17 Tips for Better Home Showings

When preparing to put your home on the market, follow these simple and inexpensive tips to improve your chances for a quick sale at full price. Now is the time to make your home shine, setting it apart from the competition!

1. Remove clutter and clear off counters. Throw out stacks of newspapers and magazines and stow away most of your small decorative items. Put excess furniture in storage, and remove out-of-season clothing items that are cramping closet space. Don’t forget to clean out the garage, too.

2. Wash your windows and screens. This will help get more light into the interior of the home.

3. Keep everything extra clean. A clean house will make a strong first impression and send a message to buyers that the home has been well-cared for. Wash fingerprints from light switch plates, mop and wax floors, and clean the stove and refrigerator. Polish your doorknobs and address numbers. It’s worth hiring a cleaning service if you can afford it.

4. Get rid of smells. Clean carpeting and drapes to eliminate cooking odors, smoke, and pet smells. Open the windows to air out the house. Potpourri or scented candles will help....but don't overdo it! If buyers are overpowered by air fresheners, they may be suspicious about the smells they think you may be trying to hide.

5. Brighten your rooms. Put higher wattage bulbs in light fixtures to brighten up rooms and basements (especially important with it getting dark so early!). Replace any burned-out bulbs in closets. Clean the walls, or better yet, brush on a fresh coat of neutral color paint.

6. Don’t disregard minor repairs. Small problems such as sticky doors, torn screens, cracked caulking, or a dripping faucet may seem trivial, but they’ll give buyers the impression that the house isn’t well-maintained.

7. Tidy your yard and walkway. Clean up your landscaping before winter arrives, rake the leaves, clean the gutters, keep walkway and front porch and/or steps neat and clean.

8. Add a touch of color in the living room. A colored afghan or throw on the couch will jazz up a dull room. Buy new accent pillows for the sofa.

9. Buy a flowering plant and put it near a window you pass by frequently.

10. Make centerpieces for your tables. Use brightly colored fruit or flowers.

11. Set the scene. Set the table with fancy dishes and candles, and create other vignettes throughout the home to help buyers picture living there. For example, in the basement you might display a chess game in progress.

12. Replace heavy curtains with sheer ones that let in more light. Show off the view if you have one.

13. Accentuate the fireplace. Lay fresh logs in the fireplace or put a basket of flowers there if it’s not in use.

14. Make the bathrooms feel luxurious. Put away those old towels and toothbrushes. When buyers enter your bathroom, they should feel pampered. Add a new shower curtain, new towels, and fancy guest soaps. Make sure your personal toiletry items are out of sight.

15. Send your pets to a neighbor or take them outside during showings. If that’s not possible, crate them or confine them to one room (ideally in the basement), and let the real estate practitioner know where they’ll be to eliminate surprises.

16. Lock up valuables, jewelry, and money. While a real estate salesperson will be on site during the showing or open house, it’s impossible to watch everyone all the time.

17. Leave the home during showings. It’s usually best if the sellers are not at home. It’s awkward for prospective buyers to look in your closets and express their opinions of your home with you there.

Source: REALTOR Magazine

Your Nothnagle agent will help you maximize your showings and will provide you with easy solutions to prepare. Call, email or text a Nothnagle agent directly to get started!