SHOWINGS THAT SELL CHECKLIST

As a licensed Realtor, I’m constantly giving advice to clients about how to best prepare their homes for showings. My recommendations don't just come from my profession, but are based on my own experience as a seller. Seriously, dressing your home for success is what will make the difference in the sales price and the time it stays on the market. You see, being a seller and being successful each time our home was on the market, depended on these steps: 

This can be anything from rooms overstuffed with bulky furniture, kitchen counters covered with appliances, to closets overflowing. All of these things distract from your home’s selling features. 

Since you will have to pack everything eventually anyways, clearing out the things that you can now, will make showings better and moving that much easier. When you pack, you will have to go through literally every item in your home. If you love it or regularly use it, keep it. If not, this is the perfect time to part with those things you really don’t need: sell items online, have a garage sale or donate charity.

The goal is to make each room feel spacious and functional. It can be a good investment to rent a storage unit for the few months your home will be on the market. It will provide a place to keep all those items that you don’t want to part with, but can’t stay at the home during showings.

This allows a buyer to envision themselves in your house. If your house is appealing, it may lead to bigger price returns.

A great way to show off your spacious home is to store extra furniture pieces or rearrange living spaces. Less furniture or rearranged furniture can showcase your home's unique details and charm. 

Clean out closets and cabinets. Decluttering these spaces shows off your home's storage size and capacity.

It is a good idea to keep candles or fragrances neutral. Some buyers may not like a strong vanilla smell, while others may enjoy it. To keep your home open to all buyers, stick to neutral scents. Prior to showing, simmer some cinnamon sticks on the stove, the aroma in the home is inviting. 

Even though your home might not be brand new, it will be the buyer’s “new” home.  Let’s face it, “lived in” is not an ideal way to portray your home to potential buyers. If you want top-dollar you have to make buyers feel like they are walking into a move-in-ready home. On the other hand, if your home is full of half-finished projects or has several fixes that need to be made, you are literally leaving money on the table. 

Walkthrough every room or your home and the outside to identify and list action items that will maximize your home’s potential.  This would be things that make your home appear new, clean, refreshed and repaired. Take the time to make changes where beneficial, definitely freshen up paint with neutral colors, and make needed repairs.

Now that your home is decluttered, repairs and improvements have been made, there is a critical step—deep cleaning. This step is a major influence in selling your home. A clean home says you have cared for the property. No one wants a dirty home.

Before your home hits the market deep-clean: wash windows, dust the woodwork, clean the carpets, scrub the bathrooms, clean the garage…again use a list. This will make it so much easier to go through the house and tidy up quickly before showings. If the major cleaning is done it takes little effort to keep things in order.

·        Before each showing, make a “clean sweep” through each room: open the curtains/blinds, turn on the       lights, remove everything from kitchen and bathroom counters, and make sure nothing was overlooked.

Invest in your homes success...curb appeal. This aspect of your home can make or break a home buyer's first impression. When you begin landscaping, choose elements to complement your home's style.

If you’re considering selling your home this year, or maybe just wondering which home renovation projects are actually adding value, I invite you to contact me for a free consultation of your property and listing presentation for success.