So, Your Home is Ready for Showings… Now What?
Your home is being “interviewed” by the potential buyer. Use these tips to ensure its best features are displayed.
- Open the draperies, pull up the shades and let in the sunlight. Rooms bathed in sunlight appear bigger and have a positive impact on buyers.
- Install higher wattage light bulbs to show your home brightly—in its best light. Turn on all lights.
- Remove or secure all valuables
- Close Garage Door, remove cars from driveway
- Consider playing background classical music
- Remove all “clutter” from each room. Remove things such as coats, shoes, clothing, pet toys, pet food bowls, trash cans, toys, child safety barriers, play pens, etc. Keep all nonessential items off the floor so that the room doesn’t appear cluttered. Uncluttered rooms look bigger.
- Make sure beds are made with bedspreads smoothed out. Also, linens and curtains should be fresh and clean. Keep laundry out of sight.
- Organize closets, remove unnecessary items and put them in storage. Large closets sell houses and a well organized closet looks much bigger than one crammed with clutter.
- Dust and vacuum floors often. Don’t leave soiled towels lying around. Wipe showers after each use. Recaulk the caulking if not spotlessly white.
Carefully evaluate your home with a critical eye for small details that may detract from its beauty
- Create a positive mood.
- Turn on all lights—day or night. Open the curtains during the day.
- If it is cold outside, build a fire in the fireplace.
- If it’s summertime, keep your home cool.
- Open doors to areas you want the buyer to see such as walk-in closets, pantries, etc. Make sure those areas are neat.
- Place an air freshener inside closets.
- Close all other closet doors and cabinets.
- Water and prune indoor plants. Less hearty ones should be kept out of sight.
- Keep pets out of the way, preferably out of the house. Some buyers do not like animals or their odors and they may raise undue concerns about the condition of carpeting.
- Keep in mind that we know how to present your home in the best light and skillfully answer questions about the home. It is helpful if you can arrange to be absent during the showing of your home. Buyers are more comfortable and candid if the owners are not present.
- If you must be home, be courteous but do not force the conversation with the buyer.
- Never apologize for the condition of the home. Let the trained salesperson answer any objections about the condition of your home.
- To enhance the atmosphere in your kitchen and make the perspective buyer feel like a welcome guest, use the subliminal appeal of warm and friendly scents, such as the smell of bread baking in the oven.
- Finally, play soft music during the showing of the home.
Turn off television sets..
