Preparing a Home for
Showing
When you are selling your home,
you want the assurance that the REALTOR® will have your best interests in
mind. We have checked references to make sure that this is the case
with all of our Selected Agents. Trust an EXODUS REALTOR®!
PREPARING
TO SHOW YOUR HOME
Never
underestimate the first impressions a person gets when entering your home.
Prepare your home to give great first impressions. When
a REALTOR® visits your home, he or she may make suggestions about
preparing your home for sale. The advice that a REALTOR® gives is
intended to help you get the best possible response from the people who
view your home.
Remember that a REALTOR® is trained to look at your home from a different
perspective. Don't be offended if the agent requests that you repaint a
room to make it more neutral or remove some of your favorite furniture to
make the home appear more spacious.
Here
are a few tips to ensure the best possible impressions:
-
Keep
your home picked up and clutter-free!
-
Before
you put your home on the market go through old magazines and books.
Are there some day care centers, schools, or retirement homes where
these magazines and books can find a new life? You'll have the
pleasure of donating and your home will be less cluttered.
-
Go
through your closets and drawers and remove clothing that you no
longer wear or that is out of season. If you no longer wear it,
give it away or have a garage sale. If it is seasonal, pack it in
boxes, label the boxes, and stack them neatly in the basement or
garage.
-
Go
through the attic and basement and be sure that you really need
everything you have. If you want to keep it, make sure that it is
stacked neatly and is easy to walk around.
-
Clean
sinks and showers and toilets. Lime-a-way does a great job of removing
rust and hard water stains. It also works well in a stained
dishwasher. You'll be amazed at the results!
-
Wash
walls, woodwork and doors with Tri-Sodium Phosphate or another strong
cleaner. If a room still looks dreary, or if the color of the walls is
very bold, apply a coat of neutral paint. It is not usually worth
remodeling a home before you put it on the market, but a few new coats
of paint go a long way to spruce up a room. If major redecorating
needs to be done, ask your REALTOR® whether offering a
"redecorating allowance" to the purchaser may be a good
option. It will save you time and work and it will allow the buyers to
decorate according to their own preferences.
-
Have
carpets cleaned, wash and wax floors.
-
Wash
windows inside and outside.
-
Plant
some colorful flowering annuals outside if weather permits.
-
Go
through the house and take a critical look. Are there loose nails
sticking out? Do door hinges need oil? Are doors in need of adjusting?
Do drawers slide easily in cupboards, etc.? These are all
characteristics of your house that you may have grown accustomed to,
but a potential purchaser will notice them right away. Ask a friend to
go through the house with you to help you notice the minor problem
areas. Small changes can dramatically improve the way your house looks
and feels.
-
Before
each showing turn on all the lights - even in closets. Open
drapes and curtains. If your home has air conditioning and it is warm,
put the air conditioning on, even if you normally wouldn't use it. In
the winter, turn the heat up to a temperature that makes the home feel
warm and pleasant.
-
If
your basement is musty, remove old boxes, newspapers and other
clutter. Use diluted bleach water to wash cement walls. Use
dehumidifier to reduce the musty smell.
We're
always looking for great ideas to pass along to our customer/clients.
If you've found some good tips for preparing a home for showing, we'd
love to add them to our list. Please email
us with your suggestions!
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