Hi. I'm not a mum and don't have kids but been reading this thread and have a LOT of genuine sympathy for everyone here trying to sell.
I've been trying to sell my own property since March this year with only two viewings. I've reduced my price a few times and got it down to as low as I and the estate agent think it should go. I've emptied the house of all furniture too, except for a garden chair, TV and bed ! So I can safely say there's no clutter :)
An interesting comment my estate agent made, along the lines of my own thoughts, is that he doesn't think I should drop the price any more. It's more about the fact that there just aren't the buyers in my neighbourhood at the moment. Those few properties that do sell, sell for a reasonable price.
I can see the point too. There's all this talk of it being a no-brainer that if your property doesn't sell the price is too high - which of course is true in many cases and a lot of people are definitely unrealistic and expecting too much in a depressed market - but it isn't the sole answer. If there aren't fish in the river then they won't bite your hook, no matter how tasty the bait.
I'm at the end of my teather wondering how to sell my place. The estate agent is talking of an open day, but to me it's laughable. I'd be standing there with lambrini and nibbles and waiting and waiting ! How depressing.
I've got permission to let on my mortgage but am really reluctant to go this route, because to make it worthwhile it needs to be a long-term commitment with the risk of people trashing the place, plus the difficulty of 'voids' and especially when I want to sell again and paying for two properties while it's on the market.
So folks, I have sympathy and wish you all the best. I'll be watching for any new ideas !