When your house is listed on the market, you want to make sure that it stays in tip-top shape because there will be people coming and going to check out your place. This may seem like a challenge, but if you stick to the following steps you will sell your home in no time!
1. Never turn down a showing: This may seem like an obvious suggestion, but many times when a house is occupied it takes a while for the interested buyer to see the home. You want to make sure you can step out on a moment’s notice. Not sure what to do? Have a book handy, go to the local coffee shop, and hang out until the showing is complete.
2. Leave the lights on: You want to make sure your home is bright and welcoming when someone walks in! Buyers decide within 30 seconds if they like the house. When the door is opened and the home is cheery, chances are the buyers will be cheery too.
3. Crank the AC: That is, if it’s hot outside! If a buyer walks into a warm home on a hot day, they may come to the conclusion that there are problems with circulation and air.
4. Stay “Show Worthy”: This may be the hardest part of the whole process. You need to make sure your house stays clean, and you also need to be sure there are no cooking odors, pet smells, wet towels in the bathroom, etc.
5. Tone down the kid’s rooms: If the kiddos room has a bunch of posters on the wall, this would be a good time to take them down.
6. Keep everything safe: Don’t create temptation by leaving expensive items on the coffee table, jewelry on the nightstand, or prescriptions on the bathroom counter. Although this doesn’t happen often, it DOES happen.
7. Make yourself scarce: Try not to be at home when there is a showing going on. You want to make sure the buyers can envision living in the home, not envision you living in the home.
8. Treat it like a business: The agent will be there to guide you every step of the way, and the agent will also handle the buyers until the keys are ready to be handed over.