Home "Show Ready" In an Hour

Uh oh, you just got the phone call, buyers want to look at your house this evening!! These quick tips with get your home prepared for buyers to be saying “lets make an offer”!

·        Make All the Beds:

An unmade bed is visually distracting, having sloppy sheets and pillows thrown across the bed makes the room appear smaller and naturally draws the eye. Try to tuck all of the pieces in so there is no overhang. Usually the layers of your bed are different colors, having them show will give the perception of sloppiness. Making the bed will make the room seem more organized, and shows you care about your belongings. This sends a message to the buyers that if you take care of your things you probably take care of the house as well. Leaving them unmade, almost unintentionally tells the potential buyer “I don’t really care”.

·        Hide All Personal Items:

Pictures of your family:

1.      You don’t want people to see them. Remove family photos when your home is listed primarily to make sure strangers aren’t peeping at your pictures. If pictures are hanging, I can assure you buyers are going to look at them. You won’t want someone making a low ball offer on your home because “you went to high school with them, so you will give them a good deal” (actual scenario).

Physical Items:

2.      You don’t want people to steal them. This doesn’t happen often, but the last thing you want is to come home and find grandmas pearls gone! Putting them away ensures that the opportunity for your important items going missing is mitigated.

·        Make Sure Sinks are Clean:

Sinks get messy quickly. You wash dishes in them, you brush your teeth in them, and you clean up messes in them. Give them a quick wipe down and move on! Clearing the area around the sink will also help the space be less distracting, you want buyers to look at your home not your things.

·        Clean Toilets, Put Lids Down:

This one is self-explanatory, it can also be a little embarrassing if you don’t give them a quick cleaning…

·        Turn on All of the Lights:

Turning on all of the lights is best to showcase your home, everything looks better when well lit. Even if it’s the middle of the day and the sun is shining in through the windows lights will make everything appear glowy!

·        Make Sure the House Smells Good:

Smell is the number one killer of homes and the first thing buyers notice. “It smells like cats in here”. Burn candles if you plan to return right after the showing (its also good for setting the mood), or spritz some Febreze. If you are ambitious, bake cookies prior to the showing so the home smells like fresh baked goodies! However, don’t over do it. You want it to smell nice, but it does not need to smell like stepping into a Bath & Body Works.

·        Pet Litter Boxes Out of Sight:

Putting these in the garage or basement is best for a showing. Buyers always notice if a litter box is inside and tend to be bothered by it. It may be difficult to move (out of consideration for your cats) but accommodate if possible.

·        Sweep Front Entry Way, Clean Mat:

Your front door is your buyers first impression of the home. While an entry way wont kill the sale, walking into a nicely cleaned foyer says to the buyers “this is my home, I hope you like it”. Sweeping the mats will initiate buyers to take their shoes off. Implying you take care of your home will be more enticing for buyers to want to purchase it.

·        Clean All Mirrors:

Mirrors make rooms larger and more feng shui. They are also notorious for catching dust, and hair, and teeth brushing residue- clean these up to make the space look more put together!

·        Vacuum and Sweep Floors:

Having freshly cleaned floors will have the buyers thinking that the home is well maintained. If you have pets, be sure to vacuum the corners and any transitions from room to room they tend to collect hair more than the flat main part of the floor. This will also help reduce any undesired smells.