Tips to prepare for home showings - Look through the buyer’s eyes!

[ddevalle]

Catch them at the curb

Do everything you can to enhance the drive-up or curb appeal.
*Keep the yard well groomed and trimmed. Are planting areas weeded? Are dead plants removed? Are plants blocking any windows? Is it time to plant new flowering species?
*Check around the perimeter of the house. Are garbage cans stored? Are building materials or wood scraps visible?
*Are gutters cleaned out?
*Is the patio or deck cleared of all items? It’s time to store those items in the garage or temporary storage.
*Is the front walk swept?
*Does the front entrance need to be painted? Are there a couple of pots filler with colorful blooming flowers by the front door?
*What about the door mats? Should they be replaced?

Start packing now - create more space
*Create space. Remove some of the furniture. Rooms will appear larger.
*Create more space. Take at least half of the clothes out of your closets. Remove even more items off your kitchen counter.
*Can anything be removed from the kitchen cabinets now?
*Is there anything that a buyer may want as part of the house?
*Are the garage and storage areas as clean and neat as they should be?


Remove all traces of you from your home
*Make your home “neutral” to remove the possible discomfort of others caused by a feeling of intrusion upon you.
*A family portrait or two may add warmth and character, but be careful to limit the number.
*Avoid trendy color schemes. Paint and carpet should remain in the neutral shades of white or beige.
*Clear refrigerator front of messages and pictures.
*Keep only your most needed cosmetics, brushes, perfume. Store those items in the cabinet. Coordinate towels to only one or two neutral colors.

Clean, Clean, Clean
*Clean like you’ve never cleaned before. Keep the windows spotless. Hire a cleaning service if you must.
*Does the carpet need cleaning?
*Is there absolutely no clutter? Is everything organized? Is there any dust?
*Do the bathrooms sparkle?

Fix it
*When taking pictures off the walls to neutralize the house, patch and paint if necessary.
*What about the window screens? Do they need to be replaced?
*Do the windows work properly?
*Tighten any loose knobs or faucets.
*Make sure the porch light and door bell are working.

Day of, the little things make a difference
Just before the agent shows the house:
*Close the garage door.
*Park the kids and the pets with a neighbor.
*Put away the kids' toys.
*Turn on all the lights, and open all the curtains. Exception: Leave the curtains drawn if the
window looks out on a wall with graffiti or another eyesore.
*If there's a smoker in the house, remove ashtrays and other evidence of tobacco. (Leading up to showings try to limit smoking to outdoors.)
*Use an air freshener if the house doesn't already smell fresh. But don't bother if there's a nice
cooking aroma from the kitchen.
*Turn off appliances.
*Is very soft music playing in the background?
*Is the house temperature comfortable? A cozy fire in the fireplace on a cold winter day is a nice touch.

Keeping a house in “showing condition” can be time consuming and stressful, but the rewards can be great and hopefully will bring the right buyer with the best possible offer quickly.

[avonreal]

usefull tips. what i've learned from the tv shows is that most people think that theirs and the buyers taste is the same, so they don't see a need to use neutral colors, furniture etc.

[NealRM]

Good tips, you would be suprised at the number of times we go into a home to take the initial photos and there is garbage on the floor, or the house is generally a mess. The owner knows we are stopping by on a specific day and the photos will be the potential buyers first impression, but some do not seem to care.

I'll add a few comment of my own:

Neutral colors are boring and lumps your house in with all the others. Color when done well can really increase the price of a home, when done poorly it can also hurt your sales prospects. Before painting talk with a home stager, he/she can help you choose a good color for your house.

If you smoke in your house, prepair to take a hit on the price. The smell is in the carpet, the furniture and on the walls. Trying to cover the smell with purfume only makes things worse. The best you can do is to remove the furtiture, have the carpets professional cleaned and have the walls sealed and repainted. I smoker won't notice the smell but a non-smoker will know the second the front door is opened.

[lillihammer]

It definitely works! All my listings that have made necessary changes and created a "model home" have received offers within a week and that's in a slow market!

[Morristown]

good tips, You might want to post them in a blog.

[Smuck]

Catch them at the curb...

Nice points ddevalle. And it all starts with great listing photos.

[jasoncrouch]

Good tips. Most of it is common sense to those of us in real estate, but it is remarkable how few homeowners have a grasp of this information. I have noticed a change over the past couple of years, as shows on HGTV and TLC have become more popular. Several recent clients have talked with me about staging and "decluttering" their homes. I think having a good staging professional is important these days for listing agents. I had a great one who moved to Florida and we are hoping to find a good replacement soon.

[escapeso]

I like the clean, clean, clean one. Its nice because it doesnt require any money from the sellers. But it makes a huge difference for buyers.

[AndrewRE]

Yeah curb appeal is really important, no matter how nce the inside of your house is nobody will know if they don't go in because the outside is a mess. Things as simple as nice landscaping and a nice brass door handle, will make a good first impression.

[murphystevej]

I totally agree (but I am biased). What many sellers don't seem to understand is that houses have appreciated beyond the range of a single earner family. So, by definition, you have dual earner families as your customer base. Dual earner families do not have the time to repaint, fix-up or renovate. They want their home in move in condition.