WHAT TO DO WHEN SHOWING YOUR HOUSE
By Christian Andréason - Bielstein
OK ... Rule # 1 ...
You always, always ... always want to keep your home in "showing" condition 24/7!
Why? Because you never know when "just the right buyer" is going to suddenly drop on by! And folks, let me tell you, it can happen in the blink of an eye! So don't let your guard down! And never think that people will be understanding of your "small messes." The truth is, whether consciously or subliminaly they will judge you harshly for them! So, if you are serious about selling ... always keep your home in pristine condition!
In order to get ready for a home showing, you will want to:
° remove all personal items from view, such as photos, diplomas, collectibles, etc...
Note: When having a potential buyer come to your home, you never want them to be able to identify with you more than they can see them selves living in your home. While you, me, your friends and family may enjoy all your pictures and collectibles, buyers can actually become hugely distracted by them. And rather than spending the short amount of time they have in your home wisely (imagining exactly where they might put their favorite piece of furniture) they will be trying to figure YOU out instead!
° keep bathrooms and the kitchen sparkling clean - this can be a deal killer when not taken seriously. buyers want their bathrooms and kitchens to appear as if they have been untouched! (minimalism is key when dealing with these rooms)
° keep the A/C or Heat on a comfortable setting ... no one likes walking into a house that is too hot or too cold ... they will leave as soon as possible
° keep all dishes washed and put away
° keep newspapers, magazines, pens and other knickknacks put away in drawers
° put dirty clothes WAY out of view
° Keep your closets well organized and thinned out so there is
ample room left over ... making your storage space appear larger ... a closet that is stuffed full sends a signal to the buyer that the house in question does not have enough ample space
° keep beds made
° keep mirrors, windows and cabinets clean
° keep carpets vacuumed and floors swept
° keep your garage oranized and clean! Allow no oil spots or worn walls
° keep the cat box clean (and out-of-site) & doggie "extras" off the grass
° keep children's toy area organized
° keep all trash cans empty and clean
° never allow someone to smoke inside your home
and never leave cigarette trays in view. The faintest smell of smoke
can make a huge number of buyers turn around and leave!
Including smokers them selves...
° while keeping your home is showing condition ... avoid frying foods or cooking with powerful herbs
HINT: Baking chocolate chip cookies before someone comes over (and leaving them out, along with cold bottled water for the taking) is always a good idea!!
When you are notified that a showing is about to take place, please make sure to:
1. Turn off your home alarm or make sure the agent has the current code!
Note: Few things are worse than a potential buyer coming into a home for the first time and a alarm (that you can hear for 6 city blocks, which no one knows how to shut off) is blaring! Meanwhile, the neighbors across the street see 3 strangers standing awkwardly in the house next door, so they run to get a fire arm (you complete the story...) Please, please, please make sure we have the alarm taken care of before potential buyers and their agent (who we want to remain friends with) is showing the house.
Oh, and there may be one other thing that is just as bad as the alarm issue that you want to avoid at all costs; that would be watching your potential buyer run down the street because your dog (who is just trying to do his or her job and protect the house) has scared the living daylights out of everyone so this leads me to request #2....
2. Please put all 4-legged friends (and other pets) safely out-of-sight, as well as their food bowls, beds, toys and litter boxes! Yes ... the fish bowl is perfectly fine!
Note: You may want to think about investing in a crate (for dogs and/or cats) that you can put safely in the garage and cover up with a blanket. This way when your house is being shown, your pets will be properly protected and shielded. It can be terribly distressing on an animal to see a whole series of strangers coming in and out of their home, and some pets can react unexpectedly. A few may even try to run away! Having a lady realtor, wearing full make-up, with cell phone in hand, attired in a black Armani suit, with huge gold loop earrings in each ear and 3 inch heals on her feet ... sprint like Wonder Woman while trying to catch a cat, (as it runs out the door to climb a tree next door) is actually not as uncommon as you might want to think. And let's just say that neither she, nor you or the buyer (not to mention the poor cat) ... will be very happy if it happens!
Another good reason to keep pets out of view, is some individuals may have allergies or an apprehension to animals. They may wonder whether or not they need to exterminate for fleas or replace the carpet and its pad, even if you have taken excellent care of it. Of course, if these ARE issues that need to be taken care of, then of course we would handle them before we had our first showing or open house. However, you don't want your potential buyers automatically deducting 'mental brownie points' before they have a chance to verify the existence of an actual problem; and unfortunately seeing obvious evidence of pets can do just that! And believe it or not, those who actually worry most about these type of issues tend to be pet owners themselves.
Oh, and here is another issue: make sure your neighbors keep their barking dogs under control while you are showing your house! I cannot stress this enough!! Many a sale has been lost due to a dog (or dogs) who bark non-stop during a showing. What most buyers do not realize is, the dog is just doing what it thinks is his or her job; they are protecting their family and territory by warning "strangers" that they are aware of them.
So if this is an issue for you, and you can't seem to hold the interest of a buyer for long while the dog is "singing" next door, try asking your neighbors to kindly bring in their overly protective helpers and see if that doesn't help things out a bit.
3. Take up all personal effects you have around the house such as wallets, purses, money, medications, important papers and toiletries such as your toothbrush, make-up, hair brushes, etc.
4. Open the drapes and turn on all the lights that "brighten" your home & MAKE SURE THE HOUSE IS LEFT AT A COMFORTABLE TEMPATURE!
Buyers (and their agents) will not stay long in an uncomfortable house. And they especially appreciate it when they do not have to turn on bathroom, utility room or closet lights.
5. Be prepared to leave the property BEFORE the agent shows it to his or her client. This is One of the BIGGEST Home Selling Rules EVER!
It is ALWAYS best to leave while the other agents show your home.
Not only will this effort on your part help the buyers to relax, they will be able to better imagine themselves as the potential new owner. If you "THE OWNER" are present, the buyer WILL feel uncomfortable and wonder whether or not they are invading your time and space. The last thing you want is for a buyer to have stressful feelings created while they were actually in your home! Rather, you want the moment to be as *magical* and comfortable for them as possible!
So whenever possible, always seek to leave before the potential buyers actually arrive. And be warned ... an agent can call a showing service and be at your house no less than a minute after you get a courtesy call. So always be ready to go at a moments notice ... and ... if you should see the touring agent and his clients (as you are walking out the door) smile and be friendly, but say as little as possible. Let me (your agent) do all your talking for you.
If anyone has any questions, I (or a member of my staff) is only a phone call away.
Wishing You A Home Filled With Heart!
Christian
© 2007 Christian Andréason |