seen God work in amazing ways in bad and good markets with out family. Here are some ideas that might not have been mentioned:
1. Have children sleep in top of made beds with a blanket. Have an empty toy box in one bedroom where you can throw the blankets in the morning and run out of the house if necessary.
2. If you are showing your house alot–(this is going to sound crazy but it works) Bath and dress the children in their clothes the night before so when they wake in the morning they are ready to go and you have less to wash (it is only temporary).
3. Spot repaint all your dirty walls where your children have left fingerprints.
4. Only use paper plates, cups, plastic forks, etc. So clean up is fast after meals.
5. Have children play in only one room during the day.
God Bless
We are doing this SAME very thing right now. Thanks so much for the comments. The novena to St. Joseph starts FRIDAY- his feast day is March 15th!!!!!
http://www.ewtn.com/Devotionals/novena/joseph.htm
We had just had baby #5, oldest was 10, when a dear friend announced his engagment and my husband told him not to put his house on the market— we would buy it. When I say just I mean it was near my 6 week check up after a CSect! Luckily it was winter still and he wasn’t in too much of a rush. So my best advice is email everyone you know to see who they know that would love your house.
I packed a box a day of unnecessary things and then started on what seemed necessary. We took a walk when there was a showing, the house looked wonderful because I worked like crazy. Finally we decided since we were getting such a good deal and didn’t want to hold up our friend that we’d carry a large mortage for a while and buy his before ours sold.
In the middle of the move a couple came to see the house. It was sold looking horrible— do you know what’s behind your fridge, or all the way under the bunk bed?
Anyway best advice is not to sweat what you can’t control anyway then reward the kids after the move. We put every hidden-away toy in one room and let them have their messy, fun room for a whole year. The toys seemed new and I could concentrate on other rooms.
Scrolling through, I didn’t see my suggestion…which is…
Buy a trailer, and use it during your move.
We’ve done the cross country thing with 4 kids under 5, 6 kids under 12 and 8 kids (can’t complain @ that last one – the teens were awesome)
It especially is helpful for small kids, who treat it like home, and feel more comfy there than staying with friends or in a motel. You can even use it during the showings, as a last minute place to hide with familiar toys and a tv.
For a little kid, the move is particularly difficult to understand. Because we have an autistic son, we wrote him little stories that he could read explaining what was going to happen in pretty big detail. But all our kids loved those little storybooks, and they are easier to amke than you think if you use the ocmputer. You can even take pics of the new and old home, library, church, grocery, etc. and have a story book for the whole family to look at.
We also made some good-bye books with pictures of their favorite friends and places for the friends to sign. These are still cherished by my older ones.
Oh, and if you are homeschooling? Set a date after which you will not feel guilty about taking an extended vacation. THe kids will learn alot as you travel anyway.
Wow! Reading everyone’s responses, I realize I am in good company. Being in the military, we have moved 6 times in 15 years and are about to move again. the first move, we had one child with another due, and now, we have seven and are embarking upon our seventh move! Just a big reminder that we are like the Israelites-on a journey, on the move until we reach the promised land. With each move, I dreaded the work involved and wondered how we’d get through it, but the human person is so resilient and resourceful in a time of need for such qualities…in short, what doesn’t kill you will ultimately strengthen you and make you better for whatever comes next.
All of our houses were either base housing or rentals so I haven’t had to worry about selling a house, but we did have inspections. My husband is retired now from the military, and we are working on being able to qualify for a mortgage in the future. My points for responding is to comment on how wondedrful it is to have a forum where moms can help each other in this way, (thank you Danielle, and I loved your latest book, Mom to Mom Support for Catholic Living, which I passed on to a younger mom who struggles).
All the ideas on moving with kids are so great and I plan to use many of them in this next move in eight weeks. We canot buy a house at this time, but God has been so wonderful in letting us find this HUGE rental in the meantime, which I am so happy about. We have had to cope with cramped quarters for so long that it is going to be like moving in a palace. It is also an answer to prayer about whether or not to homeschool our children-I asked the Lord for a big, big house with lots of room to homeschool-and whala-we found this one complete with a park right across the street!
My tip for moving-if you’re moving across the country, or even across town–pack and move the necessary contents of your kitchen and bathrooms and bring them with you in a U-haul, so that you will be able to set up essentials at your next destination and be able to function right away(toaster, can opener, a few pots and pans silverware, plastic bowls, plates and cups, towels, etc..) Kids can bring their favorite pillows and blankets with them for a touch of home/security at a time of change. As soon as you know you’re moving begin packing right away so that all of it is not left to the end when it’s most stressful. Have mercy on everyone-stress during a move is bad enough without snapping and sniping. Everyone take a deep breath, (it gives a fresh supply of oxygen to the brain and you can think more clearly!) Thanks to all who offered thier tips, it will certainly help us even though we are veteran movers!