Selling your home is an inconvenient process! Prospective buyers typically want to come either over the weekend and during evening hours. These are usually the times when families are together and are trying to enjoy each others company. Here are a few tips to try to minimize your stress:
1. Each day prepare the home, if at all possible, as if you were going to have a showing. This way if you leave for work and you receive a call that someone wants to see the home, you know it's in top shape. Even if you're at home with the kids, preparing what you can early in the day will minimize any stress when you receive a phone call that someone wants to view the property.
2. Fresh fruit on the table and fresh flowers are always a plus. Be a little sparing with floral sprays and scents as buyers might assume you are trying to cover an unpleasant odor.
3. We all love our pets. If at all possible its best not to have them around during showings. A barking dog can be a distraction, and some agents will not even enter a home if a dog is loose in the home. Small children can easily leave a door ajar allowing a cat to escape. If you must leave them at home, please consider using a cage to keep them safe and confined.
4. Soft music certainly can add to the overall atmosphere. Please select easy listening music which will appeal to the vast majority of buyers.
5. Lights on and shades up! Prospective buyers love to see homes flooded with light.
6. Avoid cooking any foods with very strong odors. Fish, cabbage or heavy spices can linger in a home long after the meal has been enjoyed.
7. If the weather is wet, please consider putting a large dark colored mat by the front door. Wet shoes or boots can easily dirty a prized foyer rug.
8. If you have attractrive photos of your yard, please consider displaying them on the kitchen counter or table. A garden in full bloom can really help a prospective buyer see what a yard will look like in the spring and summer.
9. Display informational material about your home or community. I provide my clients with custom marketing booklets geared to answer virtually all questions about the home and community.
10. Don't come back before the showing time slot is over! We want to encourage prospective buyers to remain in the home and visualize themselves living in it. Nothing will chase them away faster than seeing the owner come back home as the buyer feels he is invading the owner's privacy.
Want more information on preparing for a showing? Call or email me.
Marie Ippolito, Realtor/Broker The F. C. Tucker Company 1st Vice President Top Producer Top Ten Agent 317-409-4562
Website last modified January 21, 2012. All rights reserved. The material contained on this website cannot be copied or duplicated without the written permision of the author, Marie Ippolito.
