Chicago might be nicknamed the “Second City,” but it’s the number one place to live for young families. Top-ranked schools, world-class museums, great transportation, and plenty of family and dog parks are millennial magnets. The trick is making your home just as appealing for these young families.
People looking to move to Chicago know it can be a cold and windy city during certain times of the year. Still, Chicago is a great place to live all year long. Before putting your house on the market, point out ways for couples with kids to say, “we need that.”
Check out these tips for making your home more appealing to young families.
Yard and Guard
The first thing any buyer sees is the front yard. Thick green grass is a selling point for any home, and lawns in Chicago are generally filled with cool-season grasses like Kentucky bluegrass, fescues, and ryegrass. These are sturdy turf grasses that stand up well to high foot traffic from kids and pets. Mow the lawn weekly (or before a house showing) to keep the sod looking nice and untrampled.
If you don’t have a fence around your property, build one. It’s a true selling point for parents who want to keep their children safe from the prying eyes of strangers. Dogs (and most young families have at least one) get more exercise when they’re able to run free around the yard.
Swing sets, slides, basketball hoops, and other outdoor toys let parents know the house and neighborhood are safe places to play (especially fenced-in yards). In summer, set out a portable pool and sandbox (even if you don’t have kids to use them). Show potential buyers how the yard is a personal playground.
Gardens filled with colorful flowers and vegetables provide a look at simple suburban living with outdoor activities that families can do together. Place feeders in the backyard for migrating birds. Schedule house visitations in late summer and early fall when the garden is near ready for harvest.
Indoor Attractions
Children need room to play. Bedrooms are okay, but houses with basements, family rooms, lofts, or playrooms are perfect for kids who will fill the place with noise and activity. Before listing your home for sale — turn a room into a play space. Dress it up with sports paraphernalia like a Chicago Cubs World Series pennant or Blackhawks hockey puck. Show off kids’ play areas as lived in, not cluttered.
Indoor office space is a big draw for today’s homebuyers, especially parents who need a quiet place to pay bills, charge phones and laptops, play on social media, and make plans for family time. If the house doesn’t have a dedicated room or office, buy a couple of room dividers to create an illusion of privacy. Staging a home office with neutral colors, natural light, organized storage space, and desk lights give buyers a look at what could be their own personal space.
More Marketing Tips
Let buyers know how great your home is by making it more welcoming.
- Place a doormat at the front door
- Deep clean everything! Remove pet items and odors
- Take out the clutter, especially in closets. (Buyers with families need a lot of space, they want to know the house can hold all their stuff)
- Store personal items. (Let buyers visualize themselves and their own stuff in the house
- Smarten up the house with Wi-Fi and Artificial Intelligence
- Set out neighborhood fliers to note nearby parks, restaurants, libraries, schools, playgrounds, and the like.
Many of these young families will be first-time homebuyers. It’s all about being sure their kids are safe and happy. Prepping the house for today’s market is knowing what features will make these young families want to sign on that dotted line.
Andrea Martinez is a travel and landscape writer raising six children. She’s constantly on the move looking for the best places for exploring or living near nature’s finest. She’s moved across the country four times.