Showing Your Home

When the realtor calls to set up an appointment to show your home, more than likely you’ll want to begin organizing any clutter and taking care of last minute cleaning and touch-ups before the showing. Having the home in tip-top condition when potential buyers take a tour could make the difference between receiving an offer and losing a sale, and there are a number of last-minute ways to make the home more appealing to buyers. These easy tips will help make the rooms in your home seem larger, cleaner, and you’ll make your house feel more inviting during a showing.

Lighting

Lighting is more important than many people realize when showing a home, and if you want the rooms in your home to look as large as possible, turn on the lights or open the shades before each showing. If necessary, exchange low-wattage light bulbs with higher wattage room enhancing bulbs to bring out the colors in your d�©cor. The rooms in the home will look large and bright, and potential buyers will easily be able to see what the home has to offer.

Fresh Scents

There’s nothing worse than the smell of stale cigarettes, kitchen trash, cat box aromas, cooking odors, and musty scents. Before showing your home to buyers, make sure animal areas are clean, empty all ashtrays if you smoke indoors, take out the trash, and strategically place odor-neutralizing air fresheners throughout your home.

If you’re a smoker, consider stepping outside to smoke while trying to sell your home. In addition, avoid cooking pungent smelling foods such as onions, fish, and cabbage well in advance of a showing. If you receive a last-minute request for a showing, you won’t have to rush to air out your home before the realtor and prospective buyers arrive.

If you really want to give your home a pleasant scent and a homey feel, consider buying ready-to-bake cinnamon rolls, and prepare a batch shortly before showing the home. Place the hot steaming rolls on a platter, and creatively display them on the kitchen counter. Not only will your home smell like sweet and tasty cinnamon rolls during a showing, but the fresh baked treats will also give your kitchen irresistible charm and appeal.

Quick Touch Ups

When trying to sell your house, it’s important to keep up with regular cleaning so when your realtor calls for a showing, your residence is in top-notch condition. Many people with children request a 24 hour notice before a showing, and this allows for plenty of time to clean bathrooms, vacuum, dust, organize, and complete final touch-ups.

Although potential buyers are there to see the house and not your personal effects, having it clean and tidy makes a good overall impression and increases the likelihood of a successful showing. It demonstrates that you’ve properly cared for the house, and it conveys a message to potential buyers that working components are in good condition. If the home is in disarray during a showing, people considering the house might wonder if other problems exist that aren’t so apparent.

Pets

Cats aren’t usually a problem when guests arrive for a showing. When cats are afraid or feel threatened, they find a place to hide and they don’t make their presence known, but dogs react differently when strangers enter their territory. Locking a barking dog in the garage, or even leaving an aggressive dog roaming free in the backyard really isn’t a good idea. Serious buyers want to examine every area of the home, including the yard, and a problem pet could prevent them from fully examining your home. Dogs as well as cats are important members of the family, but when trying to sell a home, it’s important to take your dog along when you leave if he’s overly friendly, aggressive, or boisterous.