Showstopper Showings for Homesellers
Even in the middle of a Kentucky winter, houses are still selling! I think it's a common mistake that waiting until spring to sell is the answer. I'm here to advise you differently! I suggest that listing your house sooner than later is putting you at a HUGE advantage. You'll experience great traffic and offers as a result of less competition (let's face it--some sellers are shying away from the winter month). Less competition means your house is less likely to get lost in an influx of listings. The key to getting your home sold at a great price is pricing it correctly (overpricing will kill your listing) and a multi-faceted approach to marketing you home. But as the homeowner, what can you do to present your home in it's very best light? Here are 10 tips to maximize your Realtor's efforts.
10 Tips For Sellers
- Leave the Lights On---First impressions are everything! A buyer will decide within the first minute of entering you home if they like it, or not. By appealing to a buyer's emotions, you can capture them. Entering a brightly lit and welcoming space can mean the difference between success and failure.
- Make Your Home Comfortable---On a cold wintery day, nothing quite says home like a warm comfortable space to find refuge. If it is winter time, make sure you keep the heat at a universally comfortable temperature. A buyer will not want to stay and won't feel comfortable if you're trying to be a penny pincher by keeping the heat set to 62 degrees. Warm it up! And vice versa for warm weather...make sure its cool and refreshing walking in on a hot summer day!
- Never Turn Down a Showing--- Of course it will never be convenient, but it is a horrible idea to turn down a showing. Once a buyer is gone, they are gone. If your turn down a showing, they probably will not be back. Buyers are on a mission to find their new home without regard to your schedule. So make it work!
- Secure Your Valuables--- While under normal life circumstances your jewelry is perfectly fine laying on a night stand, when selling a house all bets are off. Always keep you prescriptions, jewelry, and expensive electronics secured. You never know when a showing request will come in...you could be at work and not able to make it home prior to. Just make a habit during this time to keep your things put up and secured.
- Keep Your House Clean & Ready To Show--- I always tell my sellers---you don't sell a house the same way that you live in it. Think model home. Don't make it difficult for the buyers to envision them and their things in your house. Keep the clutter put away. A storage unit can be a great asset to you during this time. It's a short term sacrifice for a long term goal.
- Make Arrangements for your 4-Legged Family Members--- Your Realtor will make others aware that there are pets in the home, but if at all possible, remove your pets during showings. Possibly use a pet daycare while your home is on the market. While I am a pet lover, not all buyers are. I've seen buyers walk in and right back out due to a barking dog in a crate or after encountering pet odor upon entrance. I understand that your pet is a member of your family, but not all people understand that. It's best to make your 4-legged family members as absent as possible during the process.
- Keep Your Home Depersonalized--- For most people, a house is made into a home through personalization. We add parts of us and our life to our house to make it our home. Our home is a representation of our life, but during the selling process there are new folks trying to envision their life inside the walls of your house. Make it easy for them! Remove all those precious drawings, report cards, and spelling tests from the refrigerator. Remove most, if not all, of your family photos throughout the home. Take down that command center with everyones responsibilities and appointments. Don't create a barrier for your potential buyer!
- Open Up Your Blinds--- Keep your blinds open and curtains pulled back. That may seem counter intuitive, especially during the colder months when energy efficiency may be on your mind. But, this little move can have a big impact. From the outside it makes your home feel inviting and friendly, especially when you also leave lights on! From the inside, it gives potential buyers an idea of the natural light that comes into the home. Small effort=a better showcasing of your home.
- Make Sure Your Home Smells Fresh---Now let me preface that statement with this...think fresh NOT perfumey! I suggest an essential oil diffuser. It will deliver freshness, but not be overwhelming to the senses. Make sure to take the trash out prior to a showing. Also, I suggest keeping a lemon on hand and run it down the disposal. Again, think fresh and clean not an overwhelming scent. That will have the opposite effect that you're wanting. I've seen it happen time and time again...what are they trying to cover up with that candle or with that spray?
- Leave The House For The Showing--- Please for the love of all things good, do not be home when there is a showing scheduled. It will kill any chance of selling to the potential buyer. Your potential buyer will not be able to look and speak freely when you're sitting on the couch able to overhear them and watch them the entire time. Buyers need to be able to look without pressure. Also, don't put yourself in a position to be questioned and not be prepared to answer. Just don't do it! Be absent.
- Never Turn Down a Showing--- Of course it will never be convenient, but it is a horrible idea to turn down a showing. Once a buyer is gone, they are gone. If your turn down a showing, they probably will not be back. Buyers are on a mission to find their new home without regard to your schedule. So make it work!
- Secure Your Valuables--- While under normal life circumstances your jewelry is perfectly fine laying on a night stand, when selling a house all bets are off. Always keep you prescriptions, jewelry, and expensive electronics secured. You never know when a showing request will come in...you could be at work and not able to make it home prior to. Just make a habit during this time to keep your things put up and secured.
- Keep Your House Clean & Ready To Show--- I always tell my sellers---you don't sell a house the same way that you live in it. Think model home. Don't make it difficult for the buyers to envision them and their things in your house. Keep the clutter put away. A storage unit can be a great asset to you during this time. It's a short term sacrifice for a long term goal.
- Make Arrangements for your 4-Legged Family Members--- Your Realtor will make others aware that there are pets in the home, but if at all possible, remove your pets during showings. Possibly use a pet daycare while your home is on the market. While I am a pet lover, not all buyers are. I've seen buyers walk in and right back out due to a barking dog in a crate or after encountering pet odor upon entrance. I understand that your pet is a member of your family, but not all people understand that. It's best to make your 4-legged family members as absent as possible during the process.
- Keep Your Home Depersonalized--- For most people, a house is made into a home through personalization. We add parts of us and our life to our house to make it our home. Our home is a representation of our life, but during the selling process there are new folks trying to envision their life inside the walls of your house. Make it easy for them! Remove all those precious drawings, report cards, and spelling tests from the refrigerator. Remove most, if not all, of your family photos throughout the home. Take down that command center with everyones responsibilities and appointments. Don't create a barrier for your potential buyer!
- Open Up Your Blinds--- Keep your blinds open and curtains pulled back. That may seem counter intuitive, especially during the colder months when energy efficiency may be on your mind. But, this little move can have a big impact. From the outside it makes your home feel inviting and friendly, especially when you also leave lights on! From the inside, it gives potential buyers an idea of the natural light that comes into the home. Small effort=a better showcasing of your home.
- Make Sure Your Home Smells Fresh---Now let me preface that statement with this...think fresh NOT perfumey! I suggest an essential oil diffuser. It will deliver freshness, but not be overwhelming to the senses. Make sure to take the trash out prior to a showing. Also, I suggest keeping a lemon on hand and run it down the disposal. Again, think fresh and clean not an overwhelming scent. That will have the opposite effect that you're wanting. I've seen it happen time and time again...what are they trying to cover up with that candle or with that spray?
- Leave The House For The Showing--- Please for the love of all things good, do not be home when there is a showing scheduled. It will kill any chance of selling to the potential buyer. Your potential buyer will not be able to look and speak freely when you're sitting on the couch able to overhear them and watch them the entire time. Buyers need to be able to look without pressure. Also, don't put yourself in a position to be questioned and not be prepared to answer. Just don't do it! Be absent.
- Secure Your Valuables--- While under normal life circumstances your jewelry is perfectly fine laying on a night stand, when selling a house all bets are off. Always keep you prescriptions, jewelry, and expensive electronics secured. You never know when a showing request will come in...you could be at work and not able to make it home prior to. Just make a habit during this time to keep your things put up and secured.
- Keep Your House Clean & Ready To Show--- I always tell my sellers---you don't sell a house the same way that you live in it. Think model home. Don't make it difficult for the buyers to envision them and their things in your house. Keep the clutter put away. A storage unit can be a great asset to you during this time. It's a short term sacrifice for a long term goal.
- Make Arrangements for your 4-Legged Family Members--- Your Realtor will make others aware that there are pets in the home, but if at all possible, remove your pets during showings. Possibly use a pet daycare while your home is on the market. While I am a pet lover, not all buyers are. I've seen buyers walk in and right back out due to a barking dog in a crate or after encountering pet odor upon entrance. I understand that your pet is a member of your family, but not all people understand that. It's best to make your 4-legged family members as absent as possible during the process.
- Keep Your Home Depersonalized--- For most people, a house is made into a home through personalization. We add parts of us and our life to our house to make it our home. Our home is a representation of our life, but during the selling process there are new folks trying to envision their life inside the walls of your house. Make it easy for them! Remove all those precious drawings, report cards, and spelling tests from the refrigerator. Remove most, if not all, of your family photos throughout the home. Take down that command center with everyones responsibilities and appointments. Don't create a barrier for your potential buyer!
- Open Up Your Blinds--- Keep your blinds open and curtains pulled back. That may seem counter intuitive, especially during the colder months when energy efficiency may be on your mind. But, this little move can have a big impact. From the outside it makes your home feel inviting and friendly, especially when you also leave lights on! From the inside, it gives potential buyers an idea of the natural light that comes into the home. Small effort=a better showcasing of your home.
- Make Sure Your Home Smells Fresh---Now let me preface that statement with this...think fresh NOT perfumey! I suggest an essential oil diffuser. It will deliver freshness, but not be overwhelming to the senses. Make sure to take the trash out prior to a showing. Also, I suggest keeping a lemon on hand and run it down the disposal. Again, think fresh and clean not an overwhelming scent. That will have the opposite effect that you're wanting. I've seen it happen time and time again...what are they trying to cover up with that candle or with that spray?
- Leave The House For The Showing--- Please for the love of all things good, do not be home when there is a showing scheduled. It will kill any chance of selling to the potential buyer. Your potential buyer will not be able to look and speak freely when you're sitting on the couch able to overhear them and watch them the entire time. Buyers need to be able to look without pressure. Also, don't put yourself in a position to be questioned and not be prepared to answer. Just don't do it! Be absent.
Overall, the point is to remove any and all barriers for potential buyers. If you can remove an objection, then do it! Winter is here! Let's work together to get your house listed and closed before the spring arrives.
Until next time,
Melissa
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