5 Best Ways to Prepare Your Home For Showings
When a buyer comes to see your house, its your only chance to convince them to buy it. So how you present it to them can completely make or break the sale. I will explain how to make your house look perfect so you can make sure you are getting as many offers as possible. Read to the end to get some tips on how to get it ready quickly when you get that dreaded last minute showing.
Your goal when showing your property is to paint it in the best light possible and with these 5 steps you are going to do just that.
STEP 1: ORGANIZE
A huge turn off for buyers is opening closet doors to see piles of clothes or bath towels and toiletries thrown about. Believe me when I say, their mood towards the house totally changes. When they walk into the kitchen and there are 40 small appliances laying around, they are thinking wow this is too small and not enough cabinet space, not looking at your brand new quartz countertops. It could be a massive kitchen, it doesn’t matter, it will just seem small to them. How your belongings are portrayed in your house is making that buyer think things and it could be either good or bad. You want good. Now, what is their reaction when they open the closet and its perfectly organized and it’s not busting at the seams? Complete disbelief and a change of tune on how they are viewing your home. I swear I see their shoulders lower and an instant calm come over them. It causes buyers to like your home that much more and makes them think you really take care of your house. Heres the thing, your property really could be too small or not have enough space. However, you need to build the illusion that everything is great and there are zero problems. Remember, you need to complete this in not only closets but pantries, kitchens, bathrooms, basements, garages and sheds. Make it neat and clutter free. If you need to box things up and take it out of the house, do it. If you do have things that have to stay, at the very least put it all in totes or boxes and stack them neatly.
STEP 2: CLEAN
Before you list, clean your house like you have never cleaned it before. Wipe down chandeliers, baseboards, fans and vents. If you have the dreaded two story foyer, make sure that window up there is clean and if there is a ledge, that it’s dusted. You don’t want people realizing they are never going to be able to get up there. Clean your carpets, windows and wipe down all your cabinet doors, do it all. I can’t tell you the amount of half million dollar properties I’ve shown that I needed to take a shower after. If you have pets, make sure there is not a speck of hair in that house before the showing. Tons of people are allergic so you have to cater to that possibility. Also, if any of your pets have had accidents on your carpets or floors and you can smell it? Clean it until you can’t. The number 1 complaint with showing homes is pet smells. That is one thing you cannot cover up. If you want to instantly turn off a buyer or make them offer you a lot less then they would have? Let your house be dirty.
STEP 3: HIDE CLUTTER
Dog bowls, magnets, mail you just got out of the mailbox? Hide it. The less of your daily living items that are around the better. I know you are probably thinking right now that it seems excessive. However, walk into your bathroom and look around. Then go in and put the toothbrush holder and toothpaste in the cabinet and whatever else is laying there. Take everything off your toilet and then clean out your shower. Take a look now. Looks better doesn’t it? Think of your house as a hotel. That’s one of the relaxing things when you walk into a hotel room. It looks so peaceful and calming and doesn’t remind you of all your everyday routines. Once you unpack your stuff it almost gives you anxiety and it’s no longer peaceful and relaxing. Make your house look like a hotel.
STEP 4: SMELL
For the same reason you like going places that smell good, it works with people visiting your house. The better you can make it smell the happier those buyers will be. Don’t go crazy with chemical smelling room deodorizers. You don’t want buyers thinking you are trying to cover something up. Think of it as a hint of a scent. And whatever that scent is make sure you use the same one throughout. Don’t make one room lavender and the next one clean linen. Too many smells make people sick and give them headaches. Think of simple fresh smelling scents like vanilla or citrus. There are even videos you can watch to make your own on your stovetop. Just remember, not strong and just a hint.
STEP 5: AMBIANCE
Make your house like a high-end store. Make people want to spend their money. Have all the lights on when the buyer get there so they aren’t fumbling with light switches or not getting the full effect. Have all your blinds up and curtains open. Buyers love natural light. Turn on some music to play in the background. Make sure its something gender neutral and appropriate. This also is a great way to hide road noise if you live on a busy street. One thing I noticed that buyers love, is if you leave them some sort of treat in the kitchen with a sign that says we hope you love our home. Buyers think that is so special. Just make sure they are packaged individually and store bought. Not only do buyers appreciate it, you are actually building a repour with them if they are the ones you buy your house.
I promised you some quick tips for last minute showings so here they are:
Run through and get as many things put away as possible. If you are really short on time you can put things in places buyers won’t look, like under beds, in dresser drawers, etc.
When you are running through, make sure you are turning lights on and opening blinds and curtains as you go.
Clean the most important things that need it.
Finally, if you are rushing, just put your scent out by the front door and try to turn on your music.
It’s not perfect, but just get it as best as you can because let’s be real, sometimes life just gets in the way.
So that is how you are going to get your home looking amazing for showings to try and get as money for your house as possible. Now to recap:
Step 1 – Organize
Step 2 – Clean
Step 3 – Hide the clutter
Step 4 – Smell
Step 5 – Ambiance
Now that you know how to get your house showing ready you should watch my previous video, “7 Best Repairs to Make for a Return When Selling Your Home.”
One of the most important things sellers don’t realize when they list their homes is how the look or the feel of their house will impact a buyer. You don’t want to leave any money on the table by not doing improvements that are worth it and you certainly don’t want to waste money by overdoing it. I will show you exactly what you will need to do to your home to get the most return.