Simple Tips for Better Home Showings

"You only have one chance to make a first impression"

A cliche, but so very true, especially with regards to selling your home. In a tough market like this one, where there is plenty of competition out there, it is even more important to wow buyers as soon as they walk in to your home. I can tell you from personal experience on both the buying and selling side what a difference a nicely staged home makes, which is why I spend a lot of time with my sellers to prepare their home before we put it on the market. (I spend an equal amount of time with my buyers trying to get them to look past decor and cosmetic issues with a poorly staged home) You can pick up lots of great ideas and get a feel for what a nicely staged home looks like from watching one of the many related TV shows on HGTV, but what I tell my clients is that we want their home to feel something like Pottery Barn does when you walk in: clean, uncluttered, simple lines and understated elegance. That does not mean you need to go out and buy new furniture or decor! Usually it is as simple as de-cluttering and rearranging pieces you already have.

Here are 18 tips for getting your house in tip-top shape before the first buyer walks through the door:

1. Remove clutter and clear off counters. Throw out stacks of newspapers and magazines and stow away most of your small decorative items. Store away personal photos and remove everything from the front of the fridge.  All flat surfaces should be cleared and empty of anything other than a few well-placed decorative items. Put excess furniture in storage, and remove out-of-season clothing items that are cramping closet space. Don’t forget to clean out the garage, too.
2. Wash your windows and screens. This will help get more light into the interior of the home. Along these same lines, make sure your blinds & drapes are always open to let in as much natural light as possible when you have a showing!
3. Keep everything extra clean. A clean house will make a strong first impression and send a message to buyers that the home has been well-cared for. Wash fingerprints from light switch plates, mop and wax floors, and clean the stove and refrigerator. Polish your doorknobs and address numbers. It’s worth hiring a cleaning service if you can afford it. 
4. Get rid of smells. Clean carpeting and drapes to eliminate cooking odors, smoke, and pet smells. Open the windows to air out the house. Potpourri or scented candles will help.
5. Brighten your rooms. Put higher wattage bulbs in light fixtures to brighten up rooms and basements, and make sure every light in the house is on during a showing. Replace any burned-out bulbs in closets. Clean the walls, or better yet, brush on a fresh coat of neutral color paint.
6. Don’t disregard minor repairs. Small problems such as sticky doors, torn screens, cracked caulking, or a dripping faucet may seem trivial, but they’ll give buyers the impression that the house isn’t well-maintained.
7. Tidy your yard. Cut the grass, rake the leaves, add new mulch, trim the bushes, edge the walkways, and clean the gutters. For added curb appeal, place a pot of bright flowers near the entryway and on any patio or deck. Get rid of that old swingset in the backyard.
8. Patch holes. Repair any holes in your driveway and reapply sealant, if applicable.
9. Add a touch of color in the living room. A colored afghan or throw on the couch will jazz up a dull room. Buy new accent pillows for the sofa.
10. Buy a flowering plant and put it near a window you pass by frequently.
11. Make centerpieces for your tables. Use brightly colored fruit or flowers.
12. Set the scene. Set the table with fancy dishes and candles, and create other vignettes throughout the home to help buyers picture living there. For example, in the basement you might display a chess game in progress.
13. Replace heavy curtains with sheer ones that let in more light. Show off the view if you have one.
14. Accentuate the fireplace. Lay fresh logs in the fireplace or put a basket of flowers or large pillar candles there if it’s not in use.
15. Make the bathrooms feel luxurious. Put away those old towels and toothbrushes. When buyers enter your bathroom, they should feel pampered. Add a new shower curtain, new towels, and fancy guest soaps. Make sure your personal toiletry items are out of sight.
16. Send your pets to a neighbor or take them outside. If that’s not possible, crate them or confine them to one room (ideally in the basement), and let the real estate practitioner know where they’ll be to eliminate surprises.
17. Lock up valuables, jewelry, and money. While a real estate salesperson will be on site during the showing or open house, it’s impossible to watch everyone all the time.
18. Leave the home. It’s usually best if the sellers are not at home. It’s awkward for prospective buyers to look in your closets and express their opinions of your home with you there.

Remember, a home that is staged to sell is most likely not the way you would typically live in it.  It means putting the coffee maker away every morning after using it and not leaving the mail sitting on the dining room table.  It is a little more effort and probably a bit of an inconvenience, but it will make a HUGE difference to potential buyers and get your home sold faster and for more money.  That makes it worth the effort in my opinion!