So you’re ready to sell your home. You’ve got your realtor, put your home on the market and the calls have started rolling in from potential buyers. Stressful! Potential buyers are coming through your home and you’re trying to impress them. Don’t let this overwhelm you, because I’ve got some basic steps to keep your home ready for showings anytime.
Make the bed
This may seem like an obvious one, but sometimes it’s overlooked. Buyers want to see a home that they can picture themselves living in, and part of that is making sure it’s put together. Making a bed is an easy way to make a room, that may not be “white-glove” clean, appear a little bit cleaner.
Make it smell good
Buyers, again, want to be able to picture moving into the home and it being theirs right away. They don’t want to walk-in and immediately feel like they have to scrub away smells lingering in their new-to-them home. Light a great smelling candle or buy some plug-ins for the wall to make sure buyers aren’t distracted by a strange smell.
Put away valuables
This isn’t so much for the buyers as it is for you. I would advise anyone listing their home to remove valuables or put them out-of-sight. Everyone who comes into your home for a showing should be supervised by a real estate agent, and it shouldn’t be an issue. However sometimes things happen.
Put away clutter
Clutter can be a showing enemy. It’s best to leave your home in a way that allows buyers to see it with as little distractions as possible. If you have a built in bookcase, and it’s stuffed with personal items, it can be difficult for a buyer to visualize the options they have with their own treasures. Sellers with kids may find this challenging, but putting away toys and other items will open up the floor-space.
Clean up high traffic areas
The highest traffic areas in most homes are the kitchen, living room and the bathrooms. If you only have a few minutes to get out the door before a showing, I highly recommend a quick clean up. Wipe down the counters, and pick-up prominent areas before tackling anything else. These rooms can be deal-breakers for potential buyers.
One last piece of advice when listing your home is to stay on top of these basic steps even if there is no showing scheduled. The more you stay “showing ready,” even when there are no appointments made, the less stressful it will be when there is an appointment.
If you want more showing advice, or are ready to sell your home contact Sherry today!
